Choosing an exterior paint? Trust your local painters at Crash of Rhinos

Is it time to re-paint your stucco home here in the Phoenix area? Crash of Rhinos is one of the most trusted names in painting here in the Valley. When you need local painters you can turn to for helpful advice and great service, we’re here for you.

We handle every step of the home exterior painting process, from removing old paint and prep work to applying coats and repairing damaged surfaces. The only thing you need to do is decide what color you want.

This may seem like the easiest part of the job, but it’s actually a lot harder than you might think! In this blog post, we’ll walk you through what you need to think about when choosing an exterior paint color—and how Crash of Rhinos can help.

The best place to start is with our FREE estimate. To get started, give us a call at (602) 540-7471, or fill out the form.

Step #1: Choosing a quality paint

Before you can even start to think about colors, you really need to think about the paint itself. Too many homeowners we talk to think that all paint is the same. Trust us, your local painters: it’s not, and picking the wrong type or brand of paint could lead to future headaches.

For example, some brands of paint are perfect for places like Boston or Seattle, where summer temperatures are mild and days are overcast. Those paints don’t do so well, however, here in Phoenix, where the scorching sun bakes the paint and it’s exposed to sunshine almost every day of the year.

There are three things people should think about when it comes to paint:

Ease of application

Some paints provide full cover after just one coat, while others require several coats in order to be fully applied. The difference is in the quality of the pigments they contain. Choosing a paint containing the proper pigments will save you on the amount of paint used.

Durability

The next concern is how long the paint is going to last. The solids (the remains on the wall after the paint has dried) play a major role in the durability of the paint. The higher percentage of solids there is (over 45% is better), the more dense and durable the coating.

Resistance to climate

The change of seasons, such as from summer to winter, may cause some serious problems to the exterior of your home if the paint is not of the right quality.

The paints which have a capability to endure these kinds of weather changes are the ones with an all-acrylic binder. The binder is what holds the pigments together and provides the right protection from the outside environment.

(If all this paint jargon is too much, check out this useful glossary from Dunn-Edwards!)

We’re proud to be your local painters and we use Dunn-Edwards

At Crash of Rhinos, we use Dunn-Edwards paints because it meets or exceeds the three standards listed above. Unlike some paints, Dunn-Edwards is specially formulated to stand up to lots of sunshine and heat. It’s perfect for the exterior of stucco homes here in Phoenix.

Step #2: Rule out colors that aren’t the right fit

**Consider what won’t be changing about your home’s exterior**

Pay attention to elements like the roof, the chimney, the driveway ,and any stone and brick features on your home that won’t be painted. What color are they? Their color should play a determining role in your choice of colors.

For example, if a part of the façade is made of stone, use a similar color, so that you can achieve visual harmony.

If the roof has an intense color (like terra-cotta), choose a more neutral color for the exterior. Be careful not to accent any unappealing elements like the downspouts or the air conditioners.

Pay attention to the landscaping

The landscape and the surroundings of your house can have great influence on what your exterior color looks like. Do you have trees with colorful blossoms, flowering shrubs or green plantings? Their color may have a beautiful impact on your exterior.

What does your HOA allow?

If your neighborhood has an HOA, you should start by finding out what colors they allow you to paint your house. The last thing you want to do is have your local painters finish up the work, only to get slapped with a non-compliance fine from your association.

Ok, but where to start? You don’t even know who runs the HOA! With Crash of Rhinos’ professional paint advisor services, we make this easy. We handle communicating with your HOA for you. We’ll find out the allowed colors and present them to you as options.

Here in Phoenix, historic homes don’t have restrictions on the color they can be painted, unless otherwise regulated by an HOA. Still, the city’s Historic Preservation Office has some tips for selecting a color and treatment.

Speaking of unique neighborhoods…

Even if you don’t have an HOA, don’t ignore the neighboring homes

Not having an HOA may seem like a green light to paint your home neon orange, but you should also think about what fits the neighborhood. Even if you love neon orange, no one is going to buy such an eyesore—and your neighbors will probably stop inviting you to the block party out of pure hatred! (Read more on how paint impacts home values)

Look for an already established color pattern in the neighborhood. You don’t need to imitate the exact colors used by your neighbors. You just need to be in the same ballpark. Crash of Rhinos can help you find similar colors that give your home its individual style.

By doing this, your local painters will help your house blend in with the neighborhood while still preserving your right to paint your house in a color or shade that you like.

Step #3: Hire local painters who help you visualize the color

Ok, so you’ve now ruled out many colors, and you’re down to your top 3. Great! Now, how do you know which color will look right on the exterior of your home?

That’s where we come in. Our professional paint advisor services can help you select the right color by:

Getting color palettes for you to review
Preparing digital renderings for you to review
Testing a swatch on your home’s exterior.

Preparing color palettes

We’ll only present you with colors that are in compliance with the rules of your HOA and match what you’re interested in, as well as the colors of the neighborhood. This will help you narrow down which color you want to try out.

Seeing a digital preview

As part of every free estimate we provide, we take pictures of your home that can be later used to create real-to-life digital renderings of your home and what it will look like painted.

These digital renderings can help you further narrow down your color choices, or even fall in love with a particular color. But, they’re no substitute for…

Seeing what it looks like in the real world

As part of your consultation, Crash of Rhinos can paint a test swatch on your home, somewhere inconspicuous. This swatch of color will help you see what the color looks like in “real life” and in realistic lighting conditions. After all, one color can look different in the bright light of morning than it does in the shadows of the late afternoon.

Step #4: Make your final selection and let your local painters get to work!

Once you’ve picked your favorite paint color, it’s time for the Crash of Rhinos team to take things from there! With our thorough painting process, your new favorite color will be on your home’s exterior in no time.

Everything starts with our FREE estimate. To schedule yours, call us at (602) 540-7471, or request a visit from us.