There’s plenty to consider as you consider painting your house and typically the first question is: What color should I paint my house?

You might start with a search of popular house colors or trending house colors. You might even want to know the house paint colors that improve curb appeal like these 15 house painting ideas.

But if you’re getting ready to sell your home, you’ll want to know the color that will add $6,000 to your home’s value.

Great home exterior colors right now

Blue-Gray
Gray with turquoise accents or warm green with shutters in a cooler green
Pairing primary colors
Sherwin-Williams’ Renwick Olive (SW 2815)
White
Ocean Blue and Green
Peach and Apricot
Black
Sherwin Williams’ Colonial Revival Stone (SW 2827)
Sky Blue
Monochromatic Colors
Valspar’s Twilight Mist

If you want to get a little wild with your home’s exterior paint, you can check out these insanely painted houses for inspiration.

Home Exterior Painting Preparation

Before you embark on painting your home’s exterior you likely want to get an idea of what it’ll look like after it’s painting. A good way to do that is using a home exterior painting app.

Home Exterior Painting Apps

Some popular home exterior painting apps include: CentraPro Painters, which allows you to upload a photo of your home and add a new color scheme after you register. Sherwin-Williams’ ColorSnap is another option that allows you to upload a photo of your home and paint it with a tool. Sherwin-Williams also has a color visualizer that will allow you to upload a photo of your home after you register on the site. It’s a bit clunky but it’s another option. McCormick Paints has a similar option on its website where the user has to register prior to using. You must also register to use Benjamin Moore’s Personal Color Viewer.

A fast way to prepare your home for painting is to use a pressure washer to clean the old paint and make the new home exterior paint stick better. These tips will let you know what goes into pressure washing a house.

Should Your Garage Door Match Your House Paint

The short answer is yes, your garage door should match your house paint. But that leaves you with plenty of options so if you’re painting your home a completely new color, keep your garage door’s color in mind because you might have to paint that as well. You can replace or revamp your garage door with these tips.

How Long Will Exterior Paint Last?

You can expect your exterior paint to last between 5 to 10 years based on the paint you use and how you prep your home’s exterior for painting. More on that later.

Best Exterior Paint & Which Exterior Paint Color Fades the Least

Behr Premium Plus Satin Enamel Exterior paint is a top-reviewed paint while Kilz remains at the top for siding and primer. As far as fading goes, darker and vivid colors tend to fade faster than lighter colors because the sun will beat on it. Generally, reds, blues, greens and yellows will fade faster than earth tones like beiges, tans and browns.

How to Paint a House

Painting preparation often makes a big difference in how long exterior paint will last so it’s vitally important to follow these exterior painting steps to ensure your home exterior paint lasts. Proper exterior painting preparation means pressure washing the house, scraping out old caulk and paint, filling gouges before priming, sanding ridges, and caulking seams and cracks.

Best Temperature to Paint House Exterior

Weather is always key when it comes to painting a house’s exterior so you’ll want to keep an eye on the forecast before starting. You’ll also want to pay attention to the temperature. The best temperature to paint a house exterior with oil-based paint is between 40-90 degrees Fahrenheit. The best temperature to paint a house exterior with latex-based paint is between 50-85 degrees. You’ll want the paint to dry when the humidity is between 40-70 percent. Learn more about the proper home exterior painting temperature with this guide.

How Much Paint Will You Need to Paint a Home’s Exterior?

Paint estimates can vary but BEHR estimates that one gallon of paint is enough to cover between 250 to 400 square feet of surface area with one coat so it’s important to calculate the size of your house by measuring the perimeter and then the height from the foundation to the roofline. Then multiple the perimeter by the height. If you want to get more precise you can subtract the square footage of doors and windows. Windows average 15 square feet and doors average 20 square feet.

How Long Does It Take for Exterior Paint to Dry?

Latex acrylic paint typically needs two hours to dry but if there’s rain coming, it’ll take closer to six hours, you’ll need to plan things accordingly if you plan to paint multiple coats.

Which Paint Tools to Use

You’ll need at least a pressure washer, scrapers, sander and sand paper, primer, paint brushes, caulk, paint roller, paint tray, extension ladder, paint, painter’s tape, rags, a roller sleeve, ladder stabilizer and protective canvas or old sheets.

What to Do With Painting Supplies
How to Store Paint and Preserve Paint Brushes

If you’re expecting a multiple day home exterior painting project, you’ll need to know these tips on how to store paint and these secrets to preserving paint brushes and rollers.

Read more: familyhandyman.com