There’s a very easy way to spruce up the front of your house and give it a fresh, new look. When you update your porch with paint and pay some attention to the door and any furniture that may be out there, it’s almost like having a custom façade installed.
Before getting to work on any particular area, stand back from the front of your home and take a look. Consider the paint color on the rest of the house, or the building materials like siding or brick. While your porch area can be unique and special, you want it to work with the overall theme and color scheme of the home.
What porch, door and furniture colors would look good? Would you want to make exact matches with other colors on the home, or would you go for a brilliant contrast? There’s no magical trick to blending shades and textures; the main rule of thumb is to come up with tones that look good together.
Once you’ve settled on the colors you like, you can get to work.
The porch
Every porch is different, so you’ll have to decide if you want to paint by brush and roller or with a sprayer, which can be rented. Use extra caution when spraying, because you won’t always see the over-spray when it’s happening. Cover shrubbery, walkways, the porch deck, windows and anything else that you don’t want to get paint on.
Prepare the surfaces well by washing and sanding. Scrape off all loose old paint. Like with all other paint projects, buy a top-quality paint that’s designed for exterior use. Gather beforehand all the items you’ll be using – brushes, rollers, cans of paint, drop cloths, stir sticks, scrapers, rags and the like – and have them conveniently located.
The front door
Realtors will tell you how much a front door speaks about a home in general. A beautifully painted door can make a huge difference in how your home appears. If you have trim areas on other parts of your home, consider either matching the door color to them or painting the door a shade that contrasts well with the trim. Take into account also any plants and shrubbery and find a good blending door color so that everything looks uniform.
Patio furniture
Iron, metal and wooden patio furniture often need sprucing up. The keys to an amazing paint job on furniture include through sanding and cleaning and then applying a primer designed for the particular surface. Some patio furniture has intricate designs, so be patient and do a thorough job. Finish with a coat of protectant, such as Polycryllic from Minwax, and give it about three days to dry before using.
You’ll be amazed at the change for the better when you update your porch with paint. Just remember that a fantastic paint job requires fantastic preparation, so take the time to attend to all the details so your finished product will be delightful and long-lasting.
Franklin Painting of Connecticut serves homeowners with professional interior and exterior painting year-round. Our professionals are skilled and ready to tackle any project and will bring you results you’ll be proud of. For an estimate, or with questions, contact us at (877) 646-7774.