Friday, September 24, 2010

The Power of Armor All

These are not fancy
or pretty photos.

I wanted to document the change.

Some of you asked for photos when
we had the new windows installed.
I didn't want to show you because
for years I have avoided taking
pictures of the house if you could
see the shutters.

They were so faded and gross.


Initially we thought perhaps we would
 paint the poor ugly things. But when we looked
at products sold for painting vinyl shutters
that was very costly. We decided to look
into purchasing new shutters.
Well, that idea was quickly
put to rest. They are ridiculously expensive
when our shutters were structurally fine.




We discussed it and decided we had
nothing to lose.
So....out came the can of Armor All.
And shockingly....back to their original
color came our shutters!

Now, the bricks on the patio and
the soles of my shoes were slippery
for a very long time....
a tarp might be a very good idea...
but I am so very happy with the
results. I have waited all Summer
to tell you that the results
have lasted. Hot sun beating on
the shutters has not hurt them.

I can imagine that maybe once a year
or once every other year we will want
to put another coat of Armor All on them
but that is simple with a 
good microfiber
cloth.


This is not a paid endorsement.
Simply a helpful hint for others with 
sad and tired Vinyl.
It really worked well for us!

I would caution you to work
carefully around shutters that
are hanging.  This is a favorite 
spot for bees and wasps.

However, we had taken ours down 
at the request of the window salesman
and I am not amused with him.

It turns out that they did not need to 
come down at all....
but because they did we had to 
purchase new hangers.
They are pricey and it is a nuisance 
to find them.
We had to order online.
So....learn from our mistakes.....
With caution it would have been better
to have done this while they were still hanging.

So, there you have it.
Take it for whatever it is worth.
Tis the season for all of those improvements
that are best done when the weather is cooler...
although it is far from cool here lately.
I do hear that by Sunday I 
will be a happy camper, though.

AND...my dear friend, Shelley is coming to 
visit.  I was going to say she is visiting me....
but she and the kids love each other so much 
that they will have this evening all to themselves
and I will get to spend time with Shelley tomorrow.
Tonight I will practice our music for Sunday
while they get into whatever mischief they can find.
Tomorrow?
Who knows.

Hugs,
Becky K.


12 comments:

Liane said...

Wow! Thank you SO much for that bit of info! Shutters are ridiculous to replace and it's nice to know how to spruce them up again without buying paint (as we did some years back) or risking them cracking or breaking while trying to remove them.
Have fun with your friend!

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

That is really an amazing transformation! I had forgotten about it, though you told me months ago!

I will have to tuck that information away...

Karen said...

Wow, it really did make a nice difference! Handy tip!

The window guy making you take them down...what a pain that sounds like. Glad you were able to find the parts you need but sorry you have the frustration of having to do the job in the first place.

We haven't even discussed shutters since getting the house re-sided. Ours weren't salvageable (or matchable for the window we added years ago) so we will have to start from scratch whenever we finally get around to it. I'm trying to decide I care, I guess. ;-)

Vee said...

That is an amazing tip! I don't have shutters, but I have a lot of friends who have tired ones so I'll be passing on the word. What a lot of work, but what results!

Enjoy your company!

Diane Shiffer said...

Becky.. that is truly incredible! You should email the armor all company, seriously, you should. I would have never thought to use that product for something like this. You are so creative!

jlshall said...

Those are really wonderful before and after photos! I wouldn't have thought it would make such a huge difference, but I've heard great things about Armor All, and I guess it's true. I'm always a little surprised when products turn out to do what they claim - guess I'm just being too cynical. Glad it worked, though!

Andrea said...

WOW! They look awesome!

Blessings,
andrea

Susy @ The Feathered Nest said...

Now that's a transformation! Reminds me of the power of Windex in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Only better (:

sherry said...

wow.
the difference is amazing,
becky! good job.
however.
please don't gasp but...
i really liked the
shabby chic look of
the *before* shutters.
;o)

jAne

Chicken Wrangler said...

Hey Becky!
Who'd a thunk it - Armor All? How easy can you get! They look brand-spanking new! Thanks for the hint, altho I don't have shutters - the idea could be used for more than shutters and cars, couldn't it!!! Have a great day!

Samantha said...

Our vinyl shutters also look very faded- I am going to try this! (And by "I", I mean my husband of course....) Thanks!

Lynn said...

I'm so happy I discovered this post about your shutters. I tried googling "renew vinyl shutters," but just kept getting pages of expensive products. Then I tried "armour all vinyl shutters," and your post came right up! Loved the photos and the confirmation that there is a cheap and easy alternative! I will be doing this to my shutters soon and can't wait! Thanks!