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House Painting – Choosing The Right House Paint

House Painting – Choosing The Right House Paint

If you are getting ready to paint your house, you may be confused over what type of paint to use. Choosing the right kind of paint and using it properly can make your house look like it was painted by a pro. There are two basic types of paint and each one has pros and cons.

Water Based Paints

Water based house paint or latex paint is the most popular paint used today. Other types of water based paint are vinyl and acrylic. This type of paint is made by adding color pigment, glue and the binder, like latex, to a base of water.

Latex paint is environmentally friendly, it cleans up with plain water and is relatively odorless. It goes on smooth and dries quickly. The only exception is when you are trying to cover an old oil based paint with water based paint. This combination does not work well as the paint doesn’t cover. You must use a primer over the oil paint first and then apply the latex paint.

Oil Based Paints

Oil based house paint is also known as alkyd paint. It uses paint thinner as a base instead of water. Oil based paint goes on smooth over water based paint without the use of primer. Oil paints tends to go on smoother and leave fewer brush lines. It dries slowly and has a very strong odor. This type of paint is commonly used on doors, cabinets and door frames.

Paint Color

Most painters advise to use house paint that has some color instead of using plain white. Neutral colors are always a good choice as these make your house appealing if you ever want to sell your home. Colors like beige, light brown and off white are popular choices. Avoid bright loud colors for the exterior of your home because these do not hold up well to the weather and UV rays.

Prepping

Before you apply your house paint, you must prep the area first. Wash it with a pressure washer to remove dirt and loose paint. If you can’t get a pressure washer, use a paint scraper and follow with washing your house with a hose. To help your new paint stick to the old, you should use primer over all areas you want to make sure the paint will cover well like areas where old paint was scraped away and doors and frames that were originally painted in oil based paint.

Apply your paint under proper weather conditions. Latex paints should never freeze so plan painting day when you don’t have to worry about the temperature dipping below freezing until the paint is completely dry. Try to avoid painting on rainy days. If you apply your house paint on a sunny day it will dry much quicker thanks to the low humidity and action of the UV rays. However, if the paint dries too fast, wait to paint when your wall is in the shade. It will be cooler and more comfortable for you as well.

When it comes to house painting, the majority of the work goes into selecting the paints and prepping your walls. When painting day finally comes, if you have done your prep work well, the job should go quickly. Paint around windows and paint in the cracks between bricks and boards first then finish the job with a roller. You should apply two coats to make sure your finished job looks its best.

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