Helpful Painting Information

    It can be challenging to find the best colors to fit your ambitions and still have a color scheme that will be enjoyable or increase your homes resale value. Paint manufacturers and some local retailers are making it easier for people to make suitable color selections. With everything from pre-coordinated palettes to a website that lets you color your house with the click of a mouse, you can design the perfect paint job. But be warned if you do not have high speed internet access then do not even try to use them! You can go to our link page to try one out that Benjamin Moore has. It is very cool.

    Here are some tips, culled from local and national sources, for picking the hue for that's right for you.

           Consider your home's size and style.

• Small, simple homes look better with fewer paint colors. Larger, more ornate ones can handle a main color plus a few accents.

          Consider your home's orientation to the sun and shade.

• Colors look brighter under the glare of sun and darker in the shade. You should pick out a color based on the amount of sunshine your home gets for a good part of the day.

           Be sure to remember the roof.

• How will the color you're considering coordinate with it? Do the same with railings, painted doors, storm doors, brick accents, mortar, landscaping and other existing features.

           Help may be available from your city's historic preservation planners.

• Period homes might have to wear age-appropriate colors if they're in neighborhoods designated as historic districts. But even folks whose older homes are outside those boundaries can get advice from historic-preservation experts.

          Take into account the colors of neighboring homes.

• Colors that are radically different from theirs - or too similar - will detract from your home's curbside appeal.

          Remember that dark colors will make your house look smaller.

• And vice versa.

           Choose a prepackaged color scheme.

• Many paint manufacturers now offer advice on aesthetically pleasing and historically accurate palettes for exteriors (as well as interiors.) The Sherwin-Williams "Preservation Palette" color system features combination's from four time periods: Classic & Colonial (1700s), Victorian (mid-1800s), Arts & Crafts (1910s and `20s) and Suburban Modern (1950s and `60s). Each time period features three palettes; each palette contains wall, accent and trim colors. One of the Suburban Modern schemes, for example, combines Harvest Gold, Avocado and Super White. Information is available at your local Sherwin-Williams dealer. 

          Consider staining instead of painting.

•  Stains, which let wood textures shine through, are appropriate for wood siding, shingles, decks, fences and floors. Stains come in a variety of traditional and unusual tones. 

          Note who, where and when.

• When collecting paint samples, write the name of the paint manufacturer, the name of the store and the date on the back of the card if that information is not already there. That way, you'll know where to buy the paint when you eventually select a color. If you should try to have a paint from Benjamin Moore matched at Lowe's  for example the shade probably will not be a exact match. This holds true no matter where you go so be warned!

        Look at your paint chips outside and at different times of day.

• Lighting makes a big difference in how the color will appear on your house. Direct sunlight, however, may distort colors.

Choosing A Sheen