Choosing an Exterior Paint That Will Last

A new coat of paint can do wonders for the exterior of your home, but a terrible paint job can ruin the effect. An experienced exterior painter will know what kind of paint to use, the best weather to apply it and the best techniques out of brushing or rolling or spraying. When you are preparing to hire a painter, choosing the right paint is just half the battle. You also need to choose the right kind of exterior paint.

The Paint Options

Household paints come in two basic options with lots of color variations in between. The two categories are water-based or solvent-based paints. Water-based account for latex-type paints while solvent-based products are alkyd and oil paints. Water-based goes on easily and can be cleaned up rather quickly, and it is a lower costing paint than other options. However, it doesn’t always make a good exterior paint.

The paint on the exterior of a home requires chalking to continually look fresh. This is where the paint starts to erode into a fine dust that gets washed and removed from sunshine and rain. Water-based paint doesn’t chalk well. On the other hand, oil-based paints are more difficult to apply, very messy and take longer to dry. Either way, a qualified exterior painter can work with both options.

Oil-based paints are extremely versatile with regard to color and the number of different surfaces the paint will adhere to. Water-based paints don’t hold well to metal surfaces or areas with a metallic finish. Oil paints hold extremely well, and perhaps too well. Any drops of paint that fall onto surfaces that weren’t supposed to be painted may be difficult to remove.

Because of the complex nature of paint types and applications, it is best to hire an exterior painter to spruce up the outside of your home. They can show you the difference between the paint options and advise on which product will have the longest results on your home.