INDIANAPOLIS — October, and fall in general, is ideal for painting your house because the weather in Indiana generally offers better conditions for a new coat of paint to dry without brush marks and adhere to your house.
But before you paint, make sure the color you pick will look the way you like it once it dries. Pat Sullivan from Sullivan Hardware and Garden recommends starting with an array of paint chips that show you colors that coordinate with each other. Then try some samples on the back of your house (because too many neighbors will offer "advice" on what looks best if you do your test strips on the front!). Observe how those colors look at different times of the day, in sun and shade.
Know that a flat finish will hide more imperfections in your siding if it has a rough finish. Save the glossy finishes for your shutters and trim. And consider a bolder color for your front door.
Once you pick the colors, Pat recommends that you don't get in a hurry to slap it on your house and show it off to the neighborhood.
Do. Your. Prep. Work.
That means washing your house with a good product, and scraping and sanding areas that are showing wear. Re-caulking doors and windows will upgrade your energy efficiency by blocking drafts this winter.
Don't forget to prime the areas you've stripped and sanded.
Watch Pat's Sunday Sunrise segment in the video player for more of his fall home painting advice.