Add personality to your home with a custom paint job using painting effects.
There are many ways to use exterior paint to add interesting effects to the outside of a home, by applying the paint to both the exterior siding and decorative items outside the home. With exterior paint, you can create different effects by using simple items found around the home, adding texture and design to the object.
Combing
An easy way to add wood grain texture to objects requires nothing more than a hair comb. Apply the paint and allow it to become slightly tacky. Then, holding the comb tightly, drag the comb in a wavy motion along the natural grain of the wood to create a deep wood grain effect. Alternatively, to create other dramatic effects, use the comb to create fans, feathering or rainbow effects on the painted items.
Tree Bark
Wrap a paint roller with rubber bands and use it to apply paint to exterior surfaces. This combination creates a rough, finely textured paint surface that resembles tree bark. This type of application adds an interesting touch to wood planters, cabin doors, window frames and outdoor storage sheds.
Stippling
Stippling creates the illusion of a concrete surface. Commonly applied over exterior wood to create the look of stucco, create this look by running a synthetic paint roller lightly over freshly applied exterior paint. Different textures of paint rollers create different stippling effects on the paint, so experiment with several different types of rollers until reaching the desired effect.
Buttering
Use a flexible putty knife, painting knife or even an old credit card to apply exterior paint to surfaces, much the same way a baker would apply icing to a cake. This type of application can create both shallow and deep texturing effects. Due to the thickness of the paint during application, drying times for this application method spans between several hours to days, so plan to do this type of application when the weather forecast calls for low precipitation and humidity.
Tips
For best results when applying exterior paints to create different types of effects, always choose a day when the forecast calls for mild temperature and low humidity. Avoid windy days, as blowing dust and debris can spoil freshly painted surfaces. While the spring is traditionally the time to paint and spruce up, most professional painters recommend painting exterior surfaces in the fall, to better prepare the surfaces for protection during the winter months. Always experiment on scrap pieces of wood, metal or concrete before attempting to apply textured paints.
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