Newkirk Wallcovering and Painting

Vinyl Shutter Replacement

Vinyl Shutter replacement project Notice the distinct contrast between the two shutters shown here. The one on the left has faded dramatically over the past seven years since it's original installation. It's amazing what the sun can do in such a short time to colored vinyl.

Vinyl Shutter replacement project Starting with the second story windows first, I removed the old shutter using a cordless drill with the proper screw bit so I wouldn't strip-out the head of the old screws. Make sure you put ladder mitts on the ends of the ladder to protect the siding from marks and scratches. If you don't have any ladder mitts you can wrap a couple clean rags around the ends and use duct or masking tape to secure them to the ladder. NOTE: During the summer months you want to watch for wasps or bees nests behind the shutters before removing them.

Vinyl Shutter replacement project It's a lot easier to carry the screws provided by the manufacturer in a pouch of some sort. Your hands will be occupied by the cordless drill (cordless is recommended), screws, and new shutter panel.

Vinyl Shutter replacement project Before I install the new panels they should be pre-drilled with a recommended drill bit size. Here we are pre-drilling 3/16th inch holes centered 4 inches from the top and bottom of each shutter to keep a uniformed look. The side panels of each unit measured two inches so here we are splitting the difference by marking the hole 1 inch in from the side and 4 inches down from the top.

Vinyl Shutter replacement project When you tighten the screws down, DON'T OVER TIGHTEN them. Just enough to hold them flush against the siding without putting any extra pressure on the shutter. If for some reason the screws don't bite into anything,try using longer screws, or even anchors to mount the shutters properly to withstand the outside elements.

Vinyl Shutter replacement project When the shutter is ready to be installed you want to screw in the side closest to the window edge first (shown here as the screw to the right of the one I'm installing). This allows you to keep the new shutter aligned with the windows side. Check the height of each panel and be sure both the right and left sides are the same.

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