Giving a little color to those old blinds
Know that there is an easy way to paint plantation shutters. If your window coverings have faded over the years, you don’t have to spend tons of money to replace them, you can just repaint them. This will allow you not only to add color and shine to your old blinds, but also to refresh the look of your interior. This is especially true of some neutral colored blinds, as white or cream colors tend to get dirty over time or damaged. Well, this is the perfect opportunity to start your plantation shutter refinishing project.
Try to plan all your steps before starting the project. This will prevent potential problems later, as once you’ve started painting, it’s too late to go back. This includes getting all the things you need and determining where you are going to paint the blinds. Also, since you’ll have to take the blinds down, make sure you remember (or even write down) everything you’ve done, so you won’t have a problem putting the blinds back on. Just follow the steps below and you’ll have a freshly painted window treatment in no time.
Blinds Painting Steps
- As we said before, the first thing you will have to do is remove the window blinds. It is important to correctly mark each panel, to put them back in the correct position, once the painting is finished. This also applies to hinges and other hardware, as any difference can cause alignment issues. Once you’ve removed the window blinds, it would be wise to remove all hardware such as hinges, hooks, or knobs attached to the panels. This will only take a screwdriver and a few minutes, but it will save you all the time trying to cover or mask these, or worse, trying to remove paint that somehow ended up there. Also, take this opportunity to check if any hardware needs to be repaired or replaced.
- The next step is proper cleaning of the panels. Be sure to do this thoroughly, as any dirt or trapped residue on the surface will not only make it difficult for the paint to adhere, but can also affect the smooth appearance of the freshly painted shutter surface. This can be done using nothing more than a little mild detergent and some warm water. Finally, don’t start painting before the surface is completely dry.
- The next thing you will have to do is scrape the blinds with a metal scraper and sandpaper. In this way you will get a smooth surface that is much easier to paint. Don’t overdo the scraping though as you don’t want to damage the panels in any way.
- Before applying the paint to your plantation shutters, it would be good to use a water-based primer. Covering the entire surface with a thin layer of primer will allow the paint to adhere much easier, regardless of what paint was used before.
- When it comes to painting technique, you can use a brush or some spray paint. Although it may seem fun to use a brush, it is usually time consuming (depending on the size of the brush and the size of your blinds), but it can also cause potential problems for your blind’s operating mechanism. That is, there is a chance that some paint could get into the gaps between the blinds and the frame (no matter how careful you are) which, when it dries later, will affect how smoothly the blinds open or close. .
- Once you have determined how you will paint your plantation shutters, prepare the workplace. You can hang the panels that will allow you to paint both sides at the same time or place them on the floor, previously covered with some newspaper or an old rag, so you will have to paint one side and turn it over once dry. panel and paint the other.
- Finally, you can start the paint job on the shutters. If you’ve opted for a brush, use flat brushes to apply the paint more evenly. Paint in smooth, even strokes. If you’ve decided to use spray paint, simply shake the can well before you begin and apply the paint vertically rather than horizontally. Hold the can about 12 inches from the panels and spray the color gently without any sudden movements that can cause smearing and differences in color tones. One coat of paint should be enough, but if you want a more intense shade, you can add another coat.
At the end of the shutter painting process, make sure the paint has completely dried and reattach the shutters to the window. If you pre-marked their original position and kept all the screws in one place, this shouldn’t be a difficult task. Take a step back and admire your work.