March 26, 2024

Ampac

Friendly Interior

Ideas for Outside House Renovation. Paint or Replace?

With so many homes in America edging into the 50-100 years old range, it’s no surprise that house renovation tops a lot of homeowner to-do lists. Of course, many of those homeowners focus on popular remodeling projects like bathroom and kitchen renovations.

Yet, exterior remodeling is often more pressing in terms of visual appeal and your home’s integrity. After all, while your kitchen might look dated, your exterior walls do a lot of heavy lifting for your home’s building envelope.

When it comes to exterior renovation, though, you often face a choice between painting and replacement. If you’re not sure which you need, keep reading for our quick guide.

Paint

Most homes come with either a painted exterior or siding. As a general rule, people don’t paint siding because it can void warranties or interfere with insurance claims.

So, when is paint the right call. A fresh coat of paint makes sense in a few situations, such as:

  • Degraded color
  • Minor bubbling or peeling
  • After external wall renovation

Paint is not a good solution if you find underlying problems with your exterior, such as decaying wood. In those cases, you typically need more extensive repairs prior to painting.

Replace

Replacing your current home exterior can also hinge on several factors. An overall change in the look of your home can make a full exterior replacement make sense. For example, if you put on an addition, a full replacement can unify the look of the home.

A full replacement can also make sense if you find substantial damage in the current exterior. Some people opt for replacement when a warranty expires or will expire soon on their current siding.

If you think a siding replacement is on the horizon for your home, siding replacement checklists can help you navigate the process.

Home Exterior Makeover Cost

Cost is a major concern for most homeowners when making a final choice on when and what kind of home exterior makeover best serves their home. On that front, painting is the less painful option. The average cost for an exterior paint job runs around $4000.

A full siding replacement typically requires more manual labor since all of the old siding must come down before the new siding can go up. That also assumes the siding removal doesn’t expose a problem that needs immediate repair. Your average siding replacement runs around $11,000.

Exterior House Renovation and You

Choosing between paint and replacement for your exterior house renovation depends a lot on what you start with on your home. Assuming no meaningful exterior damage, it’s generally more practical to repaint a home that already has paint.

If you already have siding or must replace a lot of damaged exterior, a full replacement with siding can make sense. A full replacement after major changes to the home, such as additions, can also create a more unified look and feel for your home.

Looking for more house renovations tips or ideas? Check out the posts in our Home Tips section.