painting shutters

I hope the person building them is using old reclaimed cypress. I say this because many years ago I made some shutters out of cypress to go on a house in the French Quarter.

I gave them to the contractor and he had them primed and painted the typical dark green shade, then hung them on the building. Within a few months a few of the shutters began to warp due to exposure to the summer sun and heat. The newer milled cypress just didn't hold up like old growth cypress once did.

I had to rebuild them and did so with Spanish Cedar as an alternative and had no issues with them after that.

To answer your question about painting them. I'd definitely prime them and use oil base prime and get it 3/4 tinted to the final color. Even then, you will likely have to use 2 finish coats to get good coverage and I love Sherwin Williams paint in exterior latex. The grade will depend on how much you want to spend. I prefer a semi-gloss finish as opposed to high gloss.

Easiest way to paint them is by sprayer but lacking that I've done many sets of shutters with a roller and brush. Roll some paint on and even it out with a brush------and make sure to use a good brush, not one of those $4 cheap things you can get at any big box store.

My brushes run in the $20 and up range depending on the size, style and whether oil or latex specific.