Painting_Your_House_-_To_Improve_Value.jpgPainting Your House
Tips For Painting The Exterior Of Your Home
To Enhance Its Value & Appeal

A quality exterior paint job can completely transform the appearance of your home. Besides adding character and personality to your home, a quality paint job is also your home’s primary line of defense against weather and insects.

Exterior house painting is a special skill that requires careful attention to detail. Use the tips below to make sure that your next paint job is a quality paint job.

Tips For Quality House Painting

Choose The Right Paint.
Oil-based paint is best on old oil-based paint, chalky surfaces or for painting when it's below 50 degrees F. Otherwise, acrylic latex is suitable. Don't' forget the “sheen factor” -- glossy, semi-gloss or flat. Glossy paints are more likely to show imperfections, brush strokes and touch ups, but the surfaces are easier to clean. Many homeowners use flat paint for walls and semi-gloss or glossy paint for columns, railings and window sashes.

Choose The Color Scheme.
Many homes are painted in three colors or shades of the same color, one for the siding or walls, another for the eaves, moldings and trim, and a third for doors, railings, and window sashes.

However, when you consider the architecture you may need a bigger palette. While Georgian or Colonial styles are better suited for two or three colors some grand Victorians can live with as many as five to six color schemes.

A historic property or a property in a homeowner association community could restrict what colors you can choose. Be sure to check for zoning and historic guidelines as well as association rules.

Likewise, consider your surroundings. You don't want the same colors as the house next door, but you also don't want your home to clash with it.

Your home's materials may also dictate the colors you choose. Wood, brick, masonry or aluminum siding can be painted virtually any color. Vinyl siding, however, is best painted a similar hue, unless you choose a color in a newer paint formulated for vinyl.

Finally, consider how the colors you choose will mesh -- or not -- with other colors on or near your home that won't be painted including the roof, wood, masonry, or stone components and other elements.

Consider Color Characteristics.
Light colors make your house appear larger. Dark siding or dark bands of trim will "shrink" your home and draw more attention to details.

Fading is more obvious with intense colors. After a few years hot reds and vivid blues become more subdued. Dark colors will require extra maintenance and touch up work. They also absorb heat and suffer more moisture problems than lighter shades.

Don't be deceived by color swatches which look different in the store than in natural sunlight. Colors also appear lighter on large surfaces than on small samples. Test selected colors in an area before committing to gallons of paint.

Prepare The Surface.
To ensure the primer and paint adhere to the surface, it is essential that the paint surface be dry and free of grease, oils, and flaking paint. The number one reason for paint job failure is the application of paint on an improperly prepared surface. You wouldn't build a house on a bad foundation so don't apply paint to a poorly prepared surface.

Prepare The Area.
Protect landscaping, air conditioning units, BBQ grills, etc. Turn off power to the air conditioner's condenser unit and any outdoor appliances. Use canvas, rather than plastic drop cloths. Plantings will swelter under plastic. Cover and pull bushes and other vegetation away from the house as much as possible so they don't interfere with painting. Remove everything you can that is affixed to the home, door knockers, light fixtures, mailboxes, address numbers, window planters, etc. Mask the items you can't remove.

 

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