Painting the Exterior of Your Home: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Here are some Exterior Painting FAQ from our customers here on the Central Coast: 

Q: What does it cost for paint? 

A: A gallon can range from $12 to more than $100! Higher cost paints have better-quality and better additives, binders, solvents and minerals, which help the longevity and durability of the paint job. (check out the blog post "Ingredience of Paint")

Q: Hire a pro or DIY?

A: Anyone can slap paint on the wall! But doing a complete exterior is a big deal and requires not just painting, but lots and lots of preparation work! If you don't have patience for prep work or you are afraid of being on a ladder, you might want to hire a pro. (Check out a great DIY blog post we recently did on "5 Preparation Tips on Painting the Exterior of your Home" and if you are going to hire a pro, here are some tips on hiring a contractor.)

Q: When to Paint?

A: Here on the Central Coast the weather is pretty much the same year round and it's always a good temperature. The prime temperature for painting is between 50 and 90 degrees and low humidity. 

Q: How long should the paint job last?

A: It all depends on what type of paint you use and what it's applied to. Two coats of top notch paint on stucco should last a lifetime and on wood 20-30 years. If you use cheap paint, it will last years less. 

Here are just some questions I get. If you would like more questions answered, email me at noah@newlifepainting.com 

New Life Painting was established on the Central Coast of California, and services Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, Nipomo, Orcutt, Los Osos, Los Alamos, Santa Ynez, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, Oceano, Morro Bay, Grover Beach, 5 Cities, and all areas on the Central Coast. Call us at 805-NEW-LIFE (805-639-5433) if you would like our skilled painters to do this project for you.

How to Pick your Sheen

There are generally 3-4 sheens that paint companies carry and a paints gloss or lack of gloss does not only just change the way your home looks, it affects the way the paint performs over a long period of time. On the Central Coast, we at New Life Painting usually have three sheens we like to use and have set surfaces that we recommend when painting your home. The three sheens we are referring to is flat, stain or eggshell, and semi-gloss. 

1.) Flat: This is best for wood siding that gets a lot of sun and heat which allows for the wood to breath more. Here on the central coast, where the weather is cold and overcast in the nights and mornings, and sunny and warm during the days, the painted wood is constantly expanding and contracting. If the wood cannot breath, the paint is more than likely going to crack and peel. 

Recommended surfaces: wood siding.

2.) Satin/Eggshell: This is best for our stucco homes on the Central Coast. This low reflective sheen is good for hiding surface imperfections, reflects dirt better, and is easier to wash. It is still durable like flat and it also fights against moisture. 

Recommended surfaces: stucco, fascia, eaves, and trim. 

3.) Semi-Gloss: Dirt-repellent, lots of resin, adds richness to colors, and perfect for doors, shutters, and jambs. It also requires a skillful painter. The downside to this sheen, is if you put it on wood that gets a lot of sun, it would cause cracking and peeling.

Recommended surfaces: doors, shutters, and jambs. 

If you have any questions about picking out sheens, call the professional painters at New Life Painting at 805-NEW-LIFE.

New Life Painting serves Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, Nipomo, Orcutt, Los Osos, Los Alamos, Santa Ynez, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, Oceano, Morro Bay, Grover Beach, 5 Cities, and all areas on the Central Coast.

4 Tips on How to Choose the Right Exterior Color

Homeowners on the Central Coast have a hard time choosing a color, and I don't blame them. The colors on the exterior is what everyone looks at when they drive up to your home and first impressions are everything. We would love to give you 4 tips on how to choose the right exterior color. If you are still having trouble with picking a color, as a service provided by New Life Painting, we will send a professional colorist to help you pick the right color! Gredsa Johnson with Chic Interiors does such a great job when helping out our customers and she's passionate about what she does!

Here are the 4 tips:

1.) House: Pick complements to colors that already exsist on your home. Things such as bricks on your foundation, the color of your roof, or what color your concrete is.

2.) Neighborhood: Check out the block you live on. You want your home to stand out but in a good way. If you're in a neighborhood of beige and gray, you don't want to go with bright pink.

3.) Landscape: Play off the landscape you have around the home. If you have tons of trees and lots of shade, it wouldn't be a bad idea to go with a light green.

4.) Weather: The more the intense sun you get from mother nature (the more south you go), use bright and saturated colors that won't appear washed out in the harsh light.

I hope this helps you out when choosing a color. If you have any questions, call the professional painters at New Life Painting at 805-937-9836.

New Life Painting serves Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, Nipomo, Orcutt, Los Osos, Los Alamos, Santa Ynez, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, Oceano, Morro Bay, Grover Beach, 5 Cities, and all areas on the Central Coast.

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Coordinating Paint and Furniture

In order to create a room that is balanced, stylish, and harmonious, consider a design that integrates all of the aspects of your space. Do you have a special item or piece of furniture that you want to highlight? A special couch, rug, vase or painting can be the beginning point for a wonderfully colorful room.

If you are working from a multicolored item, like a painting or a patterned carpet, it works very nicely to choose one of the less dominant colors and use it elsewhere in the room. You could choose curtains, trim, a door or even an accent wall in the matching color. This will bring harmony to the room and make your item stand out.

Another effective technique, best when you have a solid-color piece of furniture to match, is to make it stand out by contrast. If you have a boldly colored couch or vase, a complementary (opposite) colored wall will put it to best advantage. A neutral background, such as tan, gray, white or beige, will also have a similar effect. If your furniture is a neutral color, try bringing it out by painting the walls boldly behind it.

For any interior color and design ideas you may have, contact New Life Painting at 805-NEW-LIFE to perfect your ideas and have them turned into reality!

5 Preparation Tips on Painting the Exterior of your Home

If your are a DIY'er and want to conquer painting the exterior of your home, I want to give you 5 crucial tips on how to do so. Now, doing the exterior is not for the faint of heart and if you don't have time to do it during the weekday, you may be doing it over several weekends. A good paint job will last anywhere from 15 to 20 years. Having a paint job last this long depends on several factors: quality of the paint being applied, the substrate, but most importantly – PREPARATION PREPARATION PREPARATION! Proper preparation is the single most important part of any painting project. Any professional painter should be able to explain exactly what is going to take place during this process. Preparation is most of the labor on the job and the most important part to the outcome of the job! Here are 4 Tips when painting the exterior of the home:

1.) Power Wash/Clean your home: This is the first thing to do and one of the most important! The substrate has to be clean and if your home is still chalky and dirty, your job will fail.  

2.) Scrape and Sand: Remove all loose paint and loose coatings. You can do this by scraping with a puddy knife and sand paper. If loose coats are present, your job will fail. 

3.) Caulking: Caulk all joints, cracks, gaps, transitions with premium acrylic caulk. This prevents moisture from infiltrating the substrate.   

4.) Prime: Priming all bare areas which include newly installed wood and the areas that you scraped and sanded. 

5.) Cover and Mask: Mask all your landscape, your windows, doors, sidewalks, furniture, fixtures, and necessary areas that are appropriate from over-spray and paint drips. 

These tips are crucial when painting the exterior of your home and remember, preparation is everything and if you are going to spend the time painting your home, spend the time prepping. If you have any questions, call the professional painters at New Life Painting at 805-937-9836. 

New Life Painting serves Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo, Nipomo, Orcutt, Los Osos, Los Alamos, Santa Ynez, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach, Avila Beach, Oceano, Morro Bay, Grover Beach, 5 Cities, and all areas on the Central Coast.