Honestly, I wouldn’t stress too much about the upkeep. If you use decent exterior paint and prep the gutters right, the colors should last a while. I’ve flipped a few houses with bold trim and it held up better than I expected. Just gotta touch up here and there—nothing wild.
Just gotta touch up here and there—nothing wild.
Yeah, that’s been my experience too. Painted my gutters a weird teal once (long story) and honestly, it held up way better than I thought. Prep is everything. The neighbors still talk about it...
Prep is everything. The neighbors still talk about it...
You’re not kidding about prep—if I had a nickel for every time someone tried to shortcut sanding or skipped the primer, I’d have enough for a whole rainbow set of gutter paint. I actually went with a bold green once (not quite teal, but close) and the looks from across the street were... memorable. Funny thing is, after a couple of seasons, the folks who gave me the most grief started asking about my “secret” for keeping the color so bright.
I will say, though, sometimes those wild colors grow on people. The HOA here was skeptical at first, but now they’re using my house as the “example of eco-friendly finishes.” Not sure if that’s a compliment or just their way of keeping tabs on me.
Anyway, totally agree—if you’re going to go bold, just do the prep right and let the neighbors gossip. It makes for good stories at block parties.
Funny how the loudest critics end up wanting your advice, isn’t it?
That’s always how it goes—first you’re the neighborhood “eyesore,” next thing you know, you’re the trendsetter.the folks who gave me the most grief started asking about my “secret” for keeping the color so bright.
I’m curious, though: did you do all that sanding and priming yourself or did you hire out? I’ve found that if I’m going to spend money, it’s better on quality paint than labor, but man, sanding down gutters is a pain. I tried to skip a couple steps once (regretted it six months later when the paint started peeling—lesson learned). Prepping right definitely saves money in the long run, but sometimes I wonder where to draw the line between “good enough” and “going overboard.”
Also, not sure if rainbow gutters are in my future, but I have to admit, seeing a bold color survive two winters without fading is almost enough to tempt me. Did you use regular exterior paint or something fancier? I’m always hunting for budget-friendly options that don’t look like it.
I’ve found that if I’m going to spend money, it’s better on quality paint than labor, but man, sanding down gutters is a pain.
You’re not wrong—sanding is the worst part, but skipping it always comes back to bite you. I did all the prep myself (regretted it halfway through), but I used a low-VOC bonding primer and then a mid-range exterior enamel. Not the fanciest, but it’s held up shockingly well. The key is really in the prep and making sure everything’s bone dry before painting. I don’t think it’s “overboard” if you want it to last more than a year or two. Sometimes good enough just means “I won’t have to redo this next spring.”
