Tips for a Fresh Coat of Curb Appeal
(ARA) - With summer around the corner, why not increase your
home's curb appeal and potential resale value by painting your
house? A freshly painted house is aesthetically pleasing
and creates an inviting first impression. However, getting the
painting process started goes beyond selecting a suitable color
that will provide years of enjoyment. Painting
is an investment and is your home's first line of defense
against the elements. It is important to select the most appropriate
exterior paint in terms of long-lasting protection.
ICI Paints is a leading provider of world-class paint
brands such as Glidden, Ralph Lauren and the newly introduced
This Old House paint. With more than 100 years of technological
paint expertise, ICI Paints offers these five suggestions
for selecting exterior paint.
Durability: Paint should withstand harsh weather
conditions without fading. Selecting a 100 percent acrylic
latex formula that resists peeling, cracking and fading in
all weather conditions is ideal.
Mildew and Algae Resistant Coating: It's important
to select a paint that protects against both mildew and algae
as is found in This Old House paint. Folks tend to assume
that these are the same organisms, when they are not. Algae
can grow on an inert surface because it only needs water and
sunlight to grow (it can even grow on glass), while mildew
needs organic food such as sugar from wood or oil from paint
to develop. Read labels carefully. Many paints offer only
mildew protection.
Ease of Application: Look for a paint that can save
you time and deliver a professional-looking appearance. An
ideal solution would be a thick, one-coat paint that delivers
the same quality finish as two or more coats.
This Old House paint is formulated to ensure that
the paint applies smoothly over rough surfaces by providing
the perfect balance of flow and sag resistance. This paint
resists dripping both on the brush and on the surface, which
saves paint, overall paint strokes and time.
High-hiding Pure White Finish: Select a paint that
provides exceptional hiding. Hiding refers to the paint's
ability to obscure the surface over which it has been applied,
and it is achieved by the paint's pigment, binder properties
and thickness. Many paints use gray toning to achieve hide
which can create a dull and gray finish. Choosing a paint
with a pure white base ensures that you can achieve advanced
hide without visible gray tinting. A brilliant white finish
achieved via hide is especially important when painting your
house white or a light color such as yellow.
Color: Choosing a color should reflect your style
and make the most of your home's features. Begin the selection
process by thinking about what type of house you own. Certain
architectural styles demand different color palettes, tones
and schemes. Think about the color of homes that neighbor
yours. Also consider the natural elements that surround your
house and how they look year-round. Nearby foliage might help
you choose accent or trim colors. This Old House paint provides
regional color cards as a tool that offers inspiration and
up-to-date color schemes that reflect different regions of
the country, from Urban Eclectic to Southwest Adventure.
If you are interested in matching a historic hue consider
This Old House paint. The paint line's color palette
includes 320 colors, 33 of which are marked as "historical"
to reflect hues that closely match colors that were popular
in the early 20th century.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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