How Often Should Exterior Painting be Redone?

Have you been noticing the outside of your house looking a bit dull lately?

Maybe you’ve been focusing on the inside and haven’t realized the chipped paint or damage that recent storms may have caused. 

Well, the exterior of your house is nothing to ignore. Curb appeal is one of the most important elements of owning a home, especially if you’re considering selling your home. 

In fact, almost 90% of home buyers begin searching for houses online, which means your home’s exterior better be in tip-top shape. 

Even if you aren’t looking to sell quite yet, you may have homeowner association standards you have to follow, in which case knowing the right time to conduct exterior painting is essential. 

Let’s explore this guide below to understand how often exterior painting should be redone. 

What Is the Timeline? 

There is no one set standard for all homes because the exteriors of all homes are different. 

However, in general, professionals recommended the typical timeline of painting your house to be every five to ten years, depending on where you live, the weather and climate of your location, and how the previous paint job was conducted. 

The surface also matters here, effectively changing the timeline: 

• Brick: Repaint every 15 – 20 years 
• Wood Siding: Repaint every 3 – 7 years, or if it’s stained, every 4 years 
• Aluminum Siding: Repaint every 5 years
• Stucco: Repaint every 5-6 years

What Other Elements Affect the Durability? 

There are three main elements that affect how long you can wait in between paint jobs.

These include weather and climate, the previous paint job, and the maintenance of the house over time.

Weather and Climate

When considering how often to paint your home’s exterior, you have to consider your home’s location. If you live somewhere that is sunny and hot with very little shade, it could cause the paint to bubble, fade, and peel much more quickly. 

This is especially important when you first get it painted.

If the paint is drying on a house that is getting direct sunlight, it won’t last as long as one that was shaded. Over time, the fading will be much more apparent, which means the time between paint jobs shortens. 

On the flip side, if you live in a place with harsh winters, high humidity, or intense storms, your paint job will also age very quickly and need to be redone sooner than the average 5 – 10 year mark. 

Previous Paint Job 

If you bought your house and didn’t know how or when the last paint job was conducted, that will make a big difference in how long it will last.

Attempt to learn as much information as possible, such as what type of paint was used, the quality of the paint, how many layers were put on, and the specific color. 

As stated before, the weather that occurred on the day of painting will also affect how long the paint lasts. As a general rule, high-quality paint in lighter shades lasts the longest, especially when applied with two coats instead of one. 

If you discover your last paint job did not meet these standards, you’ll most likely need to repaint sooner rather than later. 

Home Maintenance

If you pay attention to the exterior of your house, you’ll be able to make your paint job last a lot longer.

Specifically, you should be looking for: 

• Dampness
• Rot
• Chalkiness
• Rodent or Insect Infestation
• Mold

If you notice any of these, take care of the problem immediately. It will prevent these elements from hurting your paint job. 

Along with this, generally maintaining the exterior of your home will also create a longer life for your paint. Regularly wash off moss or dirt from the surface to prevent it from breaking down the paint. 

If you do notice you need a new paint job and aren’t even sure where to start, you may want to call professional painters. It’s better to get the job done right the first time, so you hopefully don’t have to do it again for another decade! 

Check out these services so you can get started today. 

How to Get Your Home Ready for Painting 

As you can see, there are many more elements to painting your home than just pulling out the paintbrush. If you want it done right and to last a long time, it’s crucial to prepare. 

First, you need to treat any of the mold, cracks, holes, rotten wood, or pits you see on your home’s exterior. If you notice that you have peeling paint, it’s best to sand that down or power wash it to a smooth surface. 

Once you’re done washing it, make sure it is dry before beginning the painting process. You also need to consider the weather and choose a day that guarantees no rain but no intense sunlight either. 

Of course, remember, you can also leave this all to the professionals! 

Time to Conduct Exterior Painting

Now that you know how often exterior painting on your home needs to be done, are you ready to fix your house up? 

You may be surprised at what a new coat of paint on your house can do.

Your home will look refreshed, and your curb appeal will immediately skyrocket. Then, you can start focusing on other elements of your home, like your landscape or remodeling your kitchen. 

Want more great home and garden advice? Check out the other articles on our page!