Does painting your house increase value

Leave a Comment

When it comes to home resale value there are several things one can do to increase its value. House painting is one of them. In addition to increasing value, painting makes your house sell faster which means you will save on your mortgage, taxes and utilities.

HGTV’s 30 Tips for Increasing Your Home’s Value lists painting your house number 3.

Start by painting the exterior
It takes about 3 seconds for someone to form an impression of a house. Not necessarily a decision but that will make them evaluate it further. In order to catch that first impression you need your house to look in top shape as people pull in the driveway. You might also want to consider some landscaping if needed.

Then some interior painting
Over time the bright white ceilings turn into a tired grayish look, the trim starts to yellow especially if its painted with oil base paint. Bringing potential buyers in a tired looking home will get you fewer offers and lower numbers. Freshly painted white ceilings and trim, and neutral colored walls will make your home more appealing to buyers and increase value.

Can you paint vinyl siding?

1 Comment

Restoring Faded Vinyl Siding

Vinyl siding was introduced as an exterior product in the 1950s, and it has improved a lot since then. However, just like traditional house paint, it is not immune to Mother Nature. After years of facing harsh New England winters and direct summer sun, the factory color will oxidize, chalk, and fade.

Homeowners often ask us: “Can vinyl siding be painted, or do I have to replace it?”

The good news is that yes, you can absolutely paint vinyl siding. Painting is a highly cost-effective way to bring a tired exterior back to life without the massive expense of a full siding replacement. However, there is one critical rule you must follow to avoid ruining your home.

The Golden Rule of Painting Vinyl: Beware of Dark Colors

Standard vinyl siding is designed to reflect a certain amount of heat. If you take a light-colored vinyl house (like pale yellow or white) and paint it a dark color (like navy blue or dark gray) using standard paint, the dark color will absorb the sun’s heat. This will literally cause your vinyl siding to buckle, warp, and melt off the side of your house.

To safely paint vinyl, you must do two things:

  1. Use Vinyl-Safe Paint: You must use premium paints specifically formulated with “vinyl-safe” technology, such as Sherwin-Williams Emerald® or Benjamin Moore Regal® Select Revive®.
  2. Check the Light Reflectance Value (LRV): Your new color must have an LRV similar to or lighter than the original siding color, unless you are using a specifically engineered vinyl-safe color palette.

The Painting Process

Because the surface preparation and spray application process for vinyl is nearly identical to how we treat metal siding, we use the exact same rigorous prep methods. It requires a thorough chemical soft-wash to remove chalking, followed by a flawless spray application.

To see exactly how we prep and spray these surfaces to guarantee a factory-like finish, read our full step-by-step Aluminum & Vinyl Siding Painting guide here.

Need Your Connecticut Home Painted?

With 22 years of exterior painting experience, E D Painting knows exactly which products will keep your siding safe and looking brand new for years to come. If you live in West Hartford, Simsbury, Farmington, or the surrounding towns, contact us today for a free estimate!

Exterior house painting ideas

2 Comments

One very simple exterior house painting idea is white. Believe it or not 40% of the residential exteriors are white and in my opinion they look pretty good.

Start with a color you like and try to work a color scheme around that. Maybe you’ve seen a house that you like in your area, you can stop by and talk to the owners about the color scheme. Most of the time they will be pleased that someone likes the color on their house so much that want to paint their house with the same color.

Another great idea is to look in the charts with color combinations that paint stores offer. Those combinations are put together by professional decorators and always work great.

Other exterior house painting ideas involve whether you plan to live on that house for a long time or if you plan to sell your house in the near future. If you plan to sell your house you might consider using a neutral color. Something that will look pleasant to most people.

Another idea is to ask your your painter. House painters see many different types of homes and generally have a pretty good idea on what might work for a particular type of house.