by Deborah Stephenson

Created on: December 20, 2008   Last Updated: March 21, 2011

Sometimes it does not take the driving force of fashion or even necessity to send you to the local DIY store for a can of the latest color exterior paint - you just want a change!

However, before heading out to shop, you should do some homework. First, try to discover what kind of exterior paint is already on your house. Using dissimilar paints may cause problems later. According to paint experts, good quality latex exterior paint may be used over oil-based layers, (with proper surface preparation) but never the reverse. They also recommend that when dealing with multiple layers of oil-based paint, you continue to use oil based paint, since latex can have a softening effect that could lift underlying layers and cause peeling. Consult a good painting "how-to" guide to determine what you should do to prepare the surface. There is an excellent primer on The Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute website

http://www.paintquality.com/faq/Exterior/latexpaints .html, or you can get help directly from paint manufacturers, as pamphlets - available through most home centers.

Begin by going outside. Is the paint on your house faded? Is it peeling? If you answered yes, you probably need an all over re-paint. If your exterior paint is merely dirty, wash it, then look again. If the paint seems acceptable, consider doing only the trim, or perhaps highlight doors, windows or other details with a complimentary color. Often a bright new coat on smaller features will turn drab exteriors into something eye-catching, or render architectural flaws happily invisible.

Consider style, age and condition of your house. Historic homes may require research into historically appropriate schemes. (It may even violate codes to veer too far from tradition, so check before you grab that can of flamingo pink exterior paint!) On the other hand, if you are the lucky owner of a Victorian Painted Lady in a non-historic quarter, you will find an inspiring channel for your creativity in all that "gingerbread". If your home is architecturally uninspiring, daring color combinations will give it punch. Tone down over-the-top color schemes with conservative re-touching. Lighter colors will visually enlarge small houses, while dark colors make them appear smaller. Color also brings together or separates space. Sprawling older homes look more homogenous with fewer exterior paint colors, while boxy modern exteriors can be interesting using more extensive palettes.

The color challenged, can look through paint

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