Paint can be the feature that makes your house’s style, or the one that breaks it. As anyone who has ever visited a home improvement store knows, there are literally thousands of possible colors to pick from, and narrowing it down to hue and tone is often a game of chance.
However, painting your home doesn’t need to be like throwing darts at the wall. With a little planning and the right tools, you can have the home of your dreams in no time. Straight from the experts, here are some of the secrets for home painting success.
Do Your Research
The first thing you’ll need to do is research. First of all, it will take time to find the right color for your house. Look at examples of homes in similar styles to yours and see what colors tend to work best. You may love sky-blue painted homes, but possible not on your Mediterranean style house. There are also plenty of programs that allow you to virtually test out colors on your house, which can be helpful when getting started out. Keep in mind that looking at colors on a computer screen is far different from looking at them in real life.
Make Sure It Is Weather-Appropriate
One of the major things to consider when it comes to house painting is making sure that the materials are appropriate for the local climate. For example, house painters in Boulder, CO. will know the right weatherizing techniques for homes in snowy locations, while painters in California will know about heat and salt-water damage. If you don’t take the right steps to protect your paint in all seasons, you’ll find yourself having to do a lot more maintenance over the long-run.
Do Some Tests
Even if you think you have found the absolutely perfect color for your house, run a few tests with some different options. Keep in mind that what is on a paint swatch will look different when it is on the materials of your home and exposed to sunlight, so you want to be sure you know what you are getting into. Try painting sample areas close enough that you can compare them to each other, and big enough that you can really get the true effect. The best place to test is on the front of your house or whatever area is most exposed to viewers and natural light.
Don’t Be Afraid to Customize
You don’t necessarily have to paint the color that you want exactly as it is on the swatch. Working with home painters can help you tailor the hue and shade so it is the right fit for your project. For example, yellows are popular exterior colors for homes of many styles, but there is a huge difference between a pale yellow and a daffodil yellow. However, you may want your pale to be a little bit more daffodil, so mixing colors to custom specifications can be a great way to make sure you get exactly what you want.