3 Tips for Choosing the Right Color for Your Exterior Window Shutters in San Carlos

The moment that you decide to repaint the exterior of your home in San Carlos, you also need to consider any exterior shutters that you have in place. When you invest in exterior house painting, and you ignore the exterior window shutters, you will notice the condition of those shutters very quickly against the brand-new paint job that your home has.

This also goes for when you have your house completely re-sided. Any time that you improve the exterior condition of your San Carlos home, you absolutely must take time to also sand down and repaint exterior window shutters.

This is dependent on the type of exterior window shutters that you have on your home. In other words, if you have vinyl exterior shutters, then you will have trouble repainting or changing the color of those shutters. Vinyl shutters are manufactured in such a way that they cannot be sanded down to a bare base like wood shutters can be. While you can certainly try to repaint those plastic exterior shutters, you will notice right away that the condition is affected and the exterior of your home will not look as polished as it should be, considering that you’ve had your entire house repainted.

If you have exterior wood shutters, or you are considering installing wood shutters to replace the vinyl shutters, then you will need to choose the right color to match, or more appropriately complement, the new exterior paint color of your home. Even if you had your house repainted in the same original color, it will look different because of the faded appearance of the old coat of paint.

Below are three tips to help you choose the ideal color for your exterior window shutters.

Begin with Materials

Focus first on the materials of your exterior shutters. As we already noted, vinyl shutters will pose a dilemma for you in trying to repaint them. If you have cheap plastic shutters on the exterior of your home, and you’ve invested a significant amount of money in repainting or re-siding your entire house, then you should consider making an investment in natural wood exterior shutters.

If you have wood shutters already in place on the exterior of your house, you want to make sure that they are on all windows. If they are only on select windows, make sure that they are covering the proper windows to enhance the appearance of your house in the most positive way. If you are not sure what is considered ideal, contact a professional shutter expert to evaluate the look and appearance of your home to determine whether the wood shutters should be moved to a different window or if you should consider installing exterior shutters on other windows of your home.

Having the right type of exterior shutters will make the process of repainting them more practical and easier. The process is essentially a matter of sanding down the old paint finish to the bare wood surface of the exterior shutters. This requires time and patience. Some people attempt to take apart their exterior wood shutters to make it easier to repaint them. The problem with this is you will be separating wood joints and this can cause problems when trying to put them back together.

The best idea is to use a fine sandpaper to get into the corners along the slats and the exterior framework. It will take time and patience and you can certainly use various tools to assist in sanding these shutters down. You may also choose to soak the shutters in a solution designed to help remove paint and stains.

Be sure to use an exterior paint that can withstand the harmful effects of direct sunlight, heavy rains, and potentially even hail. You can find the ideal paints to use at your local hardware store or paint retailer.

A Matter of Preference

When it comes to repainting exterior shutters, the color is a matter of personal preference. If you do not have a lot of experience choosing ideal paint color combinations, you can visit your local home improvement store or paint retailer to explain the color of the exterior of your house and to get some potential ideas on what color to paint your exterior shutters.

Many homes throughout San Carlos that are painted in a light or white color, will have black or dark brown for their exterior shutters.

Never Fixed (Permanent)

One of the most common mistakes people make when choosing exterior shutters for their home is that they try to save money by going with cheap vinyl shutters. As mentioned previously, vinyl shutters are generally a permanent design and it is very difficult to repaint them in a different color and make it look good.

If you are searching for the ideal exterior shutters for your San Carlos home, consider investing in natural wood shutters. Not only will these give your home a more natural and professional look, they can also increase the value of your house as well. The other benefit is that you will be able to change the color of your exterior shutters any time that you want without any major hassles.

If you are questioning the value of exterior shutters for your San Carlos home, take some time to drive around the neighborhood and pay attention to the houses that have exterior shutters and those that have no window coverings. You will quickly realize that not only can shutters enhance the appearance of the house, but the right color will complement the entire home.

If you need the help of an expert to review your current shutters, give us a call. At San Francisco Shutters, we help our community find the right San Carlos, CA shutters for their home. Stop by our showroom located at 1676 Gilbreth Rd Burlingame, CA 94010. Call us today at (650) 552-9020 to get started.