How to Choose Exterior House Paint Finish, Types & Color Combinations in Reading, PA

When it comes to picking paint, you’ll need to worry more about just the color. There are many options available and it can be a bit overwhelming when you walk into the paint store. Let’s go over some of the options you’ll need to consider.

Water VS Oil Based Paints

When you paint the exterior of your home, you’ll need to decide if you should use water or oil-based paint. For the most part, exterior paint jobs work better with water-based paint. Water-based paint is better at expanding and contracting with the siding of your home and it won’t trap moisture. This of course prevents cracking. Water-based paint also dries faster than oil-based paint. You can do a lot to fend of harsh weather conditions if you go with a water-based paint that has an all-acrylic binder.
Oil-based is not a good option for exterior painting jobs except in certain situations, like when you want to paint bleeding woods, like redwood or cedar, and metal. Oil-based paint will adhere better and penetrate better, but they take longer to dry. Oil-based paint will work better in preventing wood from bleeding and metal from rusting.

What Type of Exterior Paint Finish is Best?

There are three different finishes when it comes to paint.
1. Satin Paint Finish. This finish is the easiest of the three to clean. It has a slight gloss and is good at hiding imperfections that are sure to come along.
2. Gloss Exterior Paint. This finish is good for trim and doors because it brings out details, but it doesn’t hide imperfections very well. This makes it a poor choice for a field color or on siding.
3. Matte Paint Finish. While this finish does hide imperfections, it not easy to clean. It’s a good choice as a field color and larger areas.
There are times that using a mix of finishes to get the results you want—glossy for the trim and matte for the field color, for example.

Wood, Masonry & Metal Require Different Types of Paint

Another consideration is what part of the house you’re painting. As mentioned above, there are paints that just work better for different parts of the house when it comes to hiding imperfections and cleaning. Your home may have different materials that will look better with different paint. Gutters need paint that is good for metal and requires a galvanized metal primer. While masonry needs a latex paint that requires a pretreatment. Wood eaves and soffits obviously require a high quality primer and paint. The best thing to do is ask the professionals for advice. They’re experts for a reason and can help you make your project look great!

How to Choose Exterior Paint Color Combinations

The exterior of your home greets the world and you want to pick the right color.
You should take your time when it comes to picking the color. Go with a premium paint so it covers well, resists stains and stands up to the weather. Take advantage of paint samples or online tools to ensure you get the look you want. But remember that sample will look different at different part of the day and on different sides of the house.

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There are decisions to make when it comes to painting the exterior of your home. Contact Bill Engler Painting to help you make them and to get the job done. Give us a call today!

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