How Often Should You Repaint Your Home’s Exterior?

If you own a home or property in Horsham, PA, Ambler, Dresher, Fort Washington, or Blue Bell, you might be wondering how often you should repaint its exterior. Leaving out the “how often” part, how do you even know when it’s time to paint the exterior of your property?

We will be answering that and more questions in this article. But first, it’s important to understand that the frequency of exterior painting depends on a number of factors. If your exterior paint is showing obvious signs of peeling, cracking or bubbling, for instance, it’s definitely time for a new paint job.
Here are important factors to consider and how they affect your exterior repainting frequency:

Siding Material

The material used on the outside of your house will, to a large extent, affect how often you should paint your exterior. Different materials will be affected at a different rate by the elements, such as UV rays, frost, humidity, and bugs.
Additionally, the maintenance practices and schedules will vary from one siding material to another. Here’re general guidelines on repainting frequency recommended by most experts.

• Stucco: Stucco can stay in good condition for about 5-6 years before requiring repainting or touch-up.
• Wood siding: how often you repaint wood siding largely depends on your maintenance effort. But you should generally expect to repaint after every 3 to 6 years.
• Aluminium siding: Plan on painting aluminium siding every five years.
• Painted brick: this is probably the least demanding type of exterior. Consider repainting painted brick after every 12 to 18 years.
• Cement fiberboard siding: This newer material can last 10 to 15 years between paint jobs.

Previous Paint Job

There is a lot that goes into an exterior paint job. While they should, paint jobs are not made the same. The quality and detail of different paint jobs might vary due to varying approaches used by different painters as well as the materials used.

The type and quality of paint used, how many coats were applied, and even the color used can all affect longevity. Generally, high-quality paint in lighter shades tends to last longer, especially if it was applied in two to three coats instead of just one.

Surface Preparation
Still on the previous paint job issue, the durability of your existing paint heavily depends on the extent of the surface preparation that was done before painting. Surface preparation is as important as the quality of paint used and the experience of the painting contractor. An exterior surface that is properly prepared will allow firm paint adherence and the job will last longer without a sign of paint peeling, cracking or bubbling.

If your previous painter skipped important prep steps such as pressure washing, stripping old paint, sanding or priming, you can only expect a year or two of an intact paint job. In worse case scenarios, you will need to remove mold, mildew, and rot, and repair paint cracks after just a few months of painting.

Exterior Maintenance
As a home or property owner, you probably already know that the paint job, just like other parts, requires some maintenance. Keeping your paint job intact and durable is all about preventative maintenance and spotting problems before they advance. Regularly inspect your house for signs of paint failure –look out for things like rot, dampness, mold, peeling, bubbling, cracking, fading, and insect infestation. Do regular touch-ups and regularly wash off dirt from your siding.

Bottom Line
Deciding when to repaint your home can be a little difficult, especially if you’re a first-time homeowner. However, considering the above-mentioned factors should offer some insights on your home’s exterior repainting frequency.
If you need any help repainting your home’s exterior in Horsham, PA, Ambler, Dresher, Ft. Washington or Blue Bell, you don’t have to make guesses anymore –our painting crew can help.

Contact us today for more details!

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