Color Trend or Color Right

Trendy colors change like the shift of the wind. Today it’s (Benjamin Moore) ‘Desert Twilight’, tomorrow it’s ‘Ocean Air’ and who knows what next year will be. You may be on the search for that trendy color for your siding or stucco walls. You want your front door to feel inviting giving your guest that warm embrace. Color trend may change but your surface will exist for more than a lifetime. Let me give you something to consider when selecting colors other than trend. Have you thought about if the color is right? What if I said you can promote longevity in your exterior paint through color or even save on your electric bill? Would you believe me if I said color could actually damage your front door or siding? Well it true!

Warping and Cracking
A dark color can warp a front door or vinyl siding. Some door manufacturers will even void warranties if painted in a dark color. The surface can experience extreme heats for long periods causing the surface to warp and flex more than what it was designed for. I have seen basketball size warpage on a front door and have experienced siding warp and pull itself off the building. Those can be dangerous if the siding is above your head. If you have wood siding or fascia board. A dark color can also warp wood and/or cause the wood to crack and split.

Longevity
Dark color can cause your coating to age faster than the life expectancy of the coating. You could also experience color fadeing faster than normal. The surface experiences extreme heat causeing the coating to work harder, expanding and contracting as temperatures rise and fall. This breaks down the coating at a faster rate compared to a lighter color.

Energy Efficient
Dark color attracts heat from the sun, heating up the surface faster than a lighter color would. This can cause your structure to rise in temperature causing problems as I mentioned above. When everything heats up on the exterior so will your interior. You might find your AC working harder to keep up with your desired temperature, rising temps come with higher cost.

Color Right
Can I take a guess on what you may be thinking? “So I’m supposed to have a white house!” Though white seems to be a trend in todays modern designs, NO! You don’t have to stick to white. Both Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams have ‘vinyl safe’ color charts. There is a wide variety of colors to pick from. Colors like (Benjamin Moore) Monroe Bisque, November Rain, Harbor Haze or Light Mocha all are great colors to help promote longevity and energy efficiency. Try and use those colors as a gauge, any darker can cause issues I describe. Lighter colors are OK and can be even better on some surfaces.

I hope I gave you something to think about when selecting colors. Many color articles talk about architectural color trends, forgetting if the color is right for the surface being applied on. I wanted to touch on what the expectancy of applying dark colors in certain conditions and substrates.