What Color Should I Paint my House?
The color you choose for your home, depends on a number of a factors, and it doesn’t just depend on what is your favourite hue, because you have to look long term as well. You have to remember that one day you will have to sell your home, and it should appeal to a certain type of market. You should also think about the area in which you stay, because you wouldn’t really want to start painting your home in tones of pink if you are in places like Montana and Idaho. This should be reserved for Florida.
Where to Begin?
Professionals will tell you that the roof should not be the same color as the house, so start with the roof and work your way down. At the end of the day, you want to end up with the roof complementing the rest of the house. Neutral paint colors are safe here, but they definitely don’t have to be bland and boring, so the roof can even be complemented with something green.
How to find the right house color palette
Once you have decided whether you want the cool colors of Florida or more daring warmer colors, you need to test them out before you really start to go for it. There are a couple of ways to go about this, but remember that this is an essential step.
Get a couple of pots of paint that you like from the store and dab this on right around the house. If you are not sure of colors, look online and drive around the neighbourhood. Of course, you don’t want to be too obvious, and paint your home exactly the same as your neighbour, but at this stage, you are just looking for ideas.
Look for home color palettes that are going to work best for your house. This will help cover up any flaws, which were overlooked when the house was designed and built. If you choose the wrong color in this respect, it is just going to bring those errors out even more.
The Trim Color
Once you have found what the best color to paint the house is, you will have to work with the trim. This is just as important because it gives the whole house an accent. Once you add this in, it is almost like you have lifted it to another level. However, you want to be careful you don’t go crazy with your color schemes, creating chaos. Usually, a white or a cream trim tone will go well with the rest of the house, and provide the perfect accent. However, if the house is very small, you may opt to leave the trim either the same color as the house or a couple of tones lighter.
Painting a Front Door
This is very important, because this is what you see first. It acts like a focal point, and people get to see the front door paint close up, so you will probably need to touch up on it more often. There is also more wear and tear here, with small children running in and out, along with pets scratching at the door.
The door is often the place where you can really show off the rest of the house, and there are many different ways that you can go about this, using both paint coupled with a nice textured handle, creating a certain theme. You will find a touch of elegance with a coat of black or red along with a nice brass handle. On the other hand, you can go with the cottage theme, giving it more of a rustic them, with one of the primary colors.
Obviously the door must complement the house, so if you have a modern house, then think along those lines. For example, if you have a gray house, then a bright yellow door will go very well with a modern looking house. However, for the traditional looking home, a navy blue or red hue would be more appropriate.
Is DIY House Painting for You?
Yes, it may seem easy enough to get yourself a paint brush, a roller or a spray gun and start going for it, but some jobs are a lot more difficult than others. If you have not been maintaining your house as you should have over the years, you will find peeling paint cropping up in certain areas, and this calls for more attention. Your paint is not going to stick here, so you need to get something like resin to fill in the gaps.
Do you know what type of primer to get and the actual technique to use for the whole painting process? Of course, it is worthwhile learning DIY exterior house painting if you have a big house, because it will definitely save you some money. It is more the different stages that you have to go through, than having a special skill.
Probably, the most important thing to remember here, is to work from the top, moving your way to the bottom. This will prevent any streaks from showing up. If you are set on doing this yourself, make sure you have a good quality paint – this is an incredibly important factor. Sherwin Williams paint is a top quality product, that has been recommended by the professionals time and time again.
When is the best time to paint the exterior of the house?
It is important that you check the forecast before you get going with this project. You need a dry spell of at least 7 days, or however long you think it is going to take to finish up. If you find that a shower is coming your way unexpectedly, then add a coat of primer on the bare wood. Painting on wet wood will not be the best thing because it is not going to last as long.
Consider painting your house in the Spring because this allows for better curing. The temperatures here are milder and that is suited slightly better overall.
