When homeowners in Eugene repaint their homes, one of the most significant steps they have to make is to actually find the best residential painting contractor in Eugene. Exterior home painting is a large and relatively complex project that should almost always be left to experienced professional painters for the best results.
The next biggest decision you will have to make as a homeowner is to choose the paint color for your home’s exterior. It might seem like a straightforward, simple decision; however, choosing a color for your home can be quite a daunting task –considering you will be sticking with that color for years to come.
Exterior paint colors generally need to show off, possibly, your biggest investment. While personal preference might play a major role in the color scheme you choose to work with, there’re other important factors to consider too –which you probably forgot to factor in. Below is a quick look at the commonly ignored factors.
1) Existing Elements and Permanent Materials If you have existing stone or brick foundation, patio or accents that you won’t be replacing anytime soon, you need to factor in their colors. The same applies to the color of your roof. While the colors do not need to match, they should harmonize at the very least. Look for undertones that will harmoniously tie together these fixed elements.
2) Architecture Your exterior color scheme should be appropriate to your home’s style –whether it’s a mid-century modern ranch, Craftsman bungalow or Victorian. For instance, Victorian home sidings are generally better-looking in lighter, neutral colors and recessed elements in darker colors. Talk to your professional painter for help with choosing the most appropriate color for your home’s style.
3) Neighborhood If you ignore your neighbors, your house would probably stick out like a neon orange house on the hill. So as you decide on your exterior color, take some time and tour your neighborhood to understand the overall color scheme in your neighborhood and see if you can find houses with colors that catch your eye. You generally don’t want to pick a color that clashes with your neighborhood or looks exactly the same as your next-door neighbor.
If you live in a neighborhood that is governed by a homeowners association, you need to check with them before painting or repainting your home’s exterior. They might have some restrictions on which home exterior colors you can or can’t use. While it might be a little limiting, it’s probably something you signed up for when you moved into the neighborhood.
4) Consider the Landscape The landscape and surrounding natural environment will always give you some cues on what colors to use. If you live in a dryer area with plenty of stones and limited vegetation, choose earthy tones such as beige, and straw. If you live in a sunny beach area, your house will blend in better with colorful pastels.
5) Size and Location of the Home The size of your home and its relationship with the nearest street may also be an important consideration. For instance, if your home is located a long distance from the street, it might need a brighter color to stand out. However, if it sits too close to the road, it might need a dark color to make it seem receded.
The Bottom Line
Your home’s exterior color can have a great impact on the first impressions and perceived value of your home. If you can’t seem to decide on the best color for your situation, you probably need to consult a color consultant or a painting contractor.
If you need any professional help in choosing the best exterior colors and repainting your home’s exterior in Eugene, our team can help. Simply give us a call us on 541-600-2025 or book now to get started.
Paint fading is often the first sign of paint degradation and occurs mostly due to the effects of the elements. Using poor quality paint or inferior painting techniques can also lead to premature paint fading, which is characterized by the loss of color pigment in a paint film.
Most homeowners actually don’t even notice paint fading until after a number of years, this is because it happens so gradually and relatively uniformly. Fading should not be confused with chalking. Fading represents the excessive lightening of the exterior paint, especially on the surfaces exposed to sunlight. But chalking might also cause color fading. With that said, here are some tips on how to prevent or at least slow down paint fading.
1) Choose Fade-resistant Paint
While this might seem obvious, many homeowners tend to ignore this opportunity. The best fade-resistant paints contain high-quality pigments and a sufficient amount of the binder. The binder binds the color pigments to the other ingredients to ensure a durable paint film. Additionally, the binder facilitates enhanced adhesion of the paint to the surface.
Low-quality paints often contain a low concentration of the binder and pigments, which usually start to break down after just a few months of painting. Generally, opt for high-quality paints from reputable manufactures for extended durability and reduced chances of fading.
Also, using alkali-sensitive paints on highly alkaline surfaces like new masonry is another mistake that can lead to fading exterior paint color. Other than that, be careful not to over-tint your paint product as this has also been known to cause premature fading.
2) Don’t Use Paint Colors Prone To Fading
Painted walls and sunlight often don’t go well together, considering UV rays are the number one reason to exterior paint fade. Frequent sunlight causes photodegradation, which is how chemical bonds in the paint are broken down by ultraviolet rays. However, not all colors react in the same way. Dark colors tend to absorb more heat and experience more fading issues than light colors.
Consequently, lighter colors last longer and fade less than dark colors. So to minimize fading, consider using lighter colors in areas that are subjected to direct sunlight and dark colors where there is minimal sunshine. This doesn’t, however, mean that you have to stick to the light color pellet only, you can play around with different hues to achieve the right balance and contrast.
3) The Right Paint for the Right Surface
Nowadays, paints are highly specialized and some paints are only suitable for certain materials. A particular exterior paint could be suitable for wood, brick, stucco, aluminum, or concrete depending on its qualities. Wrong usage of paint leads to paint fade fast. For instance, as mentioned above, alkali-sensitive paints should not be used on highly alkaline surfaces, like stucco. If you’re not hiring a painting contractor in Eugene, be sure to request the paint store for the best paint recommendation for your type of surface.
4) Hire a Professional Painting Contractor
Exterior home painting can be a laborious and technical project, and if you don’t have the skills and the right tools, you’re better off hiring a professional painting contractor. Other than the quality of the paint materials, the craftsmanship that goes into the painting process has an impact on the longevity of the paint and its ability to withstand fading.
Painting contractors do proper surface preparation, paint using the right techniques and have the know-how needed to pick just the right paint for any surface or situation. At Sir Paints A Lot, we specialize in residential painting and guarantee a high-quality paint job using the best paint products in the market that will beat fading and stand the test of time. To give us a try, simply call us on 541-600-2025 for a free estimate.
If you’re a Homeowner in Eugene Oregon, you probably already know the importance of occasionally pressure washing your home’s exterior. For new homeowners, it’s important to note that your home’s exterior collects all sorts of dirt, grime and chalk from deteriorating paint. Over time, this deposit makes your house look dirty, old and neglected, which ruins your curb appeal.
Power washing your exterior gets rid of the accumulated dirt for a clean and flawless look. It’s also an important part of surface preparation during exterior home painting. Without pressure washing, the paint won’t be able to adhere to the surface due to the dirt, grime and other particles. In our opinion, pressure washing is just some of those misleading tasks that should be left to professionals. However, if you decide to go DIY, here are the mistakes you should look out for.
1. Using Too Much Pressure
Using too much pressure is probably the most common mistake many homeowners and DIY enthusiasts make. If you’re renting or own a pressure washing machine, chances are it’s not industrial scale and hence has limitations when it comes to pressure control. Other times it could just be that you’re not sure how much or little pressure you should use for your siding material.
Either way, using too much pressure can potentially leave etching marks as you move the wand back and forth. Many times, this might also cause furring wood, cracking glass or stripping paint. If your pressure washing machine doesn’t have pressure calibrations, start by holding your wand at least three feet away from the surface, then move closer gradually as you monitor the cleaning power.
2. Using Plain Water Only
This is another common mistake that homeowners in Eugen make. While using plain cold water might work in some cases, houses that have considerable dirt accumulation might prove difficult to clean. As a result, you might end up having to use excessive pressure in order to break the dirt barrier and clean the surface.
In cases where you have mold and mildew infection, using plain water will aid in spreading the spores of the fungus to other areas that have not yet been infested. In such a case, you might want to mix mildew controlling fungicide into your cleaning solution. Generally, adding a cleaning chemical into your pressure washing solution helps to break down and soften the dirt barrier, making cleaning easier.
3. Cleaning Out of Order
This pressure washing mistake can cause you a lot of headache and inconveniences. It might sound like common knowledge, but you won’t believe how many homeowners get it wrong. If you start out pressure washing your driveway and walks and then pressure wash your house or your roof, you will have some residual rinsing to do on your driveway. Eventually, all the dirt you clean from your siding and roof will land on the ground. For the same reason, consider cleaning your windows and doors after your roof and siding.
4. Don’t Forget the Water-sensitive Areas
Stay away, (or handle cautiously) water-sensitive areas –you don’t want to spend hours moping stray water or spent money repairing water damage. Some of the areas to look out for include door openings (like the gap under the door), drywall ceilings, non-water tight windows, and glass window/door panels.
The Bottom Line Pressure washing is an important home maintenance routine that helps to keep your house looking great and prevents eventual permanent stains. However, when it’s incorrectly done, it can cause more damage than good. If you need professional assistance with pressure washing or painting your exterior, please give us a call and we will be more than happy to help.
Painting is the easiest and most effective way to transform the look of your walls and add a little more protection against wear and tear. It could be that the walls of your home are starting to look a little worse or you simply don’t like the current color. Whatever the reason, painting could just be your solution.
When it comes to residential painting in Eugene, Oregon, you have two options; hiring a pro or doing it yourself. Depending on the scale and complexity of the project, hiring a professional painter is almost always the best option. However, if you want to give it a try, here are some quick tips on how to paint over a painted wall.
1) Prep Your Work Space
Whether you’re only painting your kitchen or your entire exterior, preparing the area around your paint job is critical to efficient and stress-free painting. If you’re painting your interior, prep might include removing décor from the wall, taking down window treatments, moving furniture away from the wall and covering everything else in the room that you don’t want the paint to get on. For exterior painting, you might have to trim shrubbery and tree branches near your siding, and cover nearby plants and other immovable items, and so on.
2) Cleaning
For any paint job, always start with a clean surface to ensure better paint adhesion and longer durability. Interior walls might only need light wiping using either soapy water with a sponge or mineral spirits in the event of stains such as ink or greasy fingerprints. Exterior walls require a bit more extensive cleaning, and pressure washing usually does the trick. However, if you’ve never used a pressure washer for this purpose before, you should probably leave this part to the professionals.
3) Paint Scrapping and Sanding
If your previous paint job is still relatively ‘new,’ you might not spend so much time on this part. However, any peeling, cracking and bubbling paint needs to be scraped off so that it doesn’t ruin your new paint job. After scrapping, sand the surface and smooth out rough and sharp edges of any remaining paint in order to achieve a smooth finish. This will prevent the new paint coat from flaking and peeling prematurely.
4) Surface Repairs
Covering up damaged or failing surfaces with paint is never a good home maintenance practice. Many times, this reduces the lifespan of your paint job and creates opportunities for things like bugs and moisture invasion. Be sure to fill in any holes and missing caulk, and make any necessary repairs such as replacing missing wood planks and addressing water and drywall damages.
5) Prime Walls
Once the surface repairs have been addressed and the surface properly cleaned, it’s time to apply a primer. The primer prepares the surface for better paint adhesion and also evens out the surface for a smooth finish. If you’re making a sharp color transition, especially from the dark to light paint colors, the primer will help to block off the old paint from bleeding through your new coat of paint.
You will also experience better paint coverage and efficient painting with primed surfaces. Once the prep work is done and the primer has been applied, you can proceed with painting as you would on any other surface once the primer has dried.
The Bottom Line
Small residential repainting projects can be an interesting challenge to try if you have the skill, experience, tools and time. If you don’t, we strongly advise that you hire a professional painting contractor in Eugene such as Sir Paints A Lot.
We specialize in residential painting, and if you have hard-to-reach places or a multi-level home on a slope that you want to paint, but most painters are shying away, we will be more than happy to take up the challenge!
Simply give us a call us 541-600-2025 to get started.
Are you wondering how long the paint on the exterior of your home will last in Eugene, Oregon? A perfectly painted home exterior helps improve your curb appeal, prevents moisture damage, wood rot and other wear and tear issues that arise during seasonal weather changes.
How long these benefits can last depend on a number of factors, most of which you can manipulate to your advantage. In this article, we will take a look at some of the factors that affect the longevity of your exterior paint job, and how you can intervene to make your paint job last longer.
Before Painting
Quality Paint It all starts with the quality of the paint you choose for your exterior –this will have an impact on the final finish and the durability of your paint job. Low cost, low-quality paints don’t give a smooth finish and desirable longevity as premium alternatives. They simply can’t stand against harsh exterior weather conditions for long. If you’re not sure which paint to choose, spend some time reviewing a number of options. This is not to say that overspending always guarantees stellar results, but chances are you’ll soon regret cutting corners with low-grade paint. If you’re hiring a painting contractor, you should probably allow them to choose the paint for you.
Clean Surfaces Surface preparation is an extremely important part of the exterior painting as it directly influences the final look and durability of your paint job. Make sure the exterior of your home is thoroughly cleaned before painting can commence. While the quality paint you apply may stick well enough to the dirt and dust on your exterior, the same can’t be said for the dirt sticking in place long-term. Start by power washing the surface to remove loose dirt and debris, and allow the wall to completely dry before applying the paint. If you’re painting a wooden siding, you might want to sand off the loose old paint, dirt and any other form of surface stain before washing. The bottom line is, your exterior surface to be painted should be crisp clean, regardless of the material.
Watch the Weather Weather control might be out of your reach, but you can certainly control when you decide to paint your home’s exterior. You should generally consider painting your home in temperate seasons when temperatures are not too low or too high. Painting in direct sunlight or extreme heat can affect the drying speed of the paint and leave your surfaces with unevenness and brush strokes. On the other hand, painting when it’s too cold can lead to bubbling and blistering of your paint job, sooner than later.
Use a Primer Many homeowners often assume that the paint itself is all you need for quality and long-lasting paint job, but that’s far from the fact. Extending the life of your paint will depend greatly on your use of a primer. The primer makes it easier for the paint to stick to the surface which directly translates to extended durability. It works as a base coat and gives your exterior surface a smoother look with fewer imperfections that could have otherwise led to bubbling, chipping, or peeling of your paint.
After Painting
• Repair Damages as They Appear: Rain, wind, snow, and debris can give your exterior wood trim and siding a significant beating over time. If you notice any rotting, water damage or other problems with your paint and exterior surface, you need to have these issues fixed as soon as you can. This will prevent further damage and eventual costly siding replacement.
• Keep Your Exterior Clean: Don’t ignore mildew, dirt and other debris on your siding or trim. Apart from being an eyesore on your home, they can damage your paint job if not taken care of in good time. Consider cleaning your siding and trim at least once per year to extend the durability of your paint.
Ask the Experts
The ultimate way to ensure a long-lasting and quality paint job is to hire a professional painting contractor. That way, you don’t have to worry about choosing the wrong type of paint, insufficient surface preparation, and missing critical stages. If you need help painting your exterior, we can be of help. Our painting crew is armed with the most outstanding equipment, supplies, skills and experience in the business. You’re guaranteed the final result will go so far above and beyond what’s possible with the DIY approach.
