Improving a Home’s Curb Appeal

General Finishes Klein Blue Milk Paint gives this home’s front door and shutters a brand-new curbside appearance.

An attractive front entrance area gives a home curb appeal that invites both guests and potential home buyers. Upgrading a home’s exterior appearance can be as simple as painting or as involved as installing new windows or adding a patio.

Inspiration for a curb appeal “makeover” that reflects the owner’s budget and decorating choices is easy to find online. Stop by the nearest Woodcraft store for tools and supplies, along with helpful advice from the staff, or visit Woodcraft.com to shop and read how-to blogs and articles.

PROJECT & PRODUCT SUGGESTIONS

One of the easiest and quickest ways to boost curb appeal is to paint (and repair if needed) a home’s front door, molding and trim. Painting garage doors, porches, shutters, doorsteps, flower boxes, furniture, mailboxes/stands, and window trim are other potential projects, along with changing door hardware.

For front door and shutter painting inspiration, visit these informational blogs on Woodcraft.com: Front Door Klein Blue Redo and To Thine Own Self Be Blue. 

Repair & Paint

Woodcraft offers these products and more for repairing and painting.
•General Finishes Milk Paint is a premium interior/exterior mineral based paint premixed in more than two dozen colors. It is so durable it does not require a topcoat; however, Woodcraft Product Development Manager Kent Harpool suggests using General Finishes Exterior 450 as a sealer for exterior uses. 450 is fortified with UV absorbers to stabilize the finish and built-in mildewcide to retard mold and mildew growth.
•Krud Kutter TSP Substitute will clean and degloss almost any surface prior to painting so that paint adheres better.
•System Three Sculpwood Epoxy Putty is a two-part epoxy putty that can be used indoors or out. Mold it, shape it, or use it for repair of carvings, antique picture frames, or even windowsills. Be sure to add a coat of General Finishes Exterior 450 to seal your work.
•Titebond III Ultimate Wood Glue is waterproof, yet it cleans up with water. It allows eight minutes of open assembly time and offers an application temperature as low as 47°.
•HOMERIGHT Super Finish Max and Finish Max Fine Finish HVLP Sprayers spray most solvent or water-based products – latex paint, milk paint, chalk paint, furniture paint, stains and finishes. The Finish Max is ideal for small to medium sized projects, while the Super Finish Max is more powerful and covers a wider range of projects and thicker paints and varnishes with less thinning required.
•HOMERIGHT Spray Shelters are good for furniture projects (large shelter), as well as smaller accessories (small shelter).

Remove, Replace & Build

The FEIN MultiMaster Start Q with Starlock easily handles sanding chores on older wooden windows and doors, as well a wide range of tasks from precision sawing to scraping off material, power cutting, cleaning and polishing.

Replacing windows, gutters and downspouts; adding molding to a door; building – outdoor furniture, a unique mailbox and stand, or flower containers; and adding or expanding a patio  area/porch require a larger investment of time and money. Look for these products at Woodcraft to help with these replacement and building projects.

•Lightweight and quiet, yet easily portable, the Rolair AB5 Air Buddy, 1/2 HP Compressor is a durable companion when needed for your weekend projects.
•Use the GREX Green Buddy 18-gauge, 2" Brad Nailer for trim and moldings, light wood assembly, window beading, scribe molding, and door and window casings.
•For precision sawing, efficient sanding, power cutting, accurate filing, scraping, cleaning and polishing and more, consider the Fein MultiMaster Start Q with a pin-less Starlock mounting system and easy snap in accessories.
•Take SawStop safety, quality and precision directly to your project work area when you choose the portable SawStop Jobsite Saw with Cart.

Learn more about these and other products that will help you improve the appearance of your home’s curbside view by visiting your local Woodcraft store, calling (800) 535-4482 or going online at www.woodcraft.com.