How Long Does Exterior Paint Last?

How Long Does Exterior Paint Last Horsham PA

When it comes to painting your house, there are so many different things that you will want to think about. Of course, figuring out what color you want the paint to be will be incredibly important. However, there is something very important that you will also need to consider. You will need to think about just how long the exterior paint will last. This will help you determine how much money you should budget for an exterior paint job. Sadly, the answer is not as clear cut as some people would want it to be. There are many factors that go into determining just how long your exterior paint will last.

What Is the Main Cause of Deterioration?

On average, an exterior paint job can last between three and seven years, depending on the location, type, and color of the paint. As you might be able to imagine, the most common cause of deterioration is actually because of underlying layers of paint. Thankfully, this is easily fixed. All you will need to do is make sure that you scrape off any and all loose paint that you come across before you begin your exterior paint job. Using a primer and premium paint will ensure that the exterior coat lasts even longer.

The location of the paint will also make a huge difference in how fast it deteriorates. The trim or siding on a house will usually begin fading at around three years. By comparison, the main part of the exterior will take between five and seven years to deteriorate. The reason why the trim and siding of your house takes less time to deteriorate is because of its increased exposure to the sun. Over time, exposure to the sun will fade color away and weaken the paint itself, causing it to chip. One of the ways that you can remedy this is by putting some consideration into the color of the paint.

Why Does the Color Matter?

There’s a very good chance that when you think of the exterior paint of your house, you aren’t thinking of the color. You might think about whether or not a particular shade looks good on your house or not, but that might be the extent of what you think about. In reality, the color of the exterior paint can actually influence how fast the paint deteriorates.

It is a well-known fact that darker colors tend to absorb heat better, whereas lighter colors will reflect it. This is one of the many reasons why people will usually wear lighter, brighter colors in the summer and darker, heavier colors in the winter. The same rules and logic apply to your house as well. When you choose to paint your house’s exterior with dark paint, you will only end up attracting more heat, more sun exposure. The more sun exposure the paint gets, the faster it will deteriorate. With that being said, of course, this means that you should start looking into lighter colored paints as what you should use when you are painting the exterior of your house. Aside from this, you can usually expect the exterior paint job to last anywhere between five and seven years, although it will depend heavily on weather and other circumstances.

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