Exterior Painting

Painting the exterior of your house is as much important as painting the interiors. The first impression of your house that your guests have as they see your house, is its exterior. A shabby and drab house exterior with flaking paint is not going to look very appealing. Choosing the right exterior home colors is crucial if you want your house to look the best. There are many different types of house paints that are specially formulated for painting the exterior of a house. These paints are a bit different from interior paints as they are formulated in such a way that they can withstand extreme climates as well as dust, rain and hail. Before you embark upon exterior painting project, it is important to understand how it is done.

Ideas for Painting House Exteriors

The first step in painting the exterior of a house is to know which paints are suitable for painting exteriors and what color scheme would look good. First, have a good look at your neighborhood to see which paint colors are dominant in all the houses. You cannot pick a paint color that jars completely with the other houses in the neighborhood. The kind of landscape, the architecture style of the house and the climate also has a bearing on the exterior house color. There are different types of exterior paint colors like latex, acrylic, oil, primers and stains and each have their own advantages and disadvantages. The best exterior paint color to choose is latex since it is very easy to clean and is also durable. If you are planning to paint your house yourself, then latex and acrylic are excellent paint choice for beginners.

If your house a large rambling colonial style one that a single color might look boring and drab. It is best to choose two harmonious colors in the same color family and paint the exterior walls. You can even choose to paint the moldings, windows and doors in a contrasting color to give the house exterior an attractive look. The climate as well as the house surroundings play an important role in the exterior paint schemes. Light colors and neutral colors look great in a country style house that is surrounded by tall trees and bushes. If you live in a colder climate, then exterior paint ideas like stark darker colors like dark brown, chocolate and navy looks just right. The roof color should also match the paint color of the house.

Exterior Painting Preparation

After you have chosen the exterior colors, you have to prepare the surface on which the paint is to be applied. Look carefully for any signs of rotting wood, faulty window sills and cracked and chipped wood. You need to repair all this, before you can start painting the house exterior. If the walls have mildew in them, then you can remove them by first treating that area to a mixture of bleach and trisodium phosphate. This will help you to get rid of mildew effectively. You also need to wash the exterior of the house to remove any dirt, grime and lose flaking paint. This helps to ensure that the surface of the house is completely clean and the paint will also last longer. Where you have to paint wooden beams, window sills and doors, a good idea would be to make sure that the wood is termite free, dry and has no cracks. Lightly sanding the surface of the wood before painting is also very necessary.

Once all the preparation is done, you can proceed to paint the house. Use good quality exterior paint that will last for some years. Use the paint rollers in a single pass to get a smooth job done, you can also apply paint with a large paint brush, but make sure that you read the instructions.

Enhancing the appearance of your home with a coat of colorful paint is not very difficult. Exterior painting cost is considerable, so you should pick your paint colors with care. Once you pick the right paint colors and formulation, you are sure to have a house that looks as good from outside as inside.