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Fall and Winter Can be a Great Time for Painting

Painting During the Fall and Winter Seasons

The fall and winter seasons are associated with many activities, the least common being painting. Experts in this line of work could, however, surprise you with the success stories of interior painting during these two seasons as unlikely as it may seem. This article will give you a brief description of why this is so as well as give you an insight of the challenges that could pose a problem in winter and fall painting. Pretty sure with these few details in mind, choosing when to do an interior paint job with high chances of good results won’t prove to be much of a problem. Winter and fall painting will work!

 

Challenges of Painting During Winter and Fall

Before starting with the benefits, it’s a good idea to know what issues you expect when painting during these times of the year.

 

The first is the obvious reason; both winter and fall are cold seasons. Paint doesn’t dry fast enough in low temperatures. When it eventually dries, the end result will be less attractive compared to what was initially expected.

 

Moreover, to hasten up the drying pace during winter and fall painting, a warm temperature could be maintained inside the painted room. However, you need to open the windows to let the fumes out. Both actions are terrible energy saving techniques, especially during these two seasons.

 

Benefits of Winter and Fall Painting

First things first, there won’t be much to do outside during winter or fall as opposed to Summer and Spring. Interior painting is not only a good, well planned out idea of an indoor activity during such seasons but will also give the best result if the timing is done right as is explained below.

Cooler temperatures are ideal for drying if the painting is done before the temperature drops too much. Probably in the early or late phases of these seasons, in my opinion. In summer or autumn, the hot temperature will dry up the paint too quickly resulting in the inadequately adhered paint to the surface. It will be no surprise if peeling will be observed in the future in such a painted space.

 

The summer and autumn seasons are pretty humid compared to winter and fall. As a painter, go for the times when there is the least humidity to do your painting and consequential drying. Moisture gets into paint when drying, thus increasing the likelihood of paint cracking and peeling off from the painted surface. To lower the chances of cracking and peeling off, the safest bet is painting during winter and fall.

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Choosing the Right Home Paint Colors for Your Home’s Exterior

The exterior of your house is as important as the interior. This is your home’s most visible part. Your careful consideration will help you choose the right color scheme for the exterior of your house. You will spend money and time, and you definitely want to get it right. Along with increasing its visual appeal, choosing the right home paint colors might help boost the resale value of your home. Use these handy tips when choosing the right paint colors for your home.

 

Blend with the Neighborhood

Walk around your neighborhood to see how the houses are painted. This will help to guide you on the appropriate home paint colors for your home’s exterior. If most of the houses are painted in brown hues, you should not go for a shiny black. Your house will be the odd one out. The trick is to blend in. Go for a color palette that is consistent with the rest of the neighborhood.

 

 

Consider the Architecture

The colors you choose should reflect your home’s architectural design. An old, colonial mansion painted in bright orange and green might not bring out the desired architectural effect. Don’t be tempted by the season colors. If not sure, you can ask a professional on the color history that is consistent with your house design. The idea here is to have paint colors that bring out the best out of the design of your home.

 

 

The Climate

The climate of your locality should guide you on choosing the right paint color. The exterior of your house is exposed to the elements. The colors should look appealing, yet be durable and resistant to corrosion or mold. The color choice for a log cabin in the woods would be different from that of a beachfront house. Your choice should be guided by the surrounding environment, considering how the climate will affect the color and the quality of paint.

 

 

Create Contrast

Creating contrast with the home paint colors can be easy. Considering the dominant house color, choose a different hue for the windows, roof edging and the window casings. You can then paint the doors and shutters a different color to highlight them. While at it, consider the landscape colors, and the contrast that they bring to the overall picture.

 

 

 

Understand the Surface

What is the texture of the walls of your home’s exterior? The appearance of paint colors changes with the surface, and this will impact the overall visual effect that you desired. When you paint rough surfaces, the colors appear darker. Smooth surfaces will have a lighter visual effect.

 

 

Know the Size

You can use color creatively to alter the mood and perception of your house. You can paint bold colors to create an impression of a bigger house. A handy tip here is to remember that darker or lighter colors have an effect on the size perception of the exterior of your home.

 

When choosing home paint colors for your home’s exterior, ensure that you go for a palette that makes you comfortable, and gives your home the attractiveness it needs. Play with color, and never hesitate to ask for professional assistance, when need be.

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Why and When You Should Paint the Exterior of Your House

gage exterior-smHow the exterior of your house looks determines and portrays what kind of person you are. The right paint job will ensure that the exterior of your house has a fresh and attractive look. There are numerous reasons as to why you should paint the exterior of your house. The following is a list of important reasons which detail why and when you should paint the outside of your house.

  1. The first and most obvious reason is that, paint gives your house an appealing appearance. A well painted exterior will give a good first impression to visitors and prospective buyers.
  2. A coat of paint helps protect the exterior of house from environmental factors such as snow, frost, sleet, and rain which may penetrate and cause cracking, flaking and peeling on the walls . Humid surfaces provide breeding conditions for mildew, and rot on wood.
  3. To increase the value of your property, a well painted exterior would be a good start. Interested buyers will consider your house if it is well painted and hence increase the resale value.
  4. House maintenance is a process that will never end. The cost of maintaining may be high especially when replacing rotten wood, and cracked surfaces. The expensive repair costs can be avoided by applying paint before it is too late.
  5. We all change our minds or get bored of seeing the same color every day. Changing the look by painting the exterior will ensure that you get rid of the old fashioned look. It will also let you try out the latest types of paints which can be even more effective than the ones applied before.

When should you do exterior painting?

To achieve a perfect finish of paint, you should consider the best time and weather to paint the outside of your house. Before you start painting, the surface should be prepared by scrapping off peeled paint if any, and applying several coats before the painting the final coat.

Windy weather causes latex paint to dry quickly and prevent proper film formation. Wind can also carry dust which combines with wet paint and allows growth of mildew and ruins your paint job.

Very hot or cold days are not suitable for painting. Direct sunlight prevents film formation while cold days causes the paint to take long to dry.

Spring is therefore the most suitable season when painting the outside of your home. Employing professionals and buying the right paint will ensure quality paint job.

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Tips On Whether To Paint Or Stain Your Deck

House Painter Wearing Facial Protection Spray Painting A Deck of A Home.

House Painter Wearing Facial Protection Spray Painting A Deck of A Home.

The traditional wooden deck is a favorite of many people; they love the evenly placed planks dotted with rows of nails or screws. While some love the feel of solid-wood deck boards under their feet, some may even love the look of a weathered wooden deck. But these real wooden decks require a little bit of care from time to time. One of the most important maintenance choices you must make for your deck is whether you should go in for deck painting or deck staining. Except for some hard tropical hardwoods, all decks need some sort of finish to last outside. If you skip the finishing coat, it will usually lead to cracking, splitting, warping and even rotting of the wood.

 

Deck Painting

Painting your deck is a great choice and it has quite a few benefits over deck staining. But it is not for you if you love a natural looking wood deck.

Here are the pros and cons of deck painting:

 

Pros

  • Painting gives the longest lasting protection against the elements. The high solid contents in paints help form a thick, opaque film on the surface that hide imperfections, resists moisture, and blocks UV rays.
  • Painting gives you a wide range of options, because it allows you to use any color you want. Moreover, as the paint is solid, you can completely cover an old color or the wood itself.
  • As the paint is thicker, it helps fill the gaps and cracks in the wood. Some paints are made to be used for repairing wood that has been damaged by the elements.
  • Painted decks are easier to clean. If the paint used is of good quality and has been allowed to cure properly before put into use, it creates a hard shell that prevents dirt from staining. However, this depends on the color; white color painted decks are not easy to clean.  
  • Deck painting is a more protective option to the wood, because it resists rot, mold and sun damage.

Cons

  • Painting is a messy job, as you have to prepare, preserve and prime the wood first.
  • Paint is forever. Once you decide to paint your wood deck, you do not have any option to change it in future. You can change the color, but you cannot go back to deck staining.
  • Painted decks can be slippery when wet. Depending on the sheen of the paint used (gloss, semi-gloss, etc.); painted decks can be as slick as ice when wet.
  • Painting hides the natural beauty of wood. The color, grain pattern and texture of the wood are hidden by painting.  
  • A wood deck is exposed to sun, rain and snow, and the constant shrinkage and expansion of the wood causes paint to peel over time.  

 

Backyard Deck and Chairs

Deck Staining

Deck staining if for people who decide that painting is not for them. They will then probably end up with the transparent or semi-transparent stains. There are several types of stains; but there are still pros and cons while you choose to stain your deck.

Pros

  • Staining helps retain the natural beauty of wood and it lets the wood grain, texture and color show through.
  • Generally, stain is less slippery. Although there are some stains that can be slippery, most of the stains are more of a flat surface that protects the wood without creating a slippery surface.
  • It is easier to apply stain. Even if you miss a spot here and there, it will not be obvious.  
  • Stains are available in a variety of colors. As the wood itself will have a big effect on the finished color of the stain, it is better to test an area of the deck with the stain before buying it.

Cons

  • Stains have a shorter life span when compared with paints. The life span of stains depends on the quality, number of coats applied and the weather condition.
  • Stains do not fill cracks. Generally, they are much thinner; so, they cannot be used as a repair material to fill cracks, splinters and voids.

Deck painting and deck staining both can give you a deck that lasts longer than an untreated deck. Paints and stains make the wood less water absorbent and keep it dry on the inside. They have compounds that protect the wood from harmful UV rays, which means less of sun damage.  

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