Exterior House Painting: How to Choose the Perfect Paint

Are you planning to do some exterior house painting? If so, you’ve probably come across the incredible selection of exterior house paints available.

How to choose the perfect paint for your project? Let’s have a look.

Water-Based vs Oil-Based Paint

Before we get into the details, let’s discuss the basics. There are two main types of exterior paint:

• Water-based latex paint. The benefits of latex paint include its resilience against cracking and peeling, its ability to be cleaned, and its lack of odour. The highest quality latex paint is made with 100 per cent acrylic resins.
• Oil-based alkyd paint. The benefits of alkyd paint include its durability, smooth texture, and stain-resistance. On the down side, alkyd paints have a pungent odour, and slow drying time.

Whether you opt for latex or alkyd exterior paint, keep in mind that if you paint one over the other, you’ll need to prime first.

The Cost of Paint

One of the most important factors to consider when deciding on exterior house paint is the price. You need to find the balance between the quality of the paint, and sticking within your budget.

Here’s our advice: once you’ve come up with your budget, buy the very best paint you can reasonably afford. More often than not, price is an indicator of quality. More expensive paint is usually more pigmented than cheaper paints. This means the paint is thicker, more protective, and will have a longer lifespan.

Read the Paint Tin

Reading the small text on the back of the paint tin is important. Pretty much everything you’d need to know about the application and care of that given paint is right there on the label.

Be sure to pay attention to any special instructions regarding the preparation of your exterior surface, as proper preparation is key to perfect results. The manufacturer will also recommend an ideal air temperature. Check this, and ensure your local climate is suitable.

Related article: Best exterior paint for hot climate

Get Your Exterior Professionally Painted

Giving your exterior a refresh will transform your home. If you’re looking for professional results, get in contact with us. Call on 07 3829 5735 or fill out the form on this page. We’d be more than happy to supply you with a quick, accurate quote.

Image credit: United Soybean Board (Flickr)