HOME & GARDEN :: APRIL/MAY 2007

Exterior Painting

By: Lori Turturici & Anna Agostini

When you put paint on a building, you ask a lot of it. You take a liquid coating, apply it to a surface, and expect the film that forms when the coating dries to be a barrier between the surface and the elements. Exposure to rain, heat and cold, and especially sunlight, erodes the paint slowly. The paint film gradually gets thinner and thinner. The first sign of weathering is a loss of gloss. As the gloss diminishes, the paint loses its ability to reflect ultra-violet rays from the sun, and deterioration accelerates until there is little or no gloss left.

What do you need for a successful exterior paint job? First, the best quality paint. Cheaper products could hide the surface, but they tend not to last. The result is frequent repainting. Ninety percent of the cost of an exterior paint job is labor. Saving a few dollars in the short term will only result in frequent repainting and a higher long term cost. CertaPro Painters uses only the highest quality paints. Second, surfaces must be clean and dry prior to the application of new paint. Dirt, grease, wax, chalk, mildew and other contaminants must be removed. CertaPro Painters power washes or hand cleans all surfaces before painting. Third, choosing the right paint for the surface. You can paint wood, metal, concrete, brick, aluminum siding, vinyl siding, stucco and galvanized metal. Some paints adhere to these surfaces better than others, and last longer. CertaPro Painters is the largest painting contractor in North America. We have completed tens of thousands of exterior paint jobs and have great expertise in insuring that the right paint is selected for the surface to be painted.

Choosing the correct high quality paint and applying it to a properly prepared surface, will result in a quality paint job that will last a long time. What if you choose a color scheme that makes you say, “What was I thinking when I selected those colors?” Many factors must be considered in choosing the right colors. For instance, painting a large home on a small lot with white or light colors will make the home seem larger and the lot look smaller. Light colors advance in space; dark colors recede. If a home is placed far away from the curb, painting in a light color will visually bring it forward.

Color makes a first impression, an individual statement and can enhance curb appeal. A creative color scheme can add enjoyment and value to your property. A new color of paint is the most cost effective way to change the overall appearance of your home. Define the entry to your home. Use color as a “welcome” sign. Windows are the eyes of a home. They can add or even define the character of a home. Decorating them lends crispness to the color scheme. Consider the colors that cannot change like roofing shingles, brick, slate or stone. There are numerous shades and hues in building materials. Consider these as a color resource. A charcoal gray shingle may have flecks of gray-green or gray-blue that can be found on a paint color strip and incorporated into the color scheme.

Here are some common mistakes to avoid in selecting exterior paint colors.

Don’t assume that a colorful and imaginative color scheme will cost a great deal more for product and labor.
Avoid accent colors on unattractive elements such as gutters, downspouts, protruding garage doors, air conditioning units and unevenly placed windows. Paint these items the same as the body color.
Your color scheme should not clash with the neighbors’ homes. Choose a scheme that blends with the neighborhood or stands out in a suitable, unobtrusive manner.
Landscaping counts. Consider trees that change color, flowering shrubs and flower gardens when selecting colors for compatibility. Heavily wooded lots will make colors darker due to shade and also camouflage homes, so attention to detail is needed. Greens are not an ideal choice for this situation unless your goal is to hide your home in the trees.

CertaPro Painters provides color consultations to help our customers make sure that they are selecting colors that will not disappoint.

CertaPro Painters is locally owned and operated by Lori Turturici, 1604 E Ayre Street, Newport, Delaware and Anna Agostini, 26 Fox Hunt Drive, Bear, Dela-ware. CertaPro Painters is affiliated with the Better Business Bureau of Dela-ware, Delaware Chamber of Commerce and Paint-ing and Decorating Contractors of America. To schedule a free estimate, call 302-999-0906 or 1-800-GO-Certa or www.certapro.com.