Monday, November 5, 2012

Exterior House Renovations

When we bought our house we knew it needed work to the inside and out. We compiled a lengthy list of things we wanted to fix and upgrade and decided we would tackle each section at a time. At first we thought that project was going to be the kitchen/family room but after living in our house we decided that the outside needed WAY more help then the inside at this point. The house was built in the late 90's and we believe that over the many years that have past, the previous owners neglected to take care of regular maintenance. It's scary to see how quick a house can rot and mold when not properly taken care of. If we hadn't started now we would have had even more issues in the future.

I've said this many a times but my husband is VERY VERY handy. In fact, he's pretty much a contractor without the contractor license {me bragging}. So everything we did to the exterior of the house HE did. Minus the paint {I finally convinced him that task was way to big for him to take on}:). We've spent A LOT of money on this project but SAVED a lot of money with him and his dad doing it. Take a look at the before and after pictures! There were many obstacles.

Projects Dave took on:
Replaced rotted windows, siding and trim
Added new front porch stairs 
Fixed sag at front porch and back deck
New fence
Added and fixed deck

Projects we hired out:
New roof    
 New paint

BEFORE


AFTER





26 comments:

  1. Great job you guys! Ashley, your house is wonderful! Home ownership is hard work, but so rewarding. I am looking for similiar exterior colors that you chose (the perfect greige), black, and white. What colors did you use? I've pinned so many choices on Pinterest, but not many list what colors they used. :(

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  2. Thanks Monica! It sure is, but when you know it's yours it's all worth it, right?:) We used Sherwin Williams Pearly White is the trim, Thunder Gray is the accent (shutters and doors) and Intellectual Gray with 25% is the body (siding). Originally it was just supposed to be Intellectual Gray without adding 25% but we were afraid it would have looked to light. I hope that helps!

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    1. Can you explain adding 25%. I want intellectual grey for my house but it is too light and am trying to figure out how to darken it. Thanks!!

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    2. Hi! We were worried Intellectual Gray was going to look too light but we also didn't like the next shade darker on the paint fan (We were afraid that would be too dark). So we asked our local Sherwin Williams store to make it 25% darker (our paint can says 11/02) and it came out to be the perfect color. Not to dark and not to light:). Hope that helps and isn't confusing!

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  3. A round of applause! Very nice touch-up there. Stuff like this is really up to the person, whatever strategies may be employed. What matters is that you've got a list of options on the ready for the current endeavor as well as future ones.

    Jenell @ Tristate

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  4. Love that you went light and dark with it and removed the brown elements in your home’s exterior. Does the siding have a different color, or is it just the lighting in the picture?

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  5. Replaced rotted windows, siding and trims; added new front porch stairs; fixed sag at the front porch and back deck -- that’s a lot of repairs. Although, I think that’s always part of owning a home. It’s a good thing that you discovered the problems all at once. At least one by one you were able to apply the right solution for every problem. And thanks to your husband, everything has been solved. Maybe next time you can hire a contractor so your husband won't be doing the repairs alone.

    Dina @ WoodRoof.com

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  6. I love your colors! Could you explain what you mean by Intellectual Gray with 25%?

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    1. Hi! We were worried Intellectual Gray was going to look too light but we also didn't like the next shade darker on the paint fan (We were afraid that would be too dark). So we asked our local Sherwin Williams store to make it 25% darker (our paint can says 11/02) and it came out to be the perfect color. Not to dark and not to light:). Hope that helps and isn't confusing!

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  7. Sorry this is actually Stephen's wife :D

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  8. does your house face the south? or does it get a lot of sun? I am set on intellectual gray for my siding but unsure if it will be too light. I might add the 25% like you did. Do you regret it? Or is it the perfect color? is the color a green/grey? I have bought the sample but it's hard for me to distinguish if it looks green? What is your door color?

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    1. Hi Megan! That door color is Thunder Gray. The house does get a lot of sun in the front so I'm happy we went darker. It does go a little green/grey over blue/grey. Hope that helps!

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    2. does the color look brown/grey with slight green tone? Or barely any green? does it look different colored in different light? we purchased the regular sample and like it but are unsure if its too green? Our house faces the south so a lot of sunlight. Not sure if we should add the 25% more color and that might make the difference? what was your inspiration for this color? or how did you know it was the right color for your home?

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    3. Yes it does turn a slight green hue depending on the time of day. We get direct sunlight and I notice when the sun is setting it turns the green hue or just after a sun shower. I LOVE the color and those are the only times it turns a slight green. I would highly recommend upping it 25% since you'll have direct sun. It will look almost white if you don't. I decided on the color based on the exterior brick grout color. I had another neighbor use the exact color on their house with a brighter red brick and it looks just as good. Hope that helps!

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  9. We painted our house and shutters these same colors last fall and have received many compliments. Now, we are redoing our roof due to hail damage. Can you please tell us what color of shingles you have on? Thanks in advance!

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    1. Hi there! I'm so glad you are happy with the colors and you've received compliments. Our roof color is charcoal. It's the darkest option you can get with the architectural shingles. Would you mind telling me how you found my blog?:) I love when people comment and I'm always curious how they found it, lol! Hope that helps and you're welcome!

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  11. Thanks! I actually think I found your blog by searching "house with shutters" on Pinterest or google. When I came upon your house, I showed it to my husband and he said, "that's it!" We also had a Morton Building shed to coordinate with, so I took a Sherwin Williams color fan out and Intellectual Gray was it. I'm glad we added the 25% because we get a lot of sun too. What brand of shingles has the charcoal color?

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    1. You're welcome! So neat, and glad this is floating around out there so others can use it for their home too. I'd love to see your picture when you're done. Not sure if you'd be able to post it or not:). I believe it was GAF shingle. I hope you love it for years to come. We are still very happy with it!

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  12. Hi Ashley,
    I just stumbled upon your blog when searching exterior paint colors and LOVE your color scheme! I am going to paint our house the exact colors. We are in San Luis Obispo, Ca!!!
    We do not have shutters around our windows so the colors will mostly be the intellectual gray + 25% and the pearly white trim. I am accenting the door with the thunder gray. Do you think this will still look fab like yours?

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  13. It will for sure look fab still. It's been four years and we still love it and aren't tired of it. My parents are actually painting their's this color also but using a dark trim instead of light. It'll be painted in a couple weeks! I love how so many people have had success with these colors. It makes me happy!:)

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  14. Just came across this blog. The shutters look like sherwin Williams urbane bronze. It’s on our to do list this summer. We also have same brick color at bottom with tan siding. So have to work it all in.

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