This fall, you don’t just have to limit festive decor to the indoors. Sure, decorative pumpkins and fall scented candles are great, but if you really want to embrace the aesthetics of fall, try painting your house to match.
Exterior painting is about more than style, too. It’s about giving your home a fresh, clean, protective coat. A good exterior paint job can make your home appear more welcoming just in time for the holidays and can even raise your property values. This fall commit to the colors of the season and follow these helpful exterior painting tips.
Paint Color Ideas
Fall brings some amazing color combinations, many of which you should consider for your home. If you want a rustic but elegant look, try painting your home a deep, merlot red. This fall-inspired color pairs perfectly with natural wood stains, which you can apply around your windows and on the porch or deck.
Deep, natural yellows and forest greens are also great for fall. Just be sure to balance dark paint colors with light accents so your home doesn’t look too bright and childish or too dark and unwelcoming.
Best Times to Paint
Now that you have some autumn inspiration, you should know some basics about painting in the fall. Exterior painting companies all recommend that you paint on days that are cool, but not too cold. Temperatures below 45 degrees aren’t ideal for paints or stains to set correctly. During the fall, paint during the hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., when it’s sunny and there’s less of a chance of residual humidity.
Always Prep
Good prep work ensures good results, especially when it comes to painting. Make sure you clean walls and let them dry before you start working. Prime bare wood and sand rough surfaces. You should also repair cracks and chips in your cladding before you begin a paint job. Apply painter’s tape around window frames, lights, and other areas that you don’t want to paint. Finally, protect your landscaping with drop cloths.
Keep Dry
You should only paint dry surfaces. This prevents bubbling, streaks, and other flaws. Wait a full day after rain before painting, and test surfaces to ensure they aren’t balmy before you start priming. When you paint your home, start at the top and move downward, taking one section at a time. These steps ensure an even paint job and help prevent drips. Also, make sure that your paint and primer are dry before adding a coat over it. Exterior painting companies usually will wait 3 to 5 hours between coats to ensure everything sets correctly, especially on a cool day.
Fall Risks
It’s also important to be aware of rot risks. Exterior mold is common in the fall. If you notice rot on any of your exterior, don’t try to paint over it. The paint won’t set correctly over the brittle, compromised surface, and it will continue to degrade anyway. Replace any rotten wood before you begin your paint job. The best way to test for rot is to look for discoloration, crumbling, streaks where paint seems to have chipped away, and an unusually soft texture.
The sooner you paint, the better. Fall is a good time to paint, but once winter hits, conditions won’t be ideal for exterior paint jobs.
Professional Assistance
If any of the above sounds like too much work, remember that you can leave tough jobs to an exterior painting contractor. Get in touch with Life in Color Painting Services at 480-229-7615, and you’ll see the difference a professional house painting contractor in Mesa, AZ, can make for your home.