skip to main content

exterior paint - red fades?

13 years ago

We were leaning towards painting our new home red with cream trim. I think it's charming and we are so sick of seeing all the houses in the same color of drab. But we've been told that it's really going to fade and definitely don't want a pink house. Also, I wonder if it will be just "too much".

The other option I like is a deep, warm gray with white trim and an orange door. I think the trim and door will give it some pop, but I feel a little like we gave up and assimilated.

Featured Answer

paintguy1

13 years ago

Unless you are thinking about a clean fire engine red, most exterior reds tend to use red oxide - like a country redwood. Red is fine as long as it doesn't rely on the organic red pigment that Faron is referring to. Besides, you are just moving in, kinda silly to be worried about reselling unless you are planning on doing so. Paint it the colors you want to come home to and accept that in 8-10 years, it will need to be repainted either by you or the next owner.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

Faron79
13 years ago
I've been in the "paint world" for goin'-on 10 yrs. now (upscale independant retailer), and I wouldn't do it!

It MAY hurt resale as well...people just looking at it, and thinking, "Jeez, we're not even thru the front door, and we've gotta repaint the house"!
I kinda like the idea myself...BUT...it is what it is...a potential deal-breaker.

Yes, fading is a lot faster in Reds, due to the artificial manufacture of those type of pigments. They don't have near the Opacity (hiding power), and the fade is faster relative to "Earth-based" pigments like Whites, Umbers, Red & Yellow-oxides, etc.

Bottom-line: In 5 years, your S & W sides will be a different color than the N & E sides!
* Sooooo.....there's a reason you hardly ever see a Red house....
* Red trims and doors...YES definitely! Broad areas....Ummmm....No.

Faron
shakalaka
Original Author
13 years ago
Thank you Faron
Related Discussions
the elusive 'old red' exterior paint color
Q
Comments (6)
My experience with Old Village paints has been excellent. I live in coastal Maine where we get everything from -20 to 95 degrees with snow, sleet, rain and the occasional hurricane. Our siding is rough sawn pine clapboards that had a previous BM solid body stain. No complaints with BM, but we were so impressed with the OV paints for our interior that we gave the siding a shot. New England red draws lots of compliments from people interested in the Colonial look, and red is one of those colors that can look right on the paint chart, but, well you know the rest...
...See More
Concern with Exterior Paint Fading
Q
Comments (2)
Fading with regard to color specifically has to do with inorganic vs. organic pigments. You want inorganic. Ask the paint store. That's basically why not all colors can go exterior, that's why there are exterior color collections and interior collections. Best place to start looking for exterior color is to make sure you're in the exterior section of the color display. It's also a matter of light vs. dark. Lighter colors will last longer than darker ones. It's the whole deal with LRV, light reflectance value and TSR which is total solar reflectance. So basically if you're super worried about fading, it has to be high quality exterior color/paint and you need to choose lighter colors - like a LRV around 55-60 and up.
...See More
Need An Exterior Barn Red Paint Color ASAP!
Q
Comments (3)
Martha Stewart had a color collection with Sherwin Williams about 10 years ago. Some of the best reds -ever- in that collection. SW in general has some of the best reds ever. Sherwin Williams Colors L to R: 2914 Vermillion 2907 Scarlet 2908 Cardinal 2912 Chanticleer 2915 Sundried Tomato The best reds for exterior can be found in their old, old Exterior ColorAnswers fandeck: Red Door, Vermillion, Chanticleer, Pompeii Red, Cardinal, and more. Reds mixed exclusively for exterior use are hard to find. But I digress. Martha Stewart's Barn 8380 fits your description. SW can still mix all their old colors. Get a Color to Go jug mixed up to see the color. Double check that Barn can be used exterior with no fading, performance worries.
...See More
Repainting faded navy trim on exterior... HELP
Q
Comments (2)
Please provide pics so we can see what you see.
...See More
Faron79
13 years ago
No prob!
Sorry to be the "bearer of bad news...."

Faron
PRO
Lori A. Sawaya
13 years ago
Just have to ask at the store which reds are good for exterior. Whatever red they recommend will be based on their colorant system. SW for example has a newish red base (gloss tho) that works great for the ever so popular red front door gig but not all SW stores have it because it's really expensive.

A general rule is organic colors like red, blue, green and yellow tend to fade more quickly then inorganic colors. Inorganics are typically the earth-tone exterior colors like beiges, browns, etc. and are considered more stable - have to ask about the bolder colors, like a red, that can go exterior.

Premixed exterior colors are dwindling by the day because stores are streamlining product etc. to be more efficient. Dunn Edwards, for example, only offers a white - Swiss Coffee if I remember right. But you can sometimes find other premixed exterior colors in satin. Black and white premixed colors are still very common at almost all paint stores and you can still find a premixed ext. red, green, brown on occasion.

Really just need to shop the very best pro paint stores in your area and see what they recommend.
PRO
Christopher Nelson Wallcovering and Painting
13 years ago
Just have to ask at the store which reds are good for exterior.

I am sure funcolors ment to add a real paint store, not a big box place. Asking this kind of question @ HD or Lowe's would be like asking a brick.
PRO
Lori A. Sawaya
13 years ago
lol! Yes, chris n, that's exactly what I meant. Thank you for helping me out there. Definitely agree that you have to seek out the best pro's for those more challenging paint/color issues. Because as Faron outlined so well, red exteriors are not typical and there really are things you must consider carefully. Proceed with caution - at a real paint store! :~D

Related Stories

TRANSITIONAL HOMES Houzz Tour: Smart New Look for a Once-Faded Beauty

By Bryan Anthony

Homeowners fall in love with a 1939 Colonial Revival house in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and bring it back to life

EXTERIOR COLOR When to Paint Your Home Red

By Bud Dietrich, AIA

Bring on the energy — with red on its exterior, your home can stir up excitement in any setting

FRONT DOOR COLORS Front and Center Color: When to Paint Your Door Deep Red

By Jennifer Ott Design

Rich reds draw the eye and send an inviting message. See if one of these palettes speaks to you for your own front door

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Vintage Treasures Adorn a Faded Beauty

By Ryan Linnegar Photography

A designer brings a bold vision and love of the weird and wonderful to a 110-year-old Australian house

EXTERIOR COLOR The Joyful Exterior: Rev Up With Red

By Jennifer Ott Design

These 8 exteriors prove that red is right at home on more than just the front door

EXTERIOR COLOR Exterior Color of the Week: Rich, Fall-Friendly Reds

By Jennifer Ott Design

Look to the crimsons and burgundies of turning autumn leaves for a deep, captivating home color

FRONT DOOR COLORS Front and Center Color: When to Paint Your Door Bright Red

By Jennifer Ott Design

Welcoming and intense, a red front door kicks up a home's entryway and is impossible to miss

CURB APPEAL 5 Bright Palettes for Front Doors

By Jennifer Ott Design

Splash bold green, blue, orange or red on your front door, then balance it with a more restrained hue on the rest of the house

ORANGE Fresh Start: Paint the Front Door

By Becky Harris

Go for it! Add instant curb appeal with a great coat of orange, blue, red, yellow, green, purple or black on the door

RED Trend Alert: Oxblood Red Enriches Autumn Style

By Becky Harris

Straight from the pages of fall fashion magazines, this deep red hue has arrived to warm up home decor and exteriors

Sponsored

More Discussions

Dinning Room Accent wall

9

Paint color advice

2

Vanity Color Suggestions

2

Staining Fiberglass Door

1

Exterior Home Update After Fire

1