There is no doubt that painting is an easy and cost-effective way to provide an instant refresh to our home décor, yet, we often overlook the outside walls. Whether it’s updating the colour of a front door or adding a touch of greenery, those smaller details can give our homes an abundance of curb appeal. First impressions matter, and what your home looks like from the outside could say a lot about the interior.
One of those details we tend to forgo is a house’s foundations. These concrete support systems may not seem worth stressing over, but they are an essential factor to our home’s DNA and can help to harmonise unconventional colour schemes for the outdoors.
People often select a darker shade for the socle (the wall’s foundations) so that our homes do not seem like it is “floating” in the air when viewed at a distance. However, if you have decided to break the mould and refresh your exterior walls with a steel blue or a striking black, you may want to contrast these colours for a complementary look. For this project, the socle was lightened with the cool grey tones of Tikkurila’s 1928 from the Deco Grey Colour Card. The softened look was an integral part of the barn-style home with its repainted black exterior, complete with charcoal grey window shutters and white trims. When choosing a colour for your home’s foundation, the most important consideration is its suitability for the architecture of the building. Think about how the style of the building and the surrounding landscape and plants will impact your exterior colours. A light-coloured socle can make the house appear taller, while a darker colour will anchor the house to its environment.
Painting the concrete socles was made possible with the easy-to-use and tintable Yki Sokkelimaali, an exterior paint that protects the building’s foundation. Yki Sokkelimaali can be tinted to an extensive range of shades from our colour cards; Tikkurila’s Wooden Facades, Masonry Facades, and Facades, while attractive options can also be found in Tikkurila’s Kaunis Talo colour chips
1. FIRST STEPS
Begin by wiping the unpainted surface of the exterior walls clean. If the surface requires a more in-depth clean due to mould or moss, use the Tikkurila Homeenpoisto cleaning agent to remove unwanted dirt and leave it to dry. Uneven concrete surfaces and block surfaces should be levelled before painting. Remove paint flaking or poorly adhered paint coats from the socle before rendering the exterior walls.
2. PAINTING THE SOCLE
Before you begin painting, it is recommended to prime the substrate with Finngard Uni Primer for reducing the efflorescence caused by salts. Stir Yki Sokkelimaal, pre-mixed with the shade 1928 from the Deco Grey Colour Card, well before use. If needed, the paint can be thinned for priming up to 20% with water but for finishing, use unthinned paint. If the new exterior colour differs from the old colour or the surface is very worn, apply two coats for the best results.
