You’re thrilled to finally see fine details after receiving your updated glasses prescription in the mail. That is, until you put on your glasses while standing on your porch and finally notice the state of your home’s paint.
It’s a cracking, flaking, and bubbly mess. You’re wondering why no one told you sooner and where it all went wrong when another thought interjects, “How often should I be painting the exterior of my home?”
If you’re one of the many Americans who are too busy to notice your own aging, let alone remember when your house was painted last, you may benefit from some of the tips, tricks, and insights in this article.
Keep reading to determine how often you should be repainting your home’s exterior.
Table of Contents
- How Often Should You Repaint the Exterior of Your House?
- Variables That May Affect How Often You Should Paint Your Home’s Exterior
- 6 Factors That Help Determine How Often To Paint the Exterior of a House
- If It’s Time To Paint Your House’s Exterior, Keep These Tips in Mind
- Two Brothers Painting: Top-Ranked Exterior Paint Professionals in the Portland Metro Area
How Often Should You Repaint the Exterior of Your House?
After years of owning your home, you’ve probably amassed a long list of house maintenance tasks that should be performed occasionally. If you’re a new homeowner, you might have recently added painting the exterior of your home to that list.
So, how often should you repaint the exterior of your home?
Although there is no universal time frame, the general rule is every five to ten years. If there is no imminent reason for repainting the exterior during that time frame, some people stretch repainting as far as 10 to 15 years.
Of course, the longer you wait to repaint your home’s exterior, the more likely you’ll see damage to the paint and possibly garner a few side-eyes from that neighbor.
Two Brothers Painting in Portland offers extensive exterior home painting services for various home siding types. We are passionate about our jobs and dedicated to providing the best service and results.
Variables That May Affect How Often You Should Paint Your Home’s Exterior
Some variables you should consider when determining how often to paint your house exterior include:
- Type of siding
- Climate and weather; and
- Quality of previous paint job and type of paint used
Siding
The frequency of how often you should repaint your home’s exterior may involve several factors regarding your siding, which include:
- Durability and Longevity: Different siding materials have varying levels of durability.
- Maintenance Requirements: Some siding materials require more frequent paint touch-ups to keep them in good condition.
- Weather Resistance: Siding materials rely on paint touch-ups to enhance their ability to withstand the elements.
- Color Retention: Certain siding materials and finishes retain color better than others.
Wood
Wood siding needs to be painted every three to seven years, depending on how well it’s maintained.
Paint and stain act as a protective barrier from your wooden siding and the elements. If left exposed, wood siding can absorb moisture, leading to swelling, warping, and eventual decay.
The Pacific Northwest is no stranger to rain. Applying maintenance coats of stain or paint on your wood siding is paramount to your home’s health. Two Brother’s Painting can help you choose and apply a paint or stain that will combat the weather and preserve the longevity of your wood siding.
Brick
The Brick Industry Association recommends painting your brick siding every three to five years.
Moisture may enter the interior of your brick siding through the pores of the brick, partially filled mortar joints, or loose caulking and flashing. Regularly repainting your brick siding may prevent moisture from invading it, causing mold, mildew, or rot.
Aluminum
Exterior paint on aluminum siding may last four to six years, depending on how well it was maintained and the application method.
Paint on aluminum siding is often subject to peeling. Poorly preparing the surface or failing to properly remove the rust may speed this up. Applying paint using a spray method on this type of siding is the most effective way to guarantee an even coat.
Painting aluminum siding takes time, knowledge, skill, and equipment. Employing an ill-prepared contractor or taking on the DIY job yourself may result in a poor-quality job that will need to be redone in the following years.
Two Brothers Painting has been helping Portland area homeowners transform their home’s exterior for over two decades. We have the expertise and experience to help you choose the correct paint and application method for your siding type.
Don’t waste money on lesser painting contractors or DIY jobs. Contact Two Brothers Painting for more information today.
Stucco
On average, stucco siding should be repainted every five to ten years. However, high-quality stucco paint may last much longer. Even if the paint on your stucco looks fine, you may need to touch up the non-stucco trim on your home more often.
Vinyl
While vinyl siding is fade-resistant, it may begin to fade 10 to 15 years after installation. To combat this, some homeowners opt to paint their siding.
Before you paint your siding, it is important to ensure that doing so will not void any warranties.
Paint on vinyl siding may last up to 10 years if applied correctly with high-quality paint.
Climate and Exposure to Elements
Climate may be one of the more impactful factors to consider when determining how often to paint the exterior of your home.
For example, if you live in a region that gets a lot of sunlight and your home is not well shaded, you may have to repaint it more often because the paint may fade or ” bubble” due to UV exposure.
Climates with harsh winters, intense storms, or a lot of humidity may also prematurely age paint.
Previous Paint Job
High-quality paints are more resistant to fading, peeling, and moisture and offer better coverage and consistency. The longevity of your paint job may also be affected by the type of paint.
Acrylic and latex paints may last up to five to ten years before displaying obvious signs of aging. Oil-based paints, like ones used on metal, trim, and wood, generally last around seven years. Ceramic paints can last an impressive 10 to 25 years before giving out (however, they can cost around $4 to $7 per square foot).
Even if high-quality paint is involved in the paint job, the method of application may be just as important.
The paint on your house’s exterior siding may be one of the first things people notice when they look at your home. To avoid a bad paint job or the DIY look, rely on Two Brothers Painting for all of your home’s exterior painting needs.
Our skilled professionals employ only the highest quality paints and tactics to approach home exterior repaints or touch-ups.
6 Factors That Help Determine How Often To Paint the Exterior of a House
If you’ve recently purchased your home or don’t exactly remember how long it’s been since you’ve even seen a paint roller, you can use the following factors to determine if your home needs a fresh coat of paint.
#1: Signs of Wear and Tear
If your home is showing obvious signs of wear and tear, it’s time for some work.
Although chipping paint might seem like a cosmetic issue, there are more significant risks to wear and tear on your home’s exterior that can cause major damage.
Exterior paint is designed to protect your home from the elements — rain, wind, water, extreme cold or hot temperatures, etc.
Signs of wear and tear include:
- Discoloration of your siding
- Mold
- Water damage or signs of dampness
- Rot
- Breaking or cracking
- Chalkiness
- Insect or rodent infestation
- Dents in siding; or
- Broken bricks
#2: Fading
Fading is one of the most common problems in homes with painted exteriors.
Although fading is more typical with darker shades of paint because they’re prone to absorb sunlight and heat, it can still happen to light-colored painted exteriors.
Unfortunately, fading just happens over time. There’s no way around it except repainting.
If you want to minimize fading and attempt to slow the process down, the following suggestions may be helpful:
- Choose a paint designed for home exteriors.
- Don’t over-thin the paint before applying, and apply in thick coats.
- Properly prep the surface.
- Choose a light color to avoid absorbing heat and sunlight and protect the paint pigments.
#3: Hardened or Cracked Caulk
Caulking the exterior of your home closes off any potential openings and protects it from the elements, bugs, and any damage getting underneath the siding.
Caulk is meant to contract and expand with your house but loses elasticity over time. When this happens, it eventually hardens and begins to crack.
Check the caulking around:
- Where two adjoining walls meet
- Doorways
- Windows
- Door thresholds
- Electrical outlets
- Pipes
- Cables
- HVAC units; and
- Phone lines
#4: Damage From the Elements
Depending on where you live, different climates and weather can affect your home’s exterior paint.
Hot summers and direct sunlight may cause bubbling and fading. Harsh winters, intense storms, and high humidity can all quickly age a paint job.
Typical signs of damage from the elements include:
- Fading
- Cracking
- Breaking
- Rot; or
- Mold or mildew growth
#5: Prepping to Move
Refreshing your home’s exterior paint is a simple way to potentially raise its value when you’re trying to sell it.
Not only does it give your home a fresh and clean look, but it also adds to the curb appeal for potential buyers. Recent data from the National Association of Realtors suggests repainting the exterior of your home may yield a 51% ROI and a possible 2% to 5% increase in value.
#6: Time Is Up
You walked around your home and inspected the exterior for damage, but everything looked good.
Maybe you did the last exterior paint job nearly ten years ago.
You’re also not moving or looking to sell.
Even if none of these factors currently apply to you, if the ideal window of time has passed, it might just be time for an exterior home paint refresh.
By regularly repainting your home’s exterior, you can avoid the damage and issues that will come with time.
If It’s Time To Paint Your House’s Exterior, Keep These Tips in Mind
Now that you understand how often to paint a house exterior, you might be thinking it’s time to paint yours.
Before running out and buying your supplies, here is a list of our top tips for a quality and long-lasting exterior paint job:
- Treat any damage. This could be:
- Rotten wood
- Mold
- Broken siding panels
- Holes
- Caulk seams
- Water damage; or
- Anything else you might find
- Power wash or sandblast the surface to start with a clean and smooth exterior before painting.
- Work with a fully dry exterior surface.
- Use a primer to prepare the surface for paint and to give it a smoother look when finished.
- Choose an acrylic latex exterior paint. This is the most durable choice and is most resistant to fading. Apply two to three coats. Remember, lighter shades tend to last longer.
- Paint on a day with ideal temperatures. Pick a dry and mild day with temperatures between 50-90℉ for paint longevity.
Two Brothers Painting: Top-Ranked Exterior Paint Professionals in the Portland Metro Area
Painting your home’s exterior is a pretty big task. Not everyone has the skills or patience to handle the job.
Why risk your home’s aesthetic and waste money by turning to a lesser-quality contractor or attempting to tackle an exterior paint project on your own? Instead, turn to the trusted professionals at Two Brothers Painting.
If you live in the Greater Portland area and need help painting the exterior of your house, Two Brothers Painting has over 150 years of combined experience and a long list of happy customers.
Our knowledge of the area and passion for enhancing the beauty of our community have fueled our team to always go above and beyond to provide top-notch painting services. We’re always happy to answer clients’ questions and devise foolproof solutions for all of your painting needs.
So, when it comes to determining how often you should paint your home’s exterior, contact Two Brothers Painting for a free consultation today.