LESLIE: Liz in North Dakota is looking for a gutter makeover. What can we do for you?
LIZ: Yes, we have some gutters that were installed on our home when we built it new 40 years ago, approximately.
TOM: Yep.
LIZ: And I know the company that we bought them from and it was supposed to be a warranted lifetime. I haven’t contacted them or anything. But they’re white and I believe it’s galvanized metal.
TOM: They galvanized; they’re not aluminum?
LIZ: No. No, they’re – I think they’re galvanized metal.
TOM: Hmm. Are they rusting out?
LIZ: No, they’re not rusting; they’re just fading out.
TOM: Huh.
LIZ: They were white.
TOM: Well, regardless if it’s galvanized steel or if it’s aluminum, they can be painted. The key here is going to be surface preparation. You’re going to have a lot of what we call chalking of the old finish. In other words, when you rub it, the old, white paint will come off. That needs to be cleaned very, very well and then I would recommend use of a primer because primer is going to make sure that the surface bonds properly to the final coat of paint.
I will tell you, Liz, that this is a lot of work – it’s not easy because the gutters are all up in the air – but you can prime them and paint them with a good-quality, exterior-grade house paint after they’re primed. And if you do it right and you take the steps I’m recommending, you can probably get another, say, five to seven years out of them with one good coat of paint.
LIZ: What do you recommend; oil-based or latex?
TOM: I think latex is fine but I just want you to make sure you prime the metal first. Make sure it’s a paint that’s designed for metal and make sure it’s primed properly.
LIZ: Alright, thank you very much. Enjoy your program.
TOM: Alright, thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.
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