Pro Tips: What Type of Paint Is Best for Exteriors? For an exterior paint job that really lasts, you need to start with the right paint. We've consulted with the pros to find out what's new and how to ensure the best results. A fresh coat of exterior paint does wonders for the look of a home, revolutionizing its curb appeal while adding a valuable layer of protection against the elements. In recent years, paint technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, leaving today’s homeowners spoiled for choice when it comes to products that are not only durable, but also resistant to mold, mildew, and dirt—the trio of threats that most commonly undermine the longevity of an exterior paint job. Related: Exterior Paint 101 If you are trying to decide whether to choose oil or latex paint—latex being the generic term for all non-oil-based paints—the question may no longer be a relevant one: The latest and greatest paint formulations are more often than not water based.

“In the past, oil-based paints were the standard for exterior projects,” explains Karl Schmitt, of Sherwin-Williams. wall art decor for nurseryTimes have changed, however. inexpensive metal wall art decorSuperior performance characteristics are now to be found among water-based products.exterior paint color for house Schmitt continues, “Some professional painters believe oil-based paints deliver a better finish.” diy christmas decorations for workBut unless the surface to be painted is distressed (for example, weathered wood or rusty metal), Schmitt maintains that “a water-based paint is the best option for the average do-it-yourself homeowner.” christmas tree top star template

Whereas “oil-based paints tend to yellow and become brittle over time,” high-quality water-based paints, such as Sherwin-Williams Emerald, retain a smooth and uniform appearance for years.what brand of paint is best for exterior “There are some real benefits to using water-based paint,” Schmitt says. These include “improved adhesion performance, mold and mildew resistance, and low VOC emissions.” Another important benefit of water-based paints: They more or less extend the exterior painting season. It used to be that “you couldn’t paint if the temperature was below 50 degrees.” Those days are gone. Improved formulations permit successful painting to be done even on days as cold as 35 degrees. Noor Aweidah of Valspar cites further advantages of water-based paint: “shorter dry time, better coverage, and easier cleanup.” Duramax, the top-of-the-line exterior paint manufactured by Valspar, even features paint and primer in one application.

What it all adds up to, she says, is a “just-painted look” that lasts for an impressively long period of time. Before undertaking an exterior painting project, Aweidah recommends that you take several factors into account. “Weather is the first thing to consider.” Start by figuring out the right time to paint. “For best results,” she says, “an air temperature and surface temperature of 50 degrees is ideal. It’s also important to prepare for the project and use a high-quality paint.” Cover these bases, and “any exterior paint project [will be] doable for any DIYer.” Sherwin-Williams’s Schmitt concludes, “Buy the highest-quality paint you can afford.” Chances are “the more expensive paint will last substantially longer, which means that in the long run, the pricier product “represents a much better value.”Be inspired, learn a bit & have a few laughsI’m finally jumping on the painted door bandwagon! As long as people have been painting their doors bright colors, I knew I wanted to join in on the fun.

But we couldn’t since we lived in apartments with boring brown doors. For some reason, I don’t think they would appreciate me painting the door.  Now that we have a house I knew that painting our front door was definitely a project I wanted to tackle. This is not one of those projects where I had to hem-and-haw over over the details. I’ve had this planned for quite some time. Red front door and oil-rubbed bronze hardware.  I learned a few things while painting my door so I wanted to share a little tutorial on how-to paint your front door. I know we all love a good before and after, so let’s just get that out of the way up front. The front of our house seriously lacks personality and curb appeal. That was another reason I wanted to paint the door STAT. The door used to be hidden behind a storm door. We removed the storm door partially because we rarely used it and mostly because it was broken and would let bugs into the house… hence leading to the rarely using it. Plus I wanted to be able to see my gorgeous red door from the street!

The front porch is nice and big. But there is a huge space to the right of our front door that was drawing a lot of attention, simply because it was so empty. I’m still working on that, but the first step was to tackle the door. It was a lovely shade of hunter green with bright brassy hardware. Our first stop was at Home Depot to pick up some paint chips. I was actually quite surprised by the lack of bright reds there were. I grabbed all of them. See how many there are?? 4. I taped them all to the door and lived with them there for about 2 weeks until I picked one.  We decided on a luscious shade of red called Red Delicious by Glidden. Make sure when you buy your paint that you get an exterior paint since your door will be exposed to the elements. Start by removing all the hardware from your door. Tape off the hardware holes from the inside of the door so the sanding dust won’t get inside your house. Then sand down your door with 120 grit sandpaper. Focus on any imperfections to get it nice and smooth.

Wipe down your door with a wet cloth to remove all the sanding dust. Then prime your door. I used my favorite Kilz latex primer. I did only 1 coat but, in hindsight, I should have done 2 since I was going red. This is the way you paint your door. The order does make a difference. Doing it in this order will result in a nice and smooth finish. The other key is a high-density foam roller. So here is how you do it: Repeat this for as many coats as needed for good coverage. Red is particularly hard to get good coverage so my door took 7 coats. Hence why I wish I had done 2 coats of primer. Give the door a good 2+ hours to dry before you close it. Otherwise the door can stick to the weather stripping. If you don’t have a storm door… great! We just had to unscrew a bunch of screws to remove it. Fill in any holes with wood filler and sand smooth once dry. I would love to replace all the hardware but that isn’t on the bill quite yet. So instead, me and my bestie {spray paint} went to town on all the hardware.