Things to remember when painting your home’s exterior

There are plenty of things to bear in mind, from the absolutely aesthetic to the purely practical.

To view more of this project see "Exterior colour ideas"

Painting your home is a fantastic way to express your personality. It's not just your kitchen and living room you should focus on, however.

Just as important as your property's interior design is its exterior appearance. When painting your home's exterior, be sure to keep these pointers in mind.

From ensuring your home's exterior colour doesn't date to keeping your property in tip-top condition, there are plenty of things to bear in mind, from the absolutely aesthetic to the purely practical.

Pick the perfect colour

Before you get started on the painting itself, you need to settle on the appropriate colour.

While you can take some liberty with smaller interior spaces, painting your home's entire exterior blood orange or lilac might result in a bright finish, but that doesn't make it a bright move!

Instead, focus on neutral shades or earthy hues. You've got plenty of flexibility when it comes to picking between light and dark shades, but be wary of how your property will look against the other homes in the street.

In some instances, you'll need to consult with your local council about paint choices. Sometimes, zoning restrictions will limit the kind of colours you can pay your home. It's not worth the hassle of painting your home only to find out it doesn't meet these requirements, so always investigate such issues well in advance.

If you're stuck for a shade, use the Resene Find-A-Colour tool for some inspiration.

Shades such as Resene Double White Pointer and Resene Half Sandstone are excellent picks. Once you've selected a shade, pick a complementary hue for your window frames to achieve an integrated look.

Pick the right technology

While it might seem picking a paint is as simple as settling on a colour, don't stop there.

Just as important as the appearance are the aspects of the paint you don't witness. One such example is Resene CoolColour technology.

If you're set on painting your property a deep, mysterious shade such as Resene Masala or Resene Double Oilskin, you might be wondering about how your home will fare in the hotter months of the year.

Think to whether you've ever driven around in a black car on a scorching summer's day – given that dark colours absorb light, the vehicle can quickly become overheated.

The same could be the same for your home if you don't pick the right paint. Fortunately, CoolColour technology allows you to embrace deep shades without being uncomfortable during the warmer seasons.

Not only is this technology essential for staying cooler during summer as a homeowner, it's also a smart idea to protect your roof and home exterior. This is because sunlight can damage the substrate and coating.

The technology works by absorbing a proportion of light, but reflecting the bulk of it. This keeps surfaces cooler than they would be without CoolColour technology. Better yet, energy is reflected in certain areas of the colour spectrum – the infra red regions – meaning that while your home remains cooler, you won't lose any richness in colour.

If you're set on painting your home a dark colour, be sure to investigate this clever innovation.

Keep up the maintenance

Being a homeowner requires careful maintenance over the years. However, in many cases, prevention is your best defence.

Regularly washing your property's exterior walls with Resene Paint Prep and Housewash will ensure it remains in shape over the long term. For instance, if you live on the coast, salt particles in the air can settle on your home, damaging and even breaking down the paint surface.

But if you wash your home, you'll remove this build-up.

Even if you're not an ocean-side dweller, you should still clean your home's exterior at least annually to remove any lichen and moss that's accumulated on your home's walls.

Shop this look

Testpot colours and products marked as "buy in-store" may not yet be available in our online ColorShop, however, they can be purchased at your local Resene ColorShop or reseller.