With the design, budget, and different brands to think about, energy efficiency is probably the last thing on your mind when selecting exterior paint colors. However, focusing on this aspect now can save you money in the long-term and lower your carbon footprint. This guide will walk you through the process of choosing an environmentally-friendly color palette for your home.
Exterior Walls
If you live in a warm climate like Mesa, AZ, choose a lighter color for your exterior walls. Dark colors are better absorbing heat whereas lighter colors reflect heat. This keeps the home cooler during the hot months of the year, lowering your cooling costs when you need it most. Any light-colored paint will do, but neutrals are often the way to go. This includes colors like white, beige, and light gray. Light neutrals make a house look clean, bright, and bigger than it is. Plus, choosing a neutral shade for the primary house color leaves lots of room for creativity with the accent and roofing colors.
Accent Colors
The accent color will be used to paint additional features on the home like trim, window frames, shutters, gutters, and more. Because these features are small, they have less of an impact on the home’s energy efficiency, leaving more room to add character to your home. When choosing a color, consult a professional at a home painting company in Mesa. Take advantage of their expertise to determine if your selected colors complement each other and the style of the house.
Roof
To boost the energy efficiency of the home even further, consider changing the color of your roof, too. Depending on the material, this could be as simple as applying a fresh coat of paint or as complex and costly and replacing the roof. Like exterior walls, picking light or medium colors for the roof can lower your cooling costs significantly. Approximately one-third of a house’s unwanted heat enters through the roof, so painting white or another light color can make a huge difference.