Exterior house painting is expensive, especially if you have a period building and want to bring out the best in the building’s architecture to enhance the value of your home.  So what is the best strategy? [Click on title of this post to expand article]

The building that we are working on has three stories.  Labor is the labor and after you’ve factored in the scaffolding cost, my recommendation would be to go with the best possible grade paint because you want it to last.

A Rainbow of Color Choices

The best advice I can give you is to look at the period of the house.  If it is a Victorian then there are color guides that let’s you know the types of colors that were used that is appropriate. The next consideration is whether you are drawn to a combination of light colors or dark colors–but here’s the rub–unless your house is standalone and with acreage around it, you’ll want to pay attention to what your neighbors are doing.  There is something to be said about communities that require aesthetic guidelines, and there is nothing worse when a neighbor does an atrocious color without consideration of how it would blend in with the block.

The more color combination you have for the project, the more the cost, so don’t go crazy with the choices.  There are color consultants that you can hire that do recommendations and make color charts for painters to follow–their fees ranges anywhere from $150 to $400.  If you trust us, then we do it as part of the job.

What brand of paint is best?

There are many brands…from Kelly Moore, Sherwin Williams, ICI (now Glidden), Pratt & Lambert, etc. and a dizzying array of colors and paint grades offered.  On this particular project, the front gets a southern exposure and non-stop sunlight.  So, we initially looked into oil based primer and paint thinking that it would withstand the sun better.  But after talking to several professional painters and paint stores, we elected to go with a high quality latex paint because the lead has been legislated out of oil paint and although better for the environment, it made the quality of oil based paints less effective.

After doing some web research, painters and contractors alike seem to rave about Sherwin Williams Duration paint which runs about $50/gallon.  Luckily, Sherwin Williams just had a 25% sale which saved us a bundle.  We also opted for a better grade latex primer.

Russian Hill Paint Project

This is a three-story building that is part Victorian meets art deco.  The top part of the building has nice architectural elements–from dental moldings to rosettes.  The lower part of the building had a more deco vibe.  The goal is to tie the two styles in better.

Architectural elements.

The bottom half of the building had a stair-stepped stucco corbel of sorts so I found a corbel that was more classic and cut into part of the old one.  We decided to cut the old stack rather than removing it because the nature of stucco is that it would be impossible to patch once it is cut away.  Luckily, we were able to find a corbel that was the correct width.  The new look is more in keeping with the period of the house.

An old light fixture for the entrance way was removed and relocated out towards the steps by a foot.  The new fixture is black with amber glass.  The house numbers were also removed and replaced by glass decals that adhere to the transom windows above the door to complete the transformation.

Next, the old address numbers were taken down and we designed window decals with period appropriate fonts and had them made.  These were placed onto the transom above the door.  The result of this work is a new, stunning Victorian…view the gallery