Exterior Painting Trends for 2014

In 2014, homeowners are taking it back to the basics when it comes to the exterior design and paint scheme of their homes. Traditional colors that aren’t so bright and bold are in the forefront once again. This means that we might be seeing more traditional white or beige houses in the neighborhood. Identifying homes by their landscaping or the vehicle in the driveway might come back to life.

Keep it Simple

Other than a traditional Victorian home, multiple colors in regards to the exterior of a home is going to be a big faux pas this year. Select one base color and one trim color, that’s it. Trying to add multiple trim colors just confuses the design and makes it look overdone. Potential homebuyers also find homes that are simple to look at on the outside, as far as design is concerned, to be more attractive.

Bright Colors for Winter Painting

As the temperature begins to slide down, freezing winds flow around, leaves fall and snow blankets gardens and all things green, some people start to feel depressed. Combat the winter blues by changing the interior design of your home. It may be cold and gray outside, but in your home, color reigns supreme.

Paint the walls specifically for winter months. Go through color swatches and choose the brightest color that suits your taste. Don’t be afraid of vibrant color. It can be toned down in summer with accent pieces and will stand out boldly in winter. One tip, make sure you stick with the same color tone, like pastel or jewel tones. Mixing and matching makes a home look patchwork and unorganized. Amethyst purple, sapphire blue and ruby red can flow from one room to another beautifully. Ruby red and pastel green is too stark of a change from room to room.

Paint Your Kitchen Yellow

Yellow Kitchen

Choosing the perfect kitchen color can be quite overwhelming for some NJ home owners. When considering what color schemes are best for a particular kitchen, one needs to think about what type of mood they desire to set. As color trends for interior painting have changed over the years many new colors have been introduced for use in the kitchen. Yellow has long been a favorite color used in kitchens for years. But there are both pros and cons for using yellow in the kitchen area of a home. Only the homeowner can determine if it is the right color for their kitchen area. Here are some pros and cons for using yellow for kitchen painting projects.

Summer Home Remodeling Projects

Composite deck & Vinyl Rail

The warmer months are just around the corner and NJ homeowners are beginning to plan their home remodeling projects for the summer months. For many homeowners it is about making their home more efficient, more usable or to give it more functional. Others want to maximize indoor or outdoor spaces or install a pool or backyard deck. Many are already planning exactly what type of remodeling they want to do this summer while others are still looking for some good ideas. Here are some useful summer home remodeling projects that will maximize your outdoor space.

How Often Should I Paint My House?

Painted wall and supplies

Our homes are an investment that needs to be protected with proper maintenance. Interior and exterior painting are home remodeling projects which need to be done periodically in order to help retain or improve the home’s value. There is not one set rule that tells a home owner what type of exterior painting schedule should be followed. Most of the time, it is understood that a home needs to be painted about every 5 to 8 years. But this can depend largely on the type of paint that was used as well as the climatic conditions where the home is located. Some areas have weather conditions that are harsher on a home’s exterior than others. Most homeowners do not do a walk around inspection of their home every single day but there are ways to determine when it is time to paint the house.

When to Paint your Home

Painted interior

Exterior house painting needs to be done during a period of time when the weather is going to be dry enough for the wood to be dry before the project begins. After the surface is painted, it needs adequate time to dry as well.  Most people have the idea that summer is the best season to paint, but it is not always the best time to paint a home’s exterior. What time of year is the best to paint your house will depend largely on the region in which you live and the climate in the area. There are several factors to consider which can help a homeowner know what time of year is the best to complete exterior painting.

Temperatures

Most of the manufacturers of paint suggest temperature minimums and maximums which allow for the best paint job. These temperature limits have changed over the years as paints have progressed. As a general rule, the temperature needs to be no lower than about 40 degrees before paint is applied. However, there are some brands that say their paints can be applied to a surface when the temperature is as low as 35 degrees. In some regions, the temperature can be as high as 104 degrees during the afternoon and then drop down as low as 42 at night. Paint should not be applied during the seasons when the temperatures have this large of a fluctuation all in one day. Choose a season in your region that the temperature does not fluctuate too much in a day. In the New Jersey area the average low temperature in October is about 45 degrees and in November it is about 38. So in the northeast region November is probably the cut off for exterior painting.

What is Modern Exterior Design?

Modern Exterior Design

The exterior portions of a home do not always get as much attention as the interior parts, but it is not any less important. There are many different design plans that can be used to develop the exterior of the NJ home. Modern exterior design is popular because of its space saving qualities. Modern design for the exterior of the home resembles modern interior design in that it uses geometric shapes and lines and takes the minimalist approach to developing the design. This type of home design will help bring in the right balance between aesthetic appearance and functionality. Exterior lighting and landscape designs will be complimentary of other design elements such as residential painting.

Best Paint for Interior Painting

Interior Paint

Each room has its own décor and calls for various color schemes and furnishings. They also require different colors and types of paint for interior painting. Choosing the color is not usually too difficult as it will aesthetically match the room’s overall décor. Color choices can simply be a matter of taste in interior design. Choosing the right type of sheen can be the more difficult part of the selection since it will require both some practicality and also be a matter of style. Sheen refers to how much light will be reflected from the painted surface and the type of sheen used will be determined by how the space is used and the desired look.

Best Paint for Exterior Painting

Painted house

Choosing the right exterior paint for a project can be a difficult task at best. In most cases, interior painting is done on only one type of surface but exterior painting can be on a wide variety of surfaces. Surfaces may include wood, aluminum siding, cedar shakes, brick, concrete blocks, stucco or even painting over old paint. Older homes and some modern designs may necessitate painting multiple types of surfaces which further complicates exterior paint selection. One good thing is that there are many different types of paints and this means that there is an exterior paint which is made for each type of surface.

Latex vs. Alkyd

Many homeowners choose latex paints for exterior painting projects because it is much easier to apply, dries quicker and is easy to clean up with just soap and water. The disadvantage to using latex paints is that they will not cover oil based paints well and they will not adhere to some surfaces. Alkyd paints are very durable, but they dry more slowly and are more difficult to work with. Alkyd paints cannot be cleaned up easily as proper clean up will require the use of solvents in order to get the oil based paints out of brushes, paint trays, rollers and drips.

Exterior Siding Versus Exterior Painting

Siding on a Home

When a homeowner considers different exterior home remodeling projects there can be quite a few options to think about. Many times larger exterior remodeling projects will come down to either siding or painting. Either of these options can provide a brand new, fresh look for the NJ home’s exterior; and they both have the potential of increasing the resell value and the aesthetic value of the home. Some homeowners may find this a difficult decision to make since each method has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. It is very important for homeowners to carefully consider both options and determine which one best meets their needs as well as their budget.