Here's How to Choose the Right Paint For Your Porch Painting Project

ECOS 07/30/2018
exterior porch paint

If you're looking for a creative painting project to take on this summer, focusing on your home's porch or deck can offer a new look for the entire home. Before you begin, however, it's important to know some basic tips, especially if you've never tackled this type of exterior painting project before. Want to know how to paint a porch or deck? These basic tips are a great place to start.

Know the Different Types of Exterior Paints
Picking out paint for your porch or deck painting project isn't always easy, but it helps to know about the basic types of exterior paints. Exterior porch paint comes in three main varieties: oil-based, latex-based, and alkyd-based. Oil-based paints are more durable but take longer to try when applied to the surface. They also typically have stronger fumes. Latex-based paints dry faster but can sometimes peel if the surface is improperly prepared. Alkyd-based paints have longer drying times and emit more fumes.

Whichever type of paint you choose, consider investing in a low VOC variety. In a recent study, participants spent six full work days in an environmentally-controlled office space at the TIEQ lab at the Syracuse Center of Excellence. In this space, VOC levels were reduced to approximately 50 micrograms per cubic meter and 40 cubic feet per minute of outdoor air per person. They found that, on average, cognitive scores were 101% higher than in conventional workspaces. Even though VOC exposure may be minimal since it's an outdoor project, you never know if spending time on your porch after project completion may have negative health effects.

Choose the Right Color Scheme
When considering colors for your exterior porch paint, you have several options. You can create a unified look using the same paint color as your trim, you can use complementary colors to make your home truly stand out. Blue and orange, red and green, and purple and yellow are just a few color match examples.

"When complementary colors are paired together, each color looks brighter. Pairing the traditional complementary colors together may make your porch look a little too bright. Instead, choose variations of the colors in order to create a more subtle and subdued look," writes Sue Lynn Carty on lovetoknow.

Ultimately, choosing the right paint color is the key to maximizing the potential of your porch painting project. For more information about exterior porch paints, contact Ecos Paints.

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