Fencing, deck and railings important, too:
Exterior painting includes more than the house

Doing a quality paint job on your home’s exterior is a great first step in sprucing up your abode. But don’t stop there if you want a complete home makeover.

Experts at The Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute say that, for better or worse, the condition of your fencing, deck, railings and other outdoor surfaces can have a big effect on the appearance of your home. Fortunately, painting these “satellite” elements is typically a lot easier and far less expensive than painting the whole exterior of the house.

To determine what parts of your property may need painting, it’s necessary to make a brutally honest appraisal. Conduct a walk-around inspection of your home’s exterior, taking notes as you go. A second set of eyes helps, so have your spouse or a friend participate.

As you do your inspection, keep in mind that with modern paints and coatings, almost every surface can be painted to provide protection and a refreshed appearance – not just wood, but also stucco, vinyl, aluminum, fiber cement, ferrous metals, and many more. How-to information is available on the Internet, where one of the most helpful web sites for DIYers is www.paintquality.com.

Some potential candidates for painting may include gutters, downspouts, railings and decks. You may also want to examine window frames and muntins, steps, entry doors and metal light fixtures. Note where repairs are needed, and have these done before painting is begun.

Your inspection may also include latticework, wood or metal outdoor furniture, swing sets, picnic tables, lamp posts, mailboxes and almost anything else on your property that doesn’t need pruning or cutting.

According to the experts, a whole-house painting assessment and paint freshening regimen offers both practical and aesthetic benefits. Doing several similar projects at the same time (for example, painting metal railings, furniture and lamp posts) usually makes the work go more quickly and may be more cost-effective, since larger cans of primer and paint cost comparatively less. And using the same paint or stain on multiple projects helps impart a more harmonious appearance to your home.

The final piece of advice from the experts at the Paint Quality Institute may be the most important: Whatever the nature of your exterior projects, be sure to do thorough surface preparation, and use only the highest quality paints and coatings. That’s the best way to ensure that you’ll get the best-looking, longest-lasting results.