Fresh paint helps your home withstand the elements
House exterior paint jobs last 7 to 10 years on average.
This life span differs significantly by exterior surface material.
Other factors impacting longevity include climate, surface prep, and paint type.
Hiring a pro exterior house painter costs an average of $3,200.
A fresh coat of paint can breathe new life into an old home, making it look new and boosting curb appeal. But you don’t want to be stuck repainting your house every spring due to cheap materials and lackluster labor.
How often you should paint your house exterior comes down to surface and paint type, location, and many other factors. A quality paint job lasts 7 to 10 years on most homes. This guide will help you determine where in that range your home falls and the signs that say a color refresh is due.
Every home is different, and several factors can affect the life span of exterior paint.
Many materials are used to build and protect homes, and each takes paint differently. Use a paint specifically formulated for the type of surface you're painting, and know how many coats of paint you need for best results.
Wood siding: Wood is very susceptible to rot and should be repainted frequently at a rate of every 3 to 7 years.
Aluminum siding: Aluminum is more durable and will likely only need new paint every 5 to 10 years.
Vinyl siding: Painting vinyl siding isn’t necessary, but it tends to hold paint well and only needs painting every 10 years or so.
Stucco: Stucco has a long life span and wears slowly. It likely won't need new paint more than every 10 years.
Brick or concrete: You can paint these porous materials every 10 years. Monitor the surface closely, as painted concrete and brick can trap moisture that seeps through the mortar.
Two otherwise identical paint jobs will have different life spans in different climates. For example, you’d need to repaint a house right on the coast sooner than one located more inland. Harsh weather, such as strong winds, rain, and heat, can all cause paint to degrade more quickly.
The life span of a paint job has a lot to do with the paint itself. Paints made from quality materials cost more per gallon but offer more coverage and better performance over time. Color is another factor, as darker colors tend to fade quickly while lighter colors show scuffs and blemishes more easily.
Proper preparation for painting includes:
Thoroughly cleaning the surface
Removing as much old paint as possible
Filling all cracks, nail holes, and gaps
Sealing window edges, joints, and seams
Properly applying a quality paint primer
Ignoring these preparation steps can cause premature fading, bubbling, blistering, peeling, and cracking.
Whether it comes down to personal preference or warning signs you can't ignore, there are many reasons why you might decide it's time to repaint your home's exterior.
When you start to see cracking and peeling paint, you also see areas where moisture can infiltrate your home. Moisture can lead to mold, mildew, and rot, escalating into more serious structural damage if not addressed. Not only should you repaint, but you should have a pro inspect these areas to ensure that no other repairs are needed.
In some cases, the damage may have already been done. Bubbling paint, gaps between boards, and visible mold and mildew are signs that wood needs to be assessed by a pro and possibly repaired or replaced before repainting.
Caulking issues are hard to spot, so look closely at your paint, trim, and siding for signs of damage. Caulk seals the joints between surfaces, but it loses elasticity over time. When caulk starts to wear, you should re-caulk and repaint.
Exposure to harsh weather and UV radiation from the sun will cause exterior paint colors to fade over time. Fading happens more quickly in unshaded areas, and darker colors fade faster than light ones.
Whenever you put a house up for sale, you want to maximize its curb appeal to attract more buyers and get the best offers. A worn-out paint job will stand out in all the wrong ways, while a fresh coat of paint can make your home look brand new and show buyers that you put time into home maintenance.
Even if your existing paint job is in good shape, your home may not have the look you want. If you have the budget for a fresh paint job and want to customize your exterior to match your tastes or current trends better, there's no harm in choosing a new color.
While you can paint your home's exterior yourself, you should consider leaving the work to someone with experience. Investing in a pro exterior painter near you can help ensure a paint job that lasts many years.
If you hire a pro, the total cost to paint a home's exterior is around $3,200 on average. Before hiring a painter, call at least three local companies to get price quotes, learn about their process, and check their online reviews.
You can paint your home’s exterior in the winter, but you should only do so under the right circumstances and in the right climate. In many parts of the country, limited daylight hours and damp weather can interfere with exterior painting and leave you with poor results. In other areas, extremely humid summers make winter the ideal time for exterior painting.
You can paint Trex decking, but it doesn’t require paint or sealant. Only older, early-generation Trex decking products can take paint on the surface and benefit from added protection. Painting newer Trex products can have the opposite effect, trapping moisture and causing the boards to warp.
