How to Lower Costs for Exterior Painting

We all love a redecoration every now and then. It helps to spruce up our homes or our workplaces and prevents the spaces we spend most of our time in from feeling stale and stagnant.

Whether you're looking for a refresh, trying to stay on-trend, or updating the workplace, repainting can make a huge difference.

Many Americans put their stamp on their homes by painting the exterior. It adds personality and makes it your own. Exterior painting can be costly, especially if you plan on doing it yourself.

Here are Harman's top tips to keep those painting costs down.

Choosing the Right Interior and Exterior Paint Colors for Your Home

There's nothing worse than splurging on several buckets of paint and marking up a wall or a cabinet before realizing you've picked a color that doesn't work or clashes with others.

Trying to pick the right interior or exterior house paint colors can be a nuisance.

What shade is the right shade? Which colors work well with others? Does it show marks easily?

It's important to ask yourself these questions.

For example, if you've got young children... well, white walls in the living room and bedrooms might not be the best choice! White often shows up dirty handprints, food, and marks very obviously, and you might find yourself covering up spots every week.

However, if your home has large windows, then white walls and floors will enhance the natural light that flows in and illuminate the room.

Or, maybe you're repainting the kitchen.

Are dark red walls and navy blue counters a good combination? Probably not.

It'll feel dark and dingy, and the kitchen is the hub for most families - it should be light, airy, and inviting!

If you are looking for bold colors in rooms of your house like the kitchen, try accents in one dark color, and balance it with lighter shades like white or light gray. Try navy kitchen cabinets with white marble tops and a white tile floor - it'll pop, but it's not overwhelming.

Looking for inspiration? Check out our recent projects from happy homeowners and businesses!

If you're still struggling to pick the right paint, that's okay - part of our service is helping you pick the perfect colors.

Buying High-Quality Paint

So often, we see paint that starts to peel and crumble after just a few years. If you aren't a paint specialist, it can be difficult to tell which paints are the best quality! There are so many to choose from, it can feel impossible.

Usually, the price is reflective of the quality. Below are some tips to keep in mind when buying paint.

Exterior Painting: Water Based vs Oil

There are advantages to both paints. For exterior painting though, we generally recommend water-based paint, like acrylic paint.

As the building contracts and expands with temperature changes, water-based paint can move with it, preventing cracks.

Pigment

While some lower-pigment paints may seem like the cheaper option, in the long run, it doesn't tend to turn out that way.

If the paint has high-quality pigment, one or two coats will be sufficient. These paints tend to be more expensive.

If it's got lower quality pigment, you'll end up painting several coats and using up your paint quicker. You'll end up spending more time painting and more money on extra paint to compensate.

If you're not sure which brands have good pigment, buy some testers and see which ones are patchy after one coat, and which seem to have good coverage.

Solids

Solids are what's left on the wall after it's dried. You probably won't find the solids statistics on the label, and you'll need to look up the brand name to find out.

Look for paints that have a solids percentage of 45% or over. Anything less, and you may end up with blotchy walls.

Use A Primer

We get it - getting your overalls on and getting stuck into painting is an exciting process! But before you go painting anything outside that might be exposed to the elements - wood, metal, plastic - use a primer.

Using a primer means that when it comes to painting, you're not actually painting the material, you're painting the fine layer over it. This benefits you in the long run because wood can sometimes warp from the paint, metal might rust and plastic might crack.

Hire a Reliable Painter For Your Exterior Painting Jobs

Really, there's only one true way to keep the cost to paint the exterior of your house down, and that's to hire a reliable contractor to do the work for you.

At Harman's Custom Painting, we pride ourselves on a job well done - and our customers certainly agree. Our quotes are always honest, and you never have to be worried about getting over-priced if you don't have much knowledge about the painting industry.

We use high-quality paints and products, work closely with our customers throughout Sarasota County and beyond to understand their vision and deliver it beyond their expectations.

People are at the heart of everything we do, and we care just as much as you about making your home your pride of place and somewhere you love to be. We listen closely to what you want, and enjoy taking on jobs and requests that are a little out-of-the-box!

We offer free estimates and a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee!

Repaint Your Home and Feel The Benefits

We're on hand to help you refresh both the interior and exterior of your home or business.

Our friendly team is located in Venice, Florida, and we're always happy to answer any questions about our interior and exterior painting services.

If you'd like to see the happy faces behind the Harman name, visit our contact us page for a photo of the crew, and give us a call for a free quote.