# Painting Plastic Exterior Shutters



## Guest (Aug 15, 2007)

I'd spray them with something like Krylon Fusion if spraying is what you want to do. Fusion is a specially formulated paint designed to bond to plastic.


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

You asked for "the best"
All responses will be biased
People will always be biased towards the products they use

Your actual question however, isn't as easy to answer
The least biased answer would be "Any premium exterior latex house paint will work"
The problem is, they often don't work well, and it's a lot of work to paint them

There is no quick and easy way...or good guaranteed way
Most spray cans won't work
it's not the right kind of paint, and won't stay on long...if at all

The best way is to remove them, clean them up, and spray two thin coats of premium exterior latex house paint with an airless sprayer (rent if you don't have one available), let dry, install, touch-up the horrible scratches and paint peel-ups that happened while re-installing them with a brush, and enjoy...for a little while anyway
Often it's difficult to get the paint to stick

Unless it's a custom color, most of my customers get new
(the labor to install new is less than the labor for repainting....the overall cost can easily be less for new ones)


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## Da Vinci (Jul 1, 2007)

Slickshift has it right - just wanted to add 2 things: 1: Make sure the top grade acrylic paint is 100% acrylic and not just latex and 2. I am a strong proponent of a good binding primer like Zinsser 123 Blue Label. That stuff is tenacious and grabs onto everything including plastics. 

If you are halfway decent with a brush you could brush them, but spraying is much faster and nicer.

Also agree about using a spray can- they really can't hold up to weather for long.

Bay Area Painting Company


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## Guest (Aug 15, 2007)

True on all counts. Spray paint isn't the best way to go by far. Fusion is what I'd suggest if you really must go that way. I painted a PVC mailbox post with it (yes my father is that cheap) and I'm still waiting to see how well it will weather.


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