If you are considering having your home’s outbuildings and shelters painted (e.g. garages, sheds, pool houses, cabanas), read these tips from Blue Chip Painting – your professional Surrey painters. Outbuilding interiors and exteriors require similar treatments and maintenance as your home – with some differences. It’s a good idea to consult a painting company that has experience painting a variety of exterior materials (wood, aluminium, and vinyl for example) and can therefore guide you to the right choices for your outbuilding painting project.
Outbuilding Painting Tips
Colour choice, surface preparation and maintenance are the primary considerations when painting outbuildings.
Colour choices
What colour to paint your Surrey home’s outbuilding is always a personal choice. There are two distinct approaches – each with their own merits. When painting any part of your home, one word comes to mind: “unity”. In some way, the colours you choose should provide some unity between your home and outbuildings. That unity can be subtle or obvious.
The “mini-home” or “family” effect, where outbuildings use the same siding and trim colour as their adjacent “parent” home, is a sure-fire way to achieve unity. This is the safest choice, though the bolder among you may find the approach a little too safe or stale.
The “contrasting outbuilding with unifying accents” effect can provide a little “excitement” if the “mini-home” effect doesn’t appeal to you. An example is a home with a white exterior and touches of blue-grey trim that has outbuilding(s) with blue-grey siding and touches of white trim. The outbuildings, with main and accent colours the reverse of the “parent” home will still look like part of the family, while having their own distinct, bold character.
Paint choices
Acrylic paint will work for wood, aluminium and vinyl. The biggest difference in painting these types of materials is in the preparation.
Surface preparation
Proper surface preparation is the key to any long-lasting paint job. Some Surrey painters neglect this important aspect of the work to save time. Blue Chip Painting takes great care to ensure that all surfaces are properly prepared prior to painting.
Aluminium doesn’t rust, but it does corrode. When aluminium corrodes, its surface may become coated with a chalky substance that must be cleaned up by spraying or power washing (or scrubbing with TSP and then spraying/power washing). After the aluminium is clean, it should be treated with water-based acrylic bonding primer prior to painting.
Woods should be cleaned and treated with preservative-sealant. Once the sealant is dry, wood should be primed.
Vinyl should be hosed down, wiped clean and primed.
For all outbuildings, regardless of the material they are made from, the following preparation is recommended:
- Wash or spray the exterior, removing dust, dirt, spider webs and debris.
- Remove peeling paint. Be very careful doing so on vinyl or aluminium because the wrong technique can easily scratch the surface.
- Check caulking for cracks and mold. Remove old caulking when necessary and re-caulk as needed. Caulk where two edges meet: where siding meets doors or windows, around windows and vents.
- Clear the bottom edge of your outbuildings so they are free of grass, dirt and debris. This provides access for painting or staining and helps prevent problems from moisture (wood rot, mold and corrosion).
Painting Your Surrey Home’s Outbuildings? Receive a Free Estimate!
As you can see, painting outbuildings requires knowledge and skill. If you are considering hiring a Surrey, BC painting company to paint your home’s outbuildings, receive a free interior and exterior painting quote.