Johnson County Home Painting Trends

17 Jun Johnson County Home Painting Trends

Johnson County has a wide variety of homes in its 20 unique cities and 477 square miles of real estate. The 168,000 residences keep us busy in the short painting season. That is a lot of properties that need upkeep and maintenance!

Many building trends have come and gone over the years since Johnson County’s founding in 1855 – six years before Kansas became the 34th state. In the old days, most paint was a shade of white, and that is why you see most older farm homes painted white (it’s also why painters wear “whites” (white overalls) to camouflage the paint drips on their clothing). White gave way to slightly darker neutral colors, light browns, and beiges. Everyone has heard the term “Johnson County beige,” for example. If you look at recent work, color trends have been pulling away from that over the last few years. More homeowners are repainting their exteriors with darker, richer tones. This is especially prevalent in the newer construction in southern Johnson County.

These deep, rich tones are probably my favorite to gaze at, and they certainly look great for a while. The problem with these dark tones is that the colorant tends to fade out faster. Paint companies are switching to Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) or No VOC colorants right now, which will help some, but the rule of thumb is that the darker the color, the shorter the paint’s life span. These rich colors look great…but they are the most expensive to maintain since you will be repainting more frequently. Still, it’s a trend that we expect to continue, and it’s hard to argue with the finished product, especially if you don’t mind repainting your home’s exterior reasonably frequently. If you DO mind the frequent repainting, reverse trim schemes are something to consider and are gaining popularity. This entails choosing darker, richer colors for the trim and lighter shades for the main body. The most sun exposure will be on the bulk of the house, and the lighter colors will last years longer while keeping your home cooler in the summer. Best of both worlds!

The Kansas City metro, especially Johnson County, is the Mecca of repaints and exterior repairs. From our weather conditions to how we construct our homes (mostly with wood exteriors), your most valuable asset needs constant protection and restoration. One trend that is NOT changing is that homeowners repeatedly repaint instead of applying siding. We don’t see too many JoCo homes opting for siding, even with extensive exterior wood rot to repair.

The idea of this article is to let you in on recent developments in exterior home painting in your area. Hopefully, it’ll help you make an important decision about the future of your home.  Of course, the most crucial decision you’ll make is hiring the right painting contractor. Painting is a tough job that only true professionals love. Don’t forget, we always offer free color consultations – for both your interior and exterior – and won’t pressure you into any decisions you don’t want to make. Thanks again for reading, and if you found this helpful, please share it with your friends, followers, and fellow neighbors!