Shed maintenance

Best Painted Sheds–What Makes A Quality Paint Job?

One of the key ingredients for the very best painted sheds is … well, the paint job!

In your search for the best quality painted shed you may visit several sales lots or even home improvement stores to find that perfect fit. Here’s the question you may want to consider as you compare your options: “Will this shed still look good 2 years from now?”

Most sheds look great when they’re brand new, but give them a year in the sunshine and all that can change quickly.

Obviously, paint gives your shed its color. But it also doubles as a layer of protection from the elements for your shed’s exterior. The better the paint job the longer the life of your shed’s exterior! So what exactly does a great paint job look like? What will keep your painted shed looking good 2 years from now?

1. A Thick Coat of Paint Makes a Quality Painted Shed

The Problem With Painted Sheds

Most shed companies paint their sheds using a paint sprayer. This makes a lot of sense economically for the builder since a shed can be painted in a very short time. However, economical does not equal quality in this case.

Sprayed paint is applied at a very high pressure and in a rapid overlapping motion to avoid build-up. Sprayed paint tends to be thicker on flat areas and very thin in grooves, on outside corners, in any nail indentations.

Grooves in the siding tend to have jagged looking edges when spray painted. In fact, siding that is spray painted often has the wood grain visibly showing on the edges of the gooves.

Nail holes all but disappear when painted with a roller. When sheds are spray painted, nail holes are still clearly visible and a bit of an eye-sore.

The Solution for the Best Painted Sheds

There’s just no short-cut. The thickest and most evenly applied coats are achieved by using a good old fashioned paint roller for the siding, and a brush or roller for the trim. True, this takes some time. But by using a paint roller you can apply the thickest coat possible, while also achieving an even and uniform finish on your painted shed. Honestly, this is a major key to transforming “painted sheds” into a “best painted sheds.”

When using a paint roller you can work in more paint in areas that need more without overloading other areas. Thus, you can be confident that the entire surface area will be covered evenly. This method will also take care of any issues you might have with corners and edges having a rough or washed out appearance resulting from a thin coat.

2. Sheen–A Brighter Shed Paint

You drive around and look at sheds on different lots. They don’t all look the same! What makes the painted sheds on “Sales Lot A” look better than the same painted sheds on “Sales Lot B”? There are a number of factors including material quality, design, construction, and so on.

But one big factor is the appearance of the paint job! In fact, look at two sheds side by side–both the same color. One is the standard “Barn Red.” The other is also “Barn Red” but it has a brighter look and it even has a bit of a sparkle. It may be because the latter has a Satin sheen and therefore is more eye-catching than the more dull appearing Flat sheen. For years if you wanted a shed stain you were stuck with a Flat sheen. Only fairly recently has the Satin sheen become readily available.

So a Satin sheen looks better than Flat. But it has another advantage. The Satin sheen will actually offer slightly better protection from the weather than Flat. And that’s on top of a much improved look!

3. Quality Paint

Your paint job won’t be any better than the paint itself. Lots of stains that are used on sheds these days may last 3-10 years, depending on the quality of the paint and the weather conditions. Would it be great if there were something better out there? Well … there is!

We use Sherwin-Williams® on all our painted sheds. This high-quality paint comes from Sherwin-Williams with a Limited Lifetime Warranty. Realistically, that means it will last maybe 20 years. This is truly a top-quality paint.

Best Painted Sheds–Look Sharp, Buy Smart

Finally, here’s a shed-buying tip. If you want a shed with the best paint job, don’t buy it unless it looks spectacular when brand new! If it looks only marginally great when brand new and you need to tell yourself “It’s only a shed,” you will be disappointed in a year or so when you begin to see imperfections resulting from a poor paint job.

A coat of paint with a Satin sheen when applied as thickly as possible using a roller is the best way to keep your building looking new for years to come. It will look great and it will be noticeable from quite a distance!

Quality Paint Sherwin Williams

Written by Trell Miller

Trell Miller is the local Painter-In-Residence at Ulrich Lifestyle. He has been a professional painter for well over a decade, and takes great delight in the meticulous work of making painted sheds look absolutely great. He believes in the value of hand-painting, and will happily tell you why hand-painting is far superior to spray painting, even though hand-painted sheds are on the endangered species list. Trell enjoys being the father of Jamarian and husband of Cynthia.

Related Articles

Why We Love Painted Sheds (and you should, too!)

Wood vs. Vinyl Sheds — A Comparison of Shed Sidings

What Makes a Quality Shed? Part 2 of 2

  • Painted Sheds--Good Quality
  • Painted Sheds -- Poor Quality

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