Choosing to paint your home can oftentimes be an overwhelming task. Whether it’s not knowing where to start with color choices or knowing what colors you’d like, but unsure if they’re realistic, it can be stressful. As you begin to look into what color would be a best match for your home, some practical points to consider are: identifying home style, availability, pricing, and house material.
1. Homestyle and Color Match
A variety of home styles that include colonial to gothic-revival house styles all have certain features, if outlined correctly, give a look that unifies the home as a whole. With that being said, colors that are typically chosen for home styles can either enhance or detract these features. For example, a Cottage style house typically has thatched, steep roofs with features of casement windows that give a more storybook feel. Adding a warmer toned color that would compliment the storybook look with outlining white or brown accents. While Victorian style-homes would have a better blend of darker toned colors.
2. Inspiration in Surroundings
After identifying the style of the home, looking around in your neighborhood can help give a better idea of what hues would be best. Bold colors are always fun, but it’s important to be aware of the colors that would make your neighborhood look more cohesive and aesthetic. The color wheel is a diagram that shows different types of colors that complement each other. This diagram is a good resource to reference before you settle down on a color.
3. Color Availability
Some colors are not as common as others when it comes to exterior house painting. Checking the availability of the colors at a local paint store can help to see what is offered. Some painting companies offer certain colors while others may not. Our commonly used painting companies are Kelly Moore, Benjamin Moore, and Sherwin-Williams.
5. Elements
Homes are composed of many different materials, most of which can be identified quickly. These materials are made of elements that are able to either soak in paint easier or are more resistant. For example, brick material is more difficult to paint since it is more porous and absorbs paint which means multiple coats are necessary and paint is more likely to chip away.
The environment in which you live in, as well as how hot the climate may be, plays a role in choosing paint. Climates that are sunnier tend to have more UV rays. Uv rays cause damage at a faster rate because of a process called photodegradation. Depending on the pigment and the quality, which use more polymers that react when exposed to UV rays, it may cause chipping and faded paint. Some companies offer UV/Fade resistance which can help prevent this issue. For more information contacting your local paint store or painting contractor can help with the decision process.
6. Testing Colors
Paint swatching is a wonderful tool that is highly recommended. A few ways to do this is to apply a swatch of paint and observe it during different times of the day to see how the sun changes the shade. This will help eliminate any sudden surprises of how it would look once it’s finalized. As a painting contractor arrives, a few key questions to prepare upon their arrival can assist with giving you an idea of what to expect during the painting process.
We are ready to help
Now that you have your perfect color, contact us for an estimate at (916) 469-4660. We service Sacramento and surrounding areas.
References
Christian, T. A. Best interior & exterior paint buying guide. Consumer Reports. https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/paints/buying-guide/
Color wheel – color calculator. Sessions College. (2023, July 31). https://www.sessions.edu/color-calculator/
Exterior House Color. Sherwin. https://www.sherwin-williams.com/en-us/color/exterior-paint-colors/exterior-house-colors
Exterior paint. Kelly. (2022, December 5). https://kellymoore.com/products/exterior-paint/
Kohlstedt, K. (2017, March 3). What style is that house? visual guides to domestic architectural designs. 99% Invisible. https://99percentinvisible.org/article/style-house-visual-guides-domestic-architectural-designs/
Types of paints and their applications in structures and construction. The Constructor. (2021, September 8). https://theconstructor.org/building/types-paints-applications-construction/17224/
Paints and coatings knowledge area . WBDG. (n.d.). https://wbdg.org/ffc/dod/cpc-source/paint-coatings-knowledge-area
Paint standards and related coating standards – standards products – standards & publications – products & services. ASTM International – Standards Worldwide. (n.d.). https://www.astm.org/products-services/standards-and-publications/standards/paint-standards-and-related-coating-standards.html
Premium exterior paints: Benjamin Moore. Premium Exterior Paints | Benjamin Moore. https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/interior-exterior-paints-stains/featured-products/exterior-paints?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA4Y-sBhC6ARIsAGXF1g431Mo797DUbRjeisC9AhAzC6Y1xm4QEsbbXl0od-8TfqRQMmYwvxAaApmNEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Yousif, E., & Haddad, R. (2013, August 23). Photodegradation and photostabilization of polymers, especially polystyrene: Review. SpringerPlus. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4320144/
