How to Paint a Tudor Home
Posted on February 24, 2021
Tudor homes in our area are not an uncommon occurrence. Approaching an exterior painting project on a home with the traditional wooden elements is no easy feat. First, you’ll need more color choices. Second, you’ll need to work with a painter capable of producing clean lines and crisp detail work. Here’s how to paint a Tudor home.
Traditionally, Tudor homes were half-timbered construction with load bearing wood beams providing the structure and foundation. The walls were created with stone, plaster, brick or other materials. Since the wooden frame was visible, it’s a stylish choice that requires special attention when painting.
Why is knowing this important?
Understanding the architectural details of your house can help you decide what to feature when painting your house. When it comes to Tudor style homes, the trim boards mimic original support beams the house. Chimneys, steeply pitched roofs and dormers and often arched entrances are also important features.
Paint a Tudor Home Rules
The rules to follow when choosing the exterior color scheme for your house:
1. Don’t Ignore the Architecture
Minimizing the look of the exterior wood by painting the home and details the same color doesn’t work. Worse yet, it makes the project look like it was done in a lazy, haphazard fashion. To minimize the details in a clean way, use the same color that is subtly different. A bit lighter or darker will make the boards seem to blend in while remaining clean.
2. Don’t Get Busy
Opposite of previous tip, don’t use too many colors. Tudor homes are created with the architecture in mind, not the colors. Use no more than 3 colors on any Tudor home exterior, including the walls, beams and trim.
3. The More Traditional the House, the Bolder the Contrast
Historically, this style home was made in a high contrast color scheme. Black and white or deep brown and white are traditionally chosen for the exterior painting. This highlights the architecture without jarring the eyes. Newer homes created in a Tudor style are often painted in more color options than these.
4. Trim is (almost) Always Darker than Field
The trim on the exterior of the home is made to mimic, or be the wooden frame. Therefore the very traditional brown/black trim you on Tudors is emulating the original wood beams that would have been oiled and darkened over time. When choosing your trim color, if your goal is to stay true to the house style, plan for it to be darker than the field of the house. Even if it is one shade darker.
5. Don’t Install White Vinyl Windows
When it’s time to replace your windows, don’t choose white. Rather, opt for a brown or black option that will pair well with the beam look you have on your exterior. White will break from tradition and stand out against both the paint and the trim colors you have chosen. For best results, choose a dark oiled bronze color or even a black.
Paint a Tudor Home
Learn more about our exterior painting services and check out this Carprentry and Staining Project from CertaPro Painters of Cincinnati. Schedule a free estimate today.
