Is it Time to Paint Your Porch?

Porch painting isn't only about making it look pretty, though thoughtfully chosen porch paint colors add value and charm to your home. Your porch is exposed to the elements, foot traffic, furniture, and decor. It suffers more wear and tear than the exterior siding. Paint goes a long way in minimizing the cost of porch repair and maintenance.

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ProTEK Painters painted our porch and replaced some rotting boards. They did a great job. They were good to deal with! I would use them in the future and recommend them to my neighbors.

Trust the Professionals

ProTEK Painters of Newton has over two decades of experience in interior and exterior painting, to include special home features like porches, sheds, gazebos, pergolas, pavilions, decks, fences, and detached garages. Our customers can also take advantage of a free color consultation and enjoy a two-year workmanship warranty. We'll help you schedule a time when we have the best temperature for painting outside to ensure the success of your porch painting project.

How to Choose Porch Paint Colors

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There are three key factors that help you achieve the look you want for lasting curb appeal.

1. Size and Style

Do you have a wraparound, covered rain porch, or screened backyard oasis? Paint color selection can make a small porch seem larger (choose off-whites or light neutrals), or a large, open porch feel cozier (use a darker color palette).

2. Paint or Stain?

Most porches look amazing in a stain color, no matter the style. Choose a stain color that enhances the timber's natural character. The ProTEK Painters team can strip away old paint and transform the look of your porch with a wood stain and protective finish.

Consider porch paint colors or stains that create an inviting entrance into your home. Do you walk off the porch into a hardwood-floored foyer or a colorful-tiled kitchen?

3. Architecture of Your Home

Define the architectural style of your home. Is it modern, traditional, or rustic?

  • Modern Style
    Snappy and polished, blacks, whites, and grays dominate the Modern style. A natural wood porch stain also contrasts beautifully with the Modern style home, adding warmth and texture.
  • Traditional Style
    The Traditional style house takes its color inspiration from the past. Popular paint combinations include shades of blue and green, yellow and blue, red and green, or classic black and white.
  • Rustic Style
    Nature influences the Rustic style home. Blues in coastal areas, browns and greens in wooded landscapes. Or you might paint your porch a neutral white with a nature-themed trim color.
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I spoke with a number of painters, all highly rated on Angie's List. John Guarino and ProTEK painters provided a detailed proposal and offered the best price. Two painters arrived on time on the day scheduled and did an excellent job of prepping and painting the porch using two colors. Through a miscommunication, some of the cracks on the columns had been left unfilled. When John called to ask if I was satisfied with the job I mentioned this to him and that I could take care of what hadn't been done since it wasn't a lot and I had the left over cans of paint. John insisted on sending the painters back to seal and paint the cracks saying, "I want you to be completely satisfied". They did, and I was. The porch looks great.

Porch Painting Color Ideas

Choose colors that contrast with the house's exterior body color. Or select two shades darker or lighter than the exterior color. Benjamin Moore suggests some outdoor-friendly colors that blend with a range of landscapes and architectural styles.

  • Floor: Paint the floor boards and steps a distinct color different from the siding. For instance, a light gray house could look stunning with a navy-blue porch floor.
  • Ceiling: Choose ceiling color that's the same or similar to the siding, the same as the porch floor, or a shade of white.
  • Trim: The most popular color for porch trim is white, which looks pleasing with any paint color or stain. However, if your house exterior is white, it's better to choose an accent color.
  • Railings: When you choose two or three complementary colors, it's best to keep the railings simple. White and black are the most common porch railing colors.

How Lighting Affects Color

Consider which direction natural light hits your porch. A porch facing south does better with lighter shades as darker colors struggle in the shadows. North-facing light brings out cooler tones in porch paint colors.

And remember that paint color hues change based on the time of day and your landscape environment. You'll want to select colors for each feature of the porch.

Porch Repair

Over time, wood porches suffer from broken, rotting, or damaged boards. The paint chips, flakes, blisters, or fades and the steps suffer the most. The Newton Painters crew offers light carpentry for minor porch repairs and pressure washing prior to applying paint or stain.

ProTEK Painters completely repainted the house, along with many repairs to porches and siding. It was a great experience from beginning to end. John Guarino responded quickly to my request for an estimate and took the time to talk to me in detail about what I wanted done, asking lots of good questions. The estimate seemed very fair compared to others that I got, and I was impressed with John's responsiveness. John kept me informed throughout about the process and schedule, and the team he sent to do the work was outstanding: efficient, hardworking, thorough, and very considerate about keeping the yard orderly during the work and avoiding damage to plants around the house. They consulted with us frequently to make sure they were doing what we wanted, and were very flexible when we changed our minds about a couple of things along the way. Highly recommended.