I just wanted to add that the colors of the gutters and the exterior house trim are in the same TONE. The gutter color is simply a shade deeper.

From the pic, the house looks good as is.

Thank you, but the pictured house isn't my house. My house hasn't been painted yet, so I posted a photo that has the colors like the paint I bought.

Here's the sample of the gutter color. The closest, when viewed in person, is the top, left sample marked "High Gloss White."

Since the factory pre-painted gutter colors come in only a limited number of colors, what do people usually do in a situation like this?

Paint the gutters to match either the trim or the roof - those are the only two choices.

Paint the downspouts to match the body of the house so they blend away.

I never let the limited choices in gutters dictate an exterior color palette.

But a lot of people do. Which is why so many houses have white trim and white windows.

The idea of painting pre-painted gutters/downspounts freaks a lot of people out.

It's 2018 and you can paint stuff like gutters/downspounts and you do it right it will last for years. It's not like the factory finish will last forever either.

If you see a house with custom color on the gutters and downspouts, that's one of the ways you can tell they hired a color consultant.

I'm concerned that there's a noticeable difference between the color of my house's exterior trim and the color of the rain gutters that are about to be installed.

The lightest shade of white offered by the rain gutter company is slightly darker than my house's trim.

I found some photos that best represent what these colors look like in real life. The tiny square represents the trim color of an all but white, white color. (Sorry, but I couldn't get it to enlarge.) The circle represents the rain gutter color. You can see that they're similar, but a noticeable shade different.

I appreciate the idea of a custom-painted rain gutter. Yet, UNLESS IT'S JUST NEVER DONE BY DESIGNERS in cases like this, I'd still like to stay with a factory-finish paint on the new gutter system because it will weather much better. (Designers, please speak up now. What would you do?)

Do you think these colors are close enough to still allow my house's exterior design to be considered IMPECCABLE, assuming the rest of it measures up to that? I'm spending a ton of money on everything right now, including a new roof, so I've got to get it right.

Thank you very kindly for your time! I deeply appreciate it.

:D

In bright sunlight, the trim color (represented here by the small square) looks like the bright white in the house photo). Out of full sun, it's a slightly softer white and looks to be on the lighter end of a continuum of color, with the gutter color a shade deeper. QUESTION: Is this enough of a difference to warrant a custom paint job?

Upon reflection, the "gutter color" above is definitely showing as darker than in real life.

Isn't color a tricky thing! It all depends on light.

So here it is. The gutter color is just A BIT darker than the trim--not even as much as the difference pictured here.

One designer has weighed in and I thank her! Her advice came before I posted the two colors.

The question remains: Is this ENOUGH of a difference to warrant a custom paint job?

Thank you very much, every one of you who take the time to reply!

A professional color consultant weighed in and said:

"Paint the gutters to match either the trim or the roof - those are the only two choices.

Paint the downspouts to match the body of the house so they blend away.

I never let the limited choices in gutters dictate an exterior color palette"

You used the word "IMPECCABLE"

Painting a gutter isn't like painting route 66.

Now........what do you think YOU should do? I don't see two colors posted, and every bit of tech has a viewer and monitor differential. Not the point really, is it?

You said you wanted.........impeccable, did you not? Pay for it. Because you also said:

It IS an OBVIOUS, though not glaring, shade darker.................thus, it will be glaring to YOU.

Hi. Yes, both colors are there, but I get your point. I will notice the difference, so I should pay to have the gutters custom painted, is what you're saying. Thank you, Jan, for weighing in! I appreciate your time.

Jan, I can ask the folks at the gutter company about custom painting, but if they say they don't do custom painting, where would you recommend I turn to from there? Thank you.

The painter who is painting your trim should be able to paint your gutters.

This is where color professionals and painters bash heads a lot. It's a maintenance free item now and painting them erases that. Yes, they can be painted but since they are so smooth, not all painters can do a good job painting them so you may end up with brand new gutters looking like crap with brush marks and roller marks on them. It would be ideal to spray them, but this is not always an option because they are hard to prep and not every painter does spraying. I would just consider if the color is close enough to just live with them. The question is not so simple as to be answered by just changing the color. I highly doubt the factory does custom colors too so it would have to be done by the painter.

QUESTION: Is this enough of a difference to warrant a custom paint job?

If it bothers you, then yes.

If you can live with the difference, NBD. Decide and move on.

A lot of people choose to live with the difference and think nothing of it.

Can't tell you how many gutter people are absolutely gobsmacked when I dislike every color they have to offer - all four of 'em. {rolleyes}

If they have a neutral (ish) light/medium gray, that's what I specify because we're going to paint them. The neutral (ish) gray makes a great base color - better than white - for whatever custom color I specify for the trim.

Unless the custom trim color is a white, then I spec white gutters too.

They're offend X2. lol!

1. That I don't like their colors.

2. I'm going to have their white or gray painted over with another color.

Hi Lori,

LOL! Oh that's GREAT advice to get a white that could essentially act as a base for the primer coat to adhere to. The closest would be the "Lo Sheen White." So, would it be OK that it's not a flat paint? I imagine a bit of very low-abrasive sanding would get it ready to take the primer and then we're off and running...ready for the final color.

Funny, but the colors, viewed in person, are oh-so-very-close! That's what I've been asking myself--Can I live with the difference? SO close. LOL

Part of the difficulty is the age-old issue of the samples being small and trying to extrapolate to my overall house size! Guess that's why I was asking others.

The gutter co. offers the closest color in a high gloss white, but I chose low lustre paint and already purchased it before I thought about the sample's finish. So, simply the finish, itself, could be "wrong"--EVEN IF I decide the one-shade difference doesn't bother me.

QUESTION: Lori, just to explore all options...If I were to go with something that's offered by the gutter co., what do you think about their "High Gloss White" gutter finish/color going with my house's "Low Lustre" exterior paint?

Thanks for making me laugh ("roll eyes")! All these details can be daunting and it's nice to lighten up.

And, thanks so very much for your time, Lori! You're just awesome. <3

"High Gloss White" gutter finish/color going with my house's "Low Lustre" exterior paint?

It all depends on the product, but in general gloss tends to dissipate, neutralize over time on an exterior.

I wouldn't pay more for it.

In general, I don't care for anything shiny on an exterior. Personal preference never anything more than satin. I spec satin as rule for just about all components on an exterior.

Lori, I agree but thought I'd ask. And, by asking you, I learned something--that gloss tends to dissipate... I didn't know that. (That's interesting and I'll log it away for future reference.) Still, some areas that CAN be seen but are more hidden from weather may remain glossy and I wouldn't like that.

I've left out my samples of trim paint and gutter color+finish, for side-by-side comparison, at a spot in my home which I walk past multiple times an hour. I know myself very well: My brain is wired to notice discrepancies first and foremost. I know this about myself. It's part of what makes me so good at analyzing things. I also know that in my initial take, I can see something as glaring that is not as severe as how I first see it.

Today, I've walked past the samples without anticipation of seeing them (just thinking about other things as I go about my day). A number of times today, my brain's take on the color comparison told me they are the same color! Upon looking consciously for a second take, I then could see there's a slight difference.

This is true to how my brain processes differences, over time. On the first several takes, all I can see is the differential and differences look severely different to me; then, with time, I can begin to see more accurately the actual degree of difference.

(This is not to be confused with rationalizing or denial. I know I can be extra discriminating (okay, very "picky"--LOL) and I am a very particular person who notices the details in everything (so long as I've had enough sleep!)

I'm going to continue to consider all options today and tomorrow. On Monday, I'm going to call and ask some questions.

First, since the difference in color (of the high gloss white gutter color and my trim paint color) is very slight, I'll ask if the same color could be made into a low gloss.

Second, I'll ask if it would be possible for the factory to paint it my color (do they do that? and could they use the Benjamin Moore paint I've picked--maybe with an additive to harden the paint?). If so, how much more it would that cost? I can use this to compare any added customizing cost with labor cost of hiring a painter on my own.

My primary reasons for seeing if it could be custom painted at the factory, however, is not financial. It's that it would not slow-up the roofing company's installation if the gutter materials came ready to install...and...a factory finish MIGHT also adhere better than if I hired a painting contractor to paint them.

I'll keep checking for all your helpful comments, folks, so keep 'em coming please! Thank you all again for your time!

Thank you again Lori! I actually answered this last comment of yours with a longer reply but then edited it to correct a hanging parenthesis. Poof! I did everything all right, but the whole thing disappeared anyway. My laptop is in need of a tune up and it's getting a bit glitchy! I wanted you to know I deeply appreciate your thoughtful replies though, so I'm re-writing it (and the boiled down version, here, is more brief--so that's better). Replying to you helped me to ferret out my own thinking process and formulate a plan.

I learned something by asking you about the gloss (that it tends to dissipate over time) but I agree...I don't really like "glossy" on the exterior. (And even if it dissipates, there would be areas which could be seen but would be a little more protected from weather and those would stay glossy.)

I've realized, without rationalization nor denial, that the difference is only slight in color. I know myself very well: My brain is wired to first and foremost see discrepancies. It sees discrepancies as severely different at first. Yes, it tends to make me a discriminating (okay, "very picky") person (LOL) but over time my brain adjusts and I see more factually how much of a differential really exists. (Being able to see discrepancies so clearly makes me good at analyzing things, so it has its helpful uses!)

Knowing this about myself, I placed the samples at a spot in my home which I walk past multiple times per hour so I'd see the samples suddenly and without thinking about them first. Thinking about other things as I went about my day, my eyes landed on the samples without anticipation of seeing them, and my brain told me they are the same color. This happened 3 times. Only upon closer, conscious glances did my brain say, "Oh, those are slightly different." So, perhaps I could live with the color and, as you say, move on! :)

I appreciate the comments and, folks, please keep 'em coming if you have something helpful to add. There may be a new idea out there that can re-shape my thinking and help me to distill my best solution.

On Monday, I'm going to call and ask some questions:

1. Can the gutter company provide the COLOR of the High Gloss White in a low gloss finish?

2. If not, can the gutter company factory-paint with my paint selections from Benjamin Moore's Aura line, perhaps with an additive to harden the paint?

...and also...

3. Can we identify places on my home where downspouts cross over the body of the house, if any, and have the gutter company paint those pieces of the gutter system a second color, to match the body of the house?

Thank you Lori and everybody. I really appreciate your time!

Paintguy22 I truly appreciate your opinion. Since the color is so very close, with identical undertones, I have decided to do just as you suggested! Thank you kindly for helping me to sort this out. I also found the XIM Peel Bond so I'll be picking that up when I run errands next week. Your informing me about the tendency for paint on cedar to peel is most helpful! I can't believe I hadn't heard that before. You have been wonderfully generous with your time. Wish you were in my area so I could have you do my house's painting. Anyway, I wish you all the best. Again, many, many thanks!!!

Some thoughts. Won't different materials cause a slight difference in the white even if you painted it all with the same shade of white paint? And, because windows will be set in a little and downspouts will be set out a little (from the trim), even if you had the exact same white paint on both, it will appear to be slightly different on the house.

I'm dealing with the same thing. Cloplay white garage doors differ from the white vinyl trim they use around the door both of which differ from the Marvin fiberglass window white. And the garage door, garage-door trim, and window whites differ from the gutter white.

At the end of the day, I would still prefer a factory finish over painting it all. By the time the factory finish goes bad on the gutters and windows, they will probably need to be replaced! I'm getting fiberglass windows, so I'm not sure if the white will yellow, but the white in vinyl windows will yellow (what kind of windows do you have?).

Lastly, I'm assuming you are getting steel gutters, and that is why keeping the factory finish is important to you (I totally agree with paintguy22 that keeping the factory finish is preferred)? The white finish on aluminum gutters is just a factory applied primer (usually). So, if you are getting aluminum gutters, you would want to paint them to match your trim and windows anyway. Yes, it is complicated!