The Secret to Choosing the Perfect Exterior Paint Colour for Your House

Posted on: 2 March 2018

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The colour of your exterior painting has a significant impact on your home's overall kerb appeal and even its resale value. However, finding the colour that works perfectly for your home is not easy. Several factors come into play when choosing an exterior paint colour. Unfortunately, many homeowners forget certain critical elements when selecting the colours and end up regretting their choices. Such mistakes will cost you a great deal especially if you have to repaint the exterior. Here are expert tips on how to select the ideal exterior paint colour for your house. 

Consider Homeowners Association Bylaws

The first step to getting the right exterior paint colour is to find out if there is an existing homeowners association especially if you are new to the neighbourhood. Homeowners associations usually have bylaws and other rules and regulations that may dictate the colours of exterior paintings. If your neighbourhood has such an association, make sure you grab a copy of the bylaws just in case they have clauses on exterior colours. 

Look Around Your House

You can get a lot of colour ideas by looking at the landscape around your home. Landscape counts because colours usually work well when you coordinate them with what is around. Flower gardens, trees, flowering shrubs or even a beach setting are a few things to consider. For instance, a beach setting can inform colours such as turquoises and vivid blues while earthy colour palettes of browns and little greens can work well for a home with trees. If your home is heavily wooded, consider lighter shades because such landscapes tend to make colours look darker because of the shade of the wood. Besides, darker hues in such a home, especially one with towering trees, can make your house appear to recede. 

Consider the Colours That Won't Change

Unless you are planning a complete renovation, there are a few elements on your house that won't change their colour. Examples include the roof shingles, stonework, driveways, and brick. While you don't necessarily need to match your exterior paint colour to these elements, the undertones between them can inform your palette. This is because building materials have multiple hues and shades to which you can tie exterior paint colours to create structural harmony. 

Consider Durability and Maintenance Issues

You will definitely want an exterior paint that lasts and has few maintenance problems. In this regard, it is worth noting that very deep and bright-coloured paints tend to fade or even change colour entirely with time. Colours with high intensity are also likely to fade more. When it comes to maintenance, darker-coloured paints tend to experience more maintenance problems because they absorb more heat and are more likely to suffer moisture problems.