Types of House Paint

Paint, especially on the exterior of your home, is more than just decoration.  Exterior house paint is a protective covering that keeps the underlying surface, whether it be wood, vinyl, or masonry, from being directly exposed to the elements.  It’s this primary purpose behind paint that makes the number of products available on your hardware store’s shelves so confusing.

If it were just all about color, anyone could pick paint easily.  Since it’s not, some knowledge of what the different types of exterior paint for your home is a must.  Next to surface preparation, the type of paint you choose to cover your house is the most important element of painting.  If you want it to last, anyway.

Exterior paints are made up of four basic elements: pigments, binders, additives and solvents.  Every finish type has a different blend of these things to make up the paint’s specific properties.  Pigments make up the color and the binder is what holds all of the pigments together, acting as a sort of glue to keep them on the surface.  The additives and solvents are what make up the properties of the paint iself, such as mildew resistance, paint hardness, protective qualities, and so forth.  The solvent is what keeps the paint liquid before being applied and allowed to dry and some solvents have faster or slower drying abilities than others.  This can also affect how well the paint adheres and how long it lasts as well.

The two major types of exterior house paint are latex (water-based) and alkyd (oil-based).  In the main, latex is most often used by non-professionals and is more environmentally friendly whereas alkyd paints are usually used by contractors and are easier to spread and spray without blemish.

Latex paints tend to be faster drying than alkyds and usually come in a wider variety of options for color and surface types.  They are, however, not generally as long-lasting and can often require more labor to put on in an even coat with no lingering marks from brushes, rollers, or over spray.

Alkyd paints, on the other hand, use oil as their base and are generally thicker.  This means that they take longer to dry, but give better coating and are generally longer-lasting as well.  In the main, quality exterior paints for common surfaces like wood will be alkyd-based.

Other types of paint that are not as common are also worth considering if you can find them. Elastomeric paints get their name from the rubber-like quality they have once applied.  Once used mainly on semi-flexible structures to keep the paint from chipping, these are becoming popular exterior house paints as well, especially on masonry and stucco finishes. It is a thick paint that bridges small gaps and will likely hold its finish even if the surface it covers shifts slightly with changes in weather.

Urethane is another exterior finish that is becoming popular.  Used mainly on flooring, such as porches, walkways, and so forth, this is meant only for wooden surfaces.  It’s very tough, durable, and has a beautiful shine that can set off a wood well.  Urethane is not the same as epoxy floor paints, which are interior-only.

Choosing the right paint for your home is important and can save you a lot of effort in the long run by both making the job easier and by extending the time between paintings.

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How to Know When Your House Needs Repainting

Most homeowners will wonder when their house needs repainting. It’s one of the more common questions a contractor will hear. Whether your home has cedar clapboard, aluminum siding, or wood siding and trim, you’re eventually going to have to paint it. So, it's better to know about painting and decorating ideas.

A good house paint and proper application will last up to 8 years or more. Most people in the U.S. can expect to repaint their home every 5-7 years on average. When, exactly, to repaint depends upon several factors, not the least of which is whether you are ready for a change in look for your home.

Factors like the climate in your area, what type of paint (and application work) was used to paint your home the last time, and the type of material that makes up your home’s exterior are all part of the equation.

If you aren’t sure when your home was last painted or what was used and how it was done, then you will need to examine the exterior to find out what sort of shape it’s in. If you have wood siding on your home, for instance, and the paint at the bottom and around edges is beginning to flake, it’s probably time to start getting together the tools to paint your house. Likewise when the cedar finish begins to flake form clap board, it’s time for a new finish.

A home with aluminum siding that is beginning to fade, chip, or otherwise show signs of age is ready for a new coat of paint. Similar changes in appearance with concrete fiber also signal time for painting.

When the signs begin to appear, you are now on the clock. If the damage appearing is relatively minor (or is on aluminum), you can’t put off painting for another year if your budget won’t yet allow or the weather is soon going to turn harsh. Otherwise, you will need to get going on it quickly.

The longer you wait to repaint a deteriorating paint job, the more work it will take and the more likely you will have to incur the extra expense of replacing some parts of your home’s exterior. This is especially true of wooden trim, such as that around windows, which often takes the brunt of the weather with less to protect it.

In fact, in harsh climates, such as the colder states of Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas, many people will paint the trim on their homes every other year while painting their whole house every six or seven years. This is because the wooden trim takes a beating compared to the relatively flat and well-protected walls.

Some rules of thumb are:

• If you moved into your home when it was brand new, you will likely need to repaint in about five years because contractors routinely put only one coat of paint on the exterior, which means the under laying materials aren’t as well protected.
• If you live in an area with a lot of hot, low-humidity sunlight such as Arizona, you will likely have to repaint much more often than otherwise. Expect to repaint a wood-sided home every four or five years.
• If you live in an extremely harsh winter environment, such as the Dakotas, your home will require more maintenance to avoid repainting quite often. Especially, as mentioned, on trim and exposed corners.
• If your home has aluminum siding, you can expect to repaint it every 7-10 years if a good paint is used. Vinyl never needs repainting, but may fade with time and require replacing.

Hopefully, these tips will help you decide when is the best time to repaint your home. When in doubt, call a professional. Most assessments and bids for repainting are free and an honest contractor will tell you when you can wait another year or two.

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Find The Best Painters in Auckland

In case you are searching for the best Auckland painters then this post can seriously help you as we have listed some of the best painters around Auckland. Moreover, you can get the best painting tips from the experienced and popular painters.

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