You can totally transform the look of your home in less time and for less money than any other improvement by simply painting its exterior. The right color choice can welcome you, family and guests home. The wrong one can become the neighborhood eyesore. So, here are some do’s and don’ts when deciding your exterior color scheme.
Do take time to choose your colors wisely. Take a photo of your home. Print several copies of the photo on letter-size paper. Look at your home’s architectural features. Consider which features you want to accent and those you wish to minimize. Take the prints with you to the paint store for marking while shopping colors.
Do keep in mind the colors that are already established – those that won’t be changing such as stone or brick. View them close up. Use them as a springboard for your accent colors. Are there any pops of color in the bricks or stones that you would want to borrow from for your trim or front door? Brick that has no high or low colors, but rather seems all one tone, may need an accent color from the opposite side of the color wheel to pop out visually in your exterior’s color scheme.
An example would be a muted reddish-tan brick. Choosing a teal accent color from across the color wheel would make a front door stand out. If the brick or stone has lots of variations in its shades and colors, choosing an accent color from another color group could be one color too many. In this case, staying in the same color range but going just a bit brighter or lighter would be a good choice.
Don’t select and purchase paint from a chip held under fluorescent lighting while standing in a paint store. The indoor lighting in the paint store is not where you should make your paint selection. And, don’t simply grab a folder with quarter-size swatches of exterior colors. Select from the larger swatches available and purchase a roll of masking tape. Return home and tape those swatches to your home’s siding, trim and doors.
Do look at the swatches from close by and from a distance. Walk away from where they’re taped to the house, perhaps even as far as the curbside. The red you chose for the door that looks a tad too bright up close could look just right from the curb. You may get quizzed by the neighbors, but leave the swatches up a few days. Look at them each time you arrive home and see how you feel about them after several days. View them in the morning light, extreme afternoon light and when shadowed by an overhang or late in the day. The colors will appear differently each time. A swatch could be red in the sunlight but look purple when shaded later in the day. Your objective is to choose the one you like through most of these visual changes.
Do choose colors that blend with the rest of the neighborhood. Certainly you want to express yourself when choosing colors, but save that love of fire-engine red for interior selections. Your neighbors will be easier to live beside if you keep a love of lilac to an interior accent wall.
Do keep in mind that a paint job well done can last more than 10 years. Choose a body color that is classic and use trending colors only on trim or an entry door. These can be repainted easily and affordably as your color preferences or fashion changes. Remember that light colors are less likely to fade over time. If you plan to be in your home for the next ten years or so, you may want to use a lighter color for the body of the exterior – the siding and used darker hues only as an accent.
Still can’t figure out which colors to use? Perhaps you don’t have a strong feeling one way or the other about an exterior color scheme. That’s OK. Choose colors that appeal to the largest majority of people. In most areas of the country, neutrals such as white, beige, blue or gray are the preferred choice.
- Oil Paints. Oil paints are pretty self explanatory, and are oil based. Also known as Alkyd paints, oil based paints can actually be toxic, and has strong fumes (if not properly ventilated). Oil paints, in general, dry slower than other types of paints, but they happen to blend better. This gives oil paints an advantage if you’re painting a large area, or if painting multiple colors onto a wall. Oil base paints are also some of the most difficult to get out, in the event of a spill. If you choose to use oil based paints, make sure to open some windows, and turn on a fan to help circulate air. This type of paint usually comes in a gallon size can.
- Acrylic Paint. Acrylic paints are among the most popular type of paints on the market. Water based, they are also the easiest to clean. Unfortunately, this type of paint dries quickly, making large areas more difficult to paint. Acrylic paints and oil paints will not mix, and acrylic paint might not even adhere to a wall if it was previously painted with oil based paints. Acrylic paints also do not blend well. If you are working with a large section, or attempting to blend colors, make sure to keep a water squirt bottle at hand, and squirt the walls to help keep the paint wet for best results. If you are going to make a glaze with acrylic paints, then make sure to choose a water based glaze, as an oil glaze will not mix. This type of paint usually comes in a gallon size can.
- Latex Paint. Latex paint is water based, but differs from acrylic. Latex paint is also easy to clean. It is a very versatile paint, since it can be used both inside and outside of the home. There are two different types of latex paint, interior and exterior. Latex paint is usually purchased in larger quantities than the other types of paint (latex paint generally comes in 5 gallon buckets, versus 1 gallon pails for the other types), although can be found in 1 gallon sizes. This makes latex paint excellent for painting large areas. Latex paint can also be used to help with lead paint abatement. Latex paints will adequately cover and seal the lead based paint so that contamination isn’t possible. Latex paints do not blend well, and dries quickly. This could lead to imperfections in the paint job that could cause latex paint to peel. Humidity also plays a factor in latex paint. If the walls are too humid, the paint will ball up and not stick, or will go on uneven, and allow the paint under the coat of latex to show through. Latex paints do not do well with faux finishes or any type of glaze.
Using these tips you should have no problems finding the right exterior painters and will certainly save time, money, and headaches in the future. If you would like to receive a free quote, please contact us today!