Improve the Appearance of Your Home with Vinyl Shutters

A Low-Maintenance Shutter Option

Are you looking to make the outside of your house more beautiful and give it great curb appeal? Exterior vinyl shutters can add a more finished look to your house. It is an inexpensive way to give your house a look that you will be sure to love.

The materials used in exterior vinyl shutters make it easy for upkeep. They:

• Require no maintenance
• Last for many years
• Are weather-resistant
• Have a wood look without the care wood requires

There are many styles, standard or custom sizes, and color options to choose from.

Styles of Vinyl Shutters

• Louver
• Full louver
• Panel
• Cottage panel
• Three-panel
• Small middle
• Small top
• Three-spaced
• Four-spaced
• Four-joined
• Five-joined
• Single panel
• Combo

Standard size vinyl shutters are 15 inches wide and come in the following heights: 35 inches, 39 inches, 43 inches, 47 inches, 51 inches, 55 inches, 59 inches, 63 inches, 67 inches and 71 inches. Exterior vinyl shutters can also be custom made to fit any size window on your house.

Vinyl shutters come in a variety of colors; but if none of the color options suit your taste, you can select another color and paint them. Just make sure they are the type that can be painted.

How to Paint Vinyl Shutters

Before painting:

• Wash your shutters thoroughly with Dawn dish soap or another grease-cutting cleanser.
• Use a scrub brush to scrub them down. Then spray rinse with your garden hose.
• Let them dry overnight.
• The next day, wipe them with a tack cloth.

Now you’re ready for painting vinyl shutters. Select a good quality exterior spray paint. Lay the shutter flat on saw horses to prevent drips from occurring. Begin painting in a well-ventilated area.

Paint by using long, sweeping, side-to-side motions. You may need to apply several coats. Dry them inside or in a shady area for a few days to make sure they are totally dry before reinstalling them.

How to Install Vinyl Shutters

Installing vinyl shutters is easy because of how lightweight they are. They can be installed on any type of house surface. Before installing the shutters:

• Measure the height of each of your windows.
• If your windows are closely spaced, measure in between your windows to ensure your shutters won't overlap. The shutters need to lay flat against the surface of your house.

When installing your shutters on vinyl siding, use stainless steel siding clips that attach right to the siding. When installing your shutters on brick, use brick clips that can be attached right to the brick. Both siding and brick clips are great to use because they cause no damage to siding panels or brick blocks. No drilling holes or using screws or nuts and bolts are needed.

If you are replacing shutters, you need to know how to remove vinyl shutters:

How to Remove Vinyl Shutters

• Carefully lift the shutters off the brackets so you won’t damage the surface
• Pull the shutter away from the house and cut through all of the shutter loks, then remove the shutters
• Any holes should be plugged to prevent pests and/or moisture from entering

You can’t reuse shutter loks, so you will need to purchase new ones when replacing your shutters.