Choosing Exterior House Paint
posted November 2, 2009 - 12:46am
Overview
Comparing and choosing the right paint for the exterior of your home can be a daunting task, but there is lots of help available, and if done right, you should only do it once every 10-15 years. It helps to go online first, to
see the National and local brands in your area and, then find out where all the painters and going, chances are this is the place to buy.
How to Compare Exterior House Paints
Step 1
Choosing higher quality paint over a “cheaper” one is usually a good idea. Since the ‘hide- ability’ factor in paint is the amount of titanium –dioxide it has, chances are if you are paying less, you are giving up the ability of the paint to hide the old color. It may sound good, but what you save on cheap paint, you make up for in having to buy and paint 2 coats.
Step 2
National brands like Behr, Olympic, Pratt and Lambert are all good choices. Their colors have held strong under the most searing heat. If you stay within these brand names, you are sure to get your money’s worth.
Step 3
You will then need to decide if you want oil based; or water (latex) based paint. If you already have oil based paint, you will need to use oil again, or prime the surface and switch to latex. Oil sticks to anything; latex sticks to only latex. The best way to determine what you have is to take a sample of the old paint to the store and let the man behind the counter figure this out. He will then be able to tell you what kind of paint you need.
Step 4
Next you need to decide what finish you want; glossy, semi-gloss, ‘sheen’ or flat. The real difference in these 3 is that gloss paints will reflect light better, therefore refusing heat and prolonging the finish. They are almost always used on trims and moldings. Flat paints can absorb moisture, produce chalk, and even grow mold if left under the right conditions. Flat paints are for large, flat surfaces that need some protective paint, but have no great architectural impact.
Step 5
Finally, you will need to choose the color. 2 or 3 colors are acceptable, and paint stores will have pallets available for you to take home and hold up next to your house. One thing to understand, once the sun moves a few degrees; all your opinions will change. The same paint will look 2 shades lighter on 1 side of the house than it does on the other, so don’t get too hung up on color. As a matter of fact, start here first and get it out of the way. It will make the job so much easier.
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