Exterior house painting can be intimidating and tiring work, and if you are inexperienced, your overall success will depend on how carefully the job gets done.
If you’re planning on a DIY paint job or even if you’re hiring a professional painter, consider the following steps for best results.
Choose the Right Colours
What colour will you be happy with for years to come? What shades might help to increase your home’s resale value?
As a rule of thumb, a well-designed home should have no more than four different colour areas.
- The shade you choose for the main body of the house;
- The trim colour(s) (eg: door frames, windows, and garage doors);
- The accent colours;
- A bold colour for the front door.
Subtle, earthy hues are best for home exteriors because they harmonize well with natural elements.
Choosing colours can be fun, but also tricky, since lighting has a significant effect on colour. You’d be surprised how certain colours that look flat at first sight can take on a life of their own under natural light.
Whether you’re doing exterior painting or interior, test your colours before buying your first gallon of paint. View your selected shades outside to see how they are affected by exterior lighting.
Surface Preparation
Any exterior painting job requires some preparation before paint application. This usually includes:
- Sanding
- Scraping
- Washing
- Patching
- Sealing
- Priming
The condition of the surfaces should be given careful consideration if you need to prepare them for painting.
Consider the Weather
Direct sunlight, rain, and humidity can damage exterior coating. Paint may not bind together in Canada’s temperature extremes and can result in cracking and peeling.
High temperatures can make latex paint difficult to apply because the heat can make it dry out prematurely. Using acrylic paint would be best in these conditions.
Picking the Right Painting Season
Most people living in northern climates don’t tackle exterior painting beyond November because it’s generally too cold. Some southern climates have warm temperatures until early winter so painting work can be tolerated much later in the year.
The right time to paint, however, will mostly depend on the climate in your area.
Product Quality
You get your money’s worth when you use premium products containing high-quality ingredients for colour-fastness, mildew resistance, and greater durability.
Certain wood, metal, or concrete materials require top-grade products so let your paint retailer know about the material you’re painting.
Hire Reliable Lower Mainland House Painters
You can probably take on a lot of do-it-yourself projects at home. A large-scale exterior paint job, however, may be too daunting to do alone.
Unless you have the time, energy, and money to fix your mistakes, it’s best to leave the job to experienced painters.
If you are considering updating your house exterior with a new colour, Tall Guy Painting in Vancouver, BC can help.
We’ll help you make sure your home is in tip top shape, and guarantee quality results.
In Greater Vancouver / Lower Mainland of BC, call Tall Guy Painting at (778) 683-5397 for your free quote.