Helpful Homeowner Residential Painting Links
Sherwin Williams – Homeowners Color Ideas and Tools
Benjamin Moore Paintings Ideas for Homeowners
Martha Stewart Home Decorating
This Old House : Picking Paint Colors
Perfect Paint Colors For Your Home’s Exterior
Consumer Reports : Exterior Paint Colors
Consumer Reports : Picking A Painter
Consumer Reports : Basic Tips For Painting Your Home
A.L. Painting Co. is happy to provide a list of both interior and exterior painting projects and feedback from the satisfied homeowners.
The 4-Step Homeowner Process To Successful Interior And Exterior House Painting Projects
Is the exterior of your house starting to look old and worn down? It may be time to paint the exterior of your house. Unfortunately exterior painting happens to be one of the more expensive and time consuming home improvement projects. And generally homeowners have to endure an exterior painting job every 6-8 years, depending on the house and siding. Before you begin this daunting project, make sure to plan accordingly and make all necessary preparations.
Step 1 – Plan The Painting Project
Every home improvement project requires some planning. In fact, the planning and preparation process is one of the most important steps. One of the very first things you should do when having the exterior of your home painted is to determine if there is any prep work that needs to be done prior to painting. This is when you should be repairing any rotted siding, window sills, hand railing, or window and door trim. If you don’t want to make the repairs yourself then your paint company should be able to provide a quote that includes replacing your siding and trim. However, it may be necessary to call up your siding professional if your project involves replacing a significant amount of siding.
Step 2 – Decide on Painting Options
Second, you should take the time to decide if you want to change the color of your house. Doing so can give your home a totally new and updated appearance. However, you want to make sure that the colors you choose fit into your neighborhood and compliment the colors that your home already has. For instance, you don’t want to paint your house hot pink when all of the surrounding houses are light pastels. Making your home stick out like that can make it a less desirable home if it were put on the market. Also, it’s important to pick a color that blends well with your plants, landscaping, foundation, and driveway. Keep in mind, changing the color of your house is often more expensive because more coats are required to cover the old color.
Step 3 – Consider House Painting Techniques
Third, decide on the technique that will be used to paint your house; hand brushed or sprayed. Most painting companies would prefer to have it sprayed because it is faster and easier. However, certain homes would benefit greatly from having the home hand painted. Such homes would include those that are older, those with wood siding, and homes that haven’t been painted in a very long time. Painting by hand provides a thicker coat. It also penetrates deeper into the wood and crevasses which gives your siding protection from water penetration. Keep in mind; due to the fact that hand brushing is more time consuming you should expect to pay more for the services.
A.L. Painting Co. will assist you in choosing the right painting process for your interior and exterior painting needs.
Step 4 – Choose A Home Painting Professional
Lastly, you will want to carefully select a reputable painting company to do your exterior work. I suggest that you shop around and get a least three different price quotes because there are a lot of price variations for large exterior jobs. However, price shouldn’t be the only deciding factor. The quality of the company is also very important because if the job is done poorly then it will need to be redone faster then you know which will end up being more expensive. So don’t just choose a painter because they are inexpensive. Ask your friends and family for a reference before you even begin searching for a company. If someone you trust had a good experience with a company then the chances of you enjoying their work is higher.
A.L. Painting Co. is happy to provide a list of both interior and exterior painting projects and feedback from the satisfied homeowners.
Choosing The Right House Paint
Getting It Right:
Interior & Exterior Home Painting Made Simple
Choosing a paint color becomes even more baffling when you consider that most homes use at least three different shades:
• one color for the siding;
• another color for eaves, moldings, and other trim;
• and a third color for accents such as doors, railings, and window sashes.
A well-chosen selection of contrasting trim and accent colors can draw attention to architectural details and disguise design flaws. A poor selection can make a house seem flat and featureless — or so garish that the color overwhelms the architecture. How do you decide?
Here are a few pointers to guide you as you choose house paint colors.
Historic Authenticity
If you’re planning to paint an older home, you have three options.
• Hire a interior and exterior painting professional to analyze old paint chips and recreate the original color.
• Refer to historic color charts and select shades that might have been used at the time your home was built and originally painted.
• Consider modern colors to dramatize architectural details that enhance interior and exterior painting choicesHouse Painting Based On Your Neighborhood
A fluorescent colored Victorian that looks splendid in San Francisco will seem wildly out of place in more conservative neighborhoods. Even if you are opting for a more subtle scheme, you’ll want to make sure that your colors are compatible with the houses next door.
House Painting Based On Existing Color Scheme
Your house is your canvas, but it is not blank. Some colors are already established. What color is your roof? Is there mortar or other siding that will not be painted? Will doors and railings remain their existing colors? New paint doesn’t need to match existing colors, but it should harmonize.
Interior Painting Color Options
It may seem comical to paint an entire house based on the pattern of a pillow case, but this approach does make sense. The color of your furnishings will guide you in the selection of your interior paint colors. Likewise, your interior paint colors will influence your exterior paint colors as well. The goal is to make the interior and exterior paint color selection harmonize.
How Color Accents Affect House Painting
Depending on the size and complexity of your home, you may be choosing two, three or as many as six colors. In addition to the color you select for siding, you’ll want to select accent colors for trim and details such as shutters, moldings and columns. This can be tricky, because too many colors will overwhelm your house and too few will make it seem two dimensional.
Using Darks and Lights For House Painting Techniques
Light colors will make your house seem larger. Dark siding or dark bands of trim will make your house seem smaller, but will draw more attention to details. Darker shades are best for accenting recesses, while lighter tones will highlight details which project from the wall surface. On traditional Victorian homes, the darkest paint is often used for the window sashes.
House Painting For Harmony Or Contrast
Contrasting colors will draw attention to architectural details. But, extreme contrasts will clash and actually detract from details. To be safe, consider staying within a single color family. For some accents, try using a darker or lighter shade instead of a different color.
Balancing House Painting Color Choices
A burst of a single color on just one part of your home may give it a lopsided appearance. Strive to balance colors over the entire building.
Durability Matters In House Painting
The more intense a color, the more likely it is to fade. After a few years, vivid blues and deep reds will seem more subdued. Dark colors also pose more maintenance problems. Dark colors absorb heat and suffer more moisture problems than lighter shades. And because dark paint fades, it’s difficult to touch up.
How Sheen Affects Your Choice Of House Paint
You thought you only had to pick colors? Sorry! In addition, you’ll also need to decide on the sheen of your paint — glossy, semi-gloss or flat. The glossier the surface, the more likely it is to show imperfections, brush strokes and touch up marks. On the other hand, glossy surfaces are easier to clean. Many homeowners opt to use flat paint for walls and semi-gloss or glossy paint for columns, railings and window sashes.
Don’t Sweat The Swatches
Color swatches look very different when they are brought out of the store and viewed in natural sunlight. Also, colors appear lighter on large surfaces than they do on small samples. It’s best to test your selected color in one area before buying gallons of paint.