Monday, May 6, 2024

5 Things Making the Outside of Your Home Look Worse, Designers Say

house exterior paint

Many acrylic and latex paints also contain VOCs to a lesser degree, although the trend is toward reducing or eliminating the compounds to offer a healthier painting experience. Earthy beige coats most of this home's facade, but a fire-engine red front door bucks the trend. If you're looking to quickly switch up your exterior color scheme, a new front door color is one of the easiest makeover ideas. When working with an existing color palette, consider the undertones and color family already used within the facade. For example, this slightly cooler red, rather than one that leans orange, plays nicely with the cool undertones of the beige brick and siding. If your home is surrounded by a natural landscape, you can take one of two approaches to exterior paint color ideas.

house exterior paint

Finding the Best Quality House Paint

All of these paints are high quality and can help deliver a long-lasting finish to help with curb appeal goals. The exterior paints highlighted below hold up well in our weathering tests and resist cracking. If you’re looking to paint your front door, check out our picks for the best paints for your front door and trim. If you’re changing paint colors, you’ll have to be OK with your house being different colors until all the walls are done, four years down the road. The binder is what holds the pigments, mildewcides and other solids that form the actual paint film. Look for latex paint with an all-acrylic binder, which is inherently more weather resistant than vinyl or vinyl-acrylic.

How To Choose the Best Exterior Paint for Your Project

Because the expense of painting is mostly in the labor, it makes sense to buy premium paint. But suppose you plan to move or want to change the color scheme of your home in the next few years. Here’s where you can save with a midlevel paint that’s backed for 10 years or so versus 15 or more for many top-of-the-line paints. Oil-based paints, on the other hand, dry to an inflexible coating that blocks moisture. The results can be telltale cracks as siding gives and paint blisters as trapped moisture tries to find a way out.

The Best Exterior Paints for Stucco

Painting to improve curb appeal so you can sell the home may also affect your color choice. Having said that, however, dark-colored homes absorb up to 90 percent more energy from the sun. If your summers are sweltering, you may want to stick with lighter colors. Timeless, crowd-pleasing colors like blue, yellow, red, or green are go-to exterior paint colors that add a hint of personality without stealing the show. Because it typically covers the most surface area, siding will often provide the foundation for your exterior color scheme.

Paint Types and Finishes

Both will do a good job of protecting the wood underneath, but stains can be easier to touch up or recoat. Stains involve less prep work when it’s time to repaint the entire home, though a glossy finish is not an option. Paint will usually hide imperfections better and is available in different sheens, but can flake or peel over time (especially if there is moisture under the paint). As for any painting project, proper precautions keep paint from accidentally getting on trim or other items where it’s not wanted. Draping nearby objects with drop cloths keeps them protected from splatters, and using painter’s tape can help create a clean, crisp paint edge. Exterior paint is easy to apply with exterior paint brushes, which are well suited for working the paint into seams and wood grain.

Denim Blue + White + Black

Save your favorite colors, photos, and past orders all in one place. With PaintPerks, you'll always be the first to hear about big sales and have access to everyday savings and exclusive offers. If primer is sprayed on, “back-brushing” it immediately by hand will work the coating into every crack and crevice.

Fewer coats of paint and no need to prime will save you time and help you save on the cost of additional paint for additional coats. Red and blue can look elegant if you select deep, rich shades rather than vibrant ones. Take inspiration from the New York City building where designer Eliza Crater Harris resides.

house exterior paint

Materials Required

Still, there are considerable differences among the 20 tested paints in Consumer Reports’ exterior paint ratings. Because I’m spraying the whole job, there was plenty of paint prep that needed to be done. I spent some time masking adjacent surfaces using a 3M Masking Machine and masking film.

Book Your FREE Virtual Consult with a Color Expert

Contrasting black accents, like window frames, gutters, and a front door, highlight the modern architecture and the home’s linear features. Weathered wood planks draw attention to the front porch, bringing in a modern rustic element and warming up the two-tone color scheme. Dark blue siding, crisp white trim, and a cheerful yellow front door add charm to a modern cottage. The blue paint color works well with the cool-toned gray shingle roof, while the bright white adds contrast and highlights the home’s architectural details. To complete the exterior, a pop of yellow adds playful personality and an inviting touch. With mildew resistance, fade resistance, and UV resistance, it’s no wonder this affordable option is still one of the best exterior paints.

The success of the paint will also be affected by whether the paint is compatible with the material that’s being painted. Paint designed to cover wood siding may not adhere as well to aluminum or vinyl siding. Compatibility is usually listed on the paint can and in the product’s online description. For paint jobs in humid or rainy areas, paint labeled as “mildew-resistant” may be preferred.

HGTV's Erin Napier Shares The Perfect Paint Shade For A Homey Exterior - House Digest

HGTV's Erin Napier Shares The Perfect Paint Shade For A Homey Exterior.

Posted: Mon, 19 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

“Paint sets the tone for what you want your home to express,” Katie Burnet, an interior designer with Rumor Designs in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, says. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the decision—especially considering what a big, expensive, and highly visible undertaking painting your house can be—you're definitely not alone. That’s why we’ve put together an expert guide to help you choose an exterior color palette you love.

Fortunately, there are some other indicators that will help you buy the right paint — if you know what they are. So whether your next outdoor-painting project is imminent or a few years off, read on to find out what, according to independent researchers and industry experts, makes a quality product. You’ll also pick up some helpful tips on both the all-important prepping process and the esthetic science of choosing colors. If your home features a red brick exterior and you're unsure what paint color or colors to use for the front door, shutters, or trim, keep in mind that there are many different routes to go. Perhaps you're drawn to bright, unexpected colors, or maybe you're more comfortable with neutral shades.

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