Painting shutters is labor intensive and can take a long time to accomplish. Rather than painting each shutter one by one, This Old House paint expert Mauro Henrique has developed a technique to work quickly and efficiently with flawless results.
Steps for Painting Shutters
Follow these steps to learn exactly how to paint your shutters as quickly and accurately as possible.
1. Sort the Shutters by Size
The first step to painting several shutters at once is to sort them by size. Keep longer shutters separate from shorter shutters to help make the following steps go faster.
2. Set Up Your Work Area
Set up a flat, clean work area where you can set several shutters at a time. Two large tables, sawhorses with sheets of plywood, and other flat surfaces are ideal. Make sure to cover them with drop cloths and protect the surrounding area with plastic sheeting, as you’ll be using a spray gun to work quickly.
3. Stack Your Shutters
On one of the flat surfaces, stack your shutters on top of one another, working with one size at a time. When stacking, be sure to perfectly align the sides and ensure that all of the slats are in the same direction. This will allow you to work quickly and get into an efficient flow without missing spots.
4. Spray the Four Sides First
With the shutters aligned and stacked, their sides should create four flat surfaces (top, bottom, and both sides) for easy painting with very little waste of overspray. Spray each side with the paint sprayer with an even coat.
5. Spray the Fronts
With the shutters still stacked, start spraying the fronts one shutter at a time. Spray side to side, working from top to bottom, with the spray gun pointed slightly up under the slats to ensure complete coverage. Spray an even coat by starting the spray before the nozzle reaches the edge and releasing the spray after the nozzle passes the other edge. Move at a consistent pace.
6. Continue Spraying
Remove the top shutter and place it on the other work surface to dry before moving to the next shutter on the stack. Continue spraying and moving shutters until the stack is painted, and then move to the next size shutters.
7. Apply a Second Coat
Wait for the shutters to dry for at least 4 hours (vary timing for temperature and humidity). Restack the shutters and repeat the process to apply a second coat.
Resources
Start by stacking the shutters evenly on two sawhorses. Be sure the corners align for the best coverage. Using a paint sprayer, paint all four sides of the stack in an even fresh coat. Then spray the top of the first shutter and move to the drying station.
Repeat this step until you reach the last shutter in the stack. Let the first coat dry completely before re-stacking the shutters and repeating the process for the second coat.
Essex green paint was used in this demonstration.