Painting your trim can have bigger impact on the look and value of your home than you realize – but people often overlook this simple upgrade. We’ve gathered a few tips to help you get started if you want to paint your trim and shutters:
- While people tend to choose flat colors for siding, gloss or semi-gloss paints are often chosen for trim and shutters. This is because glossy paint will bring out the details, which you would want to avoid on the walls to minimize nicks and scratches – but could be great to emphasize your shutters.
- Gutters, downspouts, and elements like that that should be painted a similar color as the siding, to help them fade into the house.
- Shutters and window sashes are generally the darkest colors in the color scheme. This helps them to stand out and frame the windows.
- Make sure you get the correct kind of paint for the surface you are considering. For example, an oil based paint will bond to a tin gutter better than other choices. You may end up with several different bases for the different surfaces that you’re painting. Check out the guide on exterior paint from Sherwin-Williams to see some choices.
- Spring is a great time for exterior painting. Most paint won’t dry below 50 degrees, so these warmer days are great for your paint setting – but you also get a pleasant day to be outside too.
- If you choose several color variations to paint your trim, there’s a simple rule of thumb that painters follow. Use darker color variations toward the first floor of the house, and use lighter variations when you paint your trim toward the top of your house. If you flip this principle and use lighter paints near the bottom and darker paints as you go up, your house can look top-heavy.
If you’re still not feeling up to painting your trim, or need some help picking colors, give us a call for a consultation!