With a couple of long weekends and statutory days ahead of us my husband has decided to set aside some time to refresh the outside of our home.
The aim is to keep the neighbours happy but also for us to enjoy entertaining at our home more too. But where do we start and what should we focus on first?
Newshub enlists the help of Resene tech expert Jay Sharples, and Resene colour consultant Sarah Gregory to give us their best tips.
1. Most impact in quickest amount of time
For Jay it’s easy. His advice is to wash your house first! “People will wash their car once a week/month but rarely wash their biggest asset,” he says.
"Avoid water-blasting and instead go for the soft wash approach. If you have a taller home, get an extendable pole with a soft bristle brush on the end that connects to a hose. Using this with Resene Paint Prep and Housewash and/or Resene Moss & Mould Killer can make a big difference to the overall appearance of your house. Regular cleaning can help extend the life of your paint system, it also gives you a chance to notice and fix any issues early."
"During washing look out for paint break down, or areas that are back to a bare substrate. If you fix these straight away it is generally a smaller and cheaper job. Leaving it can result in substrate damage and a bigger, more expensive job," he says.
"Areas on an angle to the sun and sharp edges break down more quickly so require more regular maintenance."
2. Pick one area to focus on and do a good job
"This year personally I’m working on my deck/entertaining area," Jay says. "I will be cleaning and re-staining my deck. Wood stains need to be re-applied every two to three summers depending on location and exposure. It is good to keep on top of this to keep the timber protected," he says.
Clean the timber down with Resene Timber & Deck Wash first then apply Resene Woodsman Decking Oil Stain. This also works well for weatherboards and fences too.
3. Colours that work well in a natural outdoor setting
Resene colour consultant Sarah Gregory says in her opinion any colour works well with nature, except for some neon tones!
"Just think of a country meadow with wildflowers of all colours, beautiful and cheerful. When using colour in your garden you can use one accent colour or mix up three to five colours for interest," she says.
"Colours that pop are the best to use outside as accents - fresh yellows like Resene Turbo or Resene Wild Thing, pinks Resene XOXO or Resene BFF, orange always looks great against the natural green in the garden either bright orange like Resene Clockwork Orange or a softer tone such as Resene Sunbaked. Blue is also a fresh popular choice in the garden, Resene Bowie and Resene She’ll Be right are worth trying."
She says the same rules apply for inside and outside your home - "it’s all about colour, balance, proportion and placement."
4. Refresh your home for yourself or for others?
This depends on your circumstances but Jay says more recently Aucklanders are refreshing to enjoy their own home so there is a larger range of colour going out the door.
"A few years ago, when everyone was selling their houses the colours were much more neutral," he says.
5. Add personality
Even if you’re going for a mainly neutral colour palette, always make sure you add some personality so your home doesn’t blend into the neighbours. An easy way to do this is a boldly coloured front door to welcome in guests. Use a high gloss finish, such as Resene Enamacryl, to accentuate the colour.
6. Any other expert summer colour tips or inspiring ideas?
Jay says don’t paint or stain in direct sun, work on the shaded sides of the house or erect a gazebo.
"Use Resene Hot Weather Additive, this helps with the flow of the paint and helps maintain a wet edge."
Overall the Resene team agrees on one thing - don’t be afraid of colour!
If you’re planning on getting busy outside this summer, and are searching for some cool colour style tips and tricks, visit Resene or check out the online inspiration gallery with exterior project ideas from kiwi homeowners.
This article is created for Resene
