When to Have Your House’s Exterior Repainted

New Luxury House Large Driveway Blue Painted Exterior

It’s been how long since you last painted your home’s exterior? As you come home from work day to day, you start to notice the color isn’t as vibrant as it once was. Concerned, you move in for a better look and see the paint is beginning to crack! There are noticeable chips and what appears to be a separation between the layer of paint and the material beneath.

It seems like it’s time to repaint your home’s exterior.

How Often Should You Repaint Your House’s Exterior?

The exact answer depends on the paint you used, the quality of the paint job, and the materials your home’s exterior is made of. However, a general rule of thumb is that your home’s exterior should be painted every 5 – 10 years.

It’s essential to explore how exterior paint adheres to different materials to better understand when your home’s exterior needs to be repainted.

Your home’s first line of defense against the elements, severe weather, and sun-fading is that first layer of paint. It quite literally is a defensive barrier that protects your home and extends its longevity.

Aluminum Siding – 5 Years

If your home has aluminum siding, you’ll want to paint the exterior of your house every five years. You want flexible paint because aluminum siding, made of metal, expands and contracts with changing temperatures. You’ll need flexible paint that can withstand the stress. The best type of paint for aluminum siding is 100% acrylic latex paint.

Stucco – 5-6 Years

With stucco walls, you’ll want to repaint your home’s exterior every five to six years. Stucco performs best in arid climates, where a professional paint job using high quality paint can last even up to ten years. However, most stucco will need to be repainted sooner due to moisture, cracking, chipping, and other signs of wear and tear on your stucco.

Elastomeric paint is the best option for painting your home’s stucco exterior. Its rubbery polymer material is excellent for effectively coating the porous, textured surface of stucco and other masonry surfaces.

Wood Siding – 3-7 Years

Wood surfaces are not only susceptible to changes in temperature, but they are also vulnerable to fluctuations in moisture likely caused by high humidity. This is due to the cellulose that makes up much of the wood structure. Because of the relatively unstable nature of wood, wooden siding needs to be repainted every three to seven years.

These vulnerabilities make wood prone to warping over time, negatively impacting the paint’s adhesion to the wood’s surface. To counteract the instability of wood over time, professional painters use 100% solid acrylic latex emulsion paint on wooden siding.

This flexible paint can withstand the constant expansion and contraction of wood and is an effective preventative barrier against moisture.

Brick – 15-20 Years

When done correctly, a professional-grade paint job on your home’s brick exterior can last between fifteen to twenty years. The reason for this longevity is that brick is highly porous, which means there is more surface area for the primer and paint to grip onto.

For a long-lasting paint job, you should paint your brick exterior with either 100% acrylic latex or elastomeric paint. Both of these paints create effective protective barriers against the elements and dig into the brick’s porous surface for a hold that can last over a decade.

Signs You Should Repaint Your House’s Exterior

What are the warning signs that your home’s exterior is in dire need of a new paint job? If you notice the following warning signs, you should consider repainting the exterior of your home. The longer some of the following problems persist, the worse they will get with time, not only destroying the look of your home but also jeopardizing it’s safety and longevity.

Chipping Paint

When paint begins to chip away, the adhesion between the paint and your home’s exterior surface has been compromised. There are various reasons why the adhesion between the surface of your home causing the paint that coats it to break down over time.

From moisture to insects or impacts from severe weather, once separation happens, it’s only a matter of time before the elements expose that vulnerability in your exterior paint job. Chipped paint and peeling paint tend to radiate out from the point of separation, which means the affected area will grow with time.

Fading Paint

If you notice your home isn’t quite as bright or vibrant as it used to be, it could be an indicator that the layer of paint on your home’s exterior is beginning to break down. Though fading is mostly a cosmetic issue caused by the sun’s radiation leeching pigment from the paint, its appearance could forewarn other issues.

By the time the sun’s light leeches pigment to the point that it’s noticeable, your home’s exterior paint likely has other issues as well.

Signs of Wear and Tear

Your home’s exterior paint is no more immune to the 2nd law of thermodynamics than you are. As time passes, the chemical bonds holding materials together degrade due to long periods of direct sunlight. Over time, the bonds holding your home’s exterior paint to the walls of your home will break down.

Severe weather and freak events, like a tree falling over, can speed this process along by causing damage to your home’s exterior. As we mentioned above, in the paint chipping section, one small scratch, crack, or chip has a tendency to spread due to wear and tear.

If you notice damage to your home’s exterior paint job—cracks, chips, bubbles, scratches, etc.—you’ll want to consider performing preventative maintenance by cleaning, prepping, and repainting the affected area of your home’s exterior immediately.

You’re Putting Your House on the Market

If you plan to sell your home or get a home appraisal to refinance, you’ll want your home to look as attractive as possible. A fresh coat of paint on your home’s exterior will make it look brand new and help you score a higher valuation—curb appeal matters when it comes to getting the most value out of your home.

Cracked Caulk

Caulk is designed to seal the spaces between doors, windows, and walls. It is supposed to be a flexible, moisture-resistant barrier, but over time it can harden, crack, and become ineffective at protecting your home from moisture and the elements.

If you notice that the caulk surrounding your windows and doors is missing or cracked, you’ll need to replace it ASAP, which also involves repainting the area once the caulk dries.

How Long Will Exterior Paint Last?

The safe bet is to assume that your exterior paint job will last around five years or so. Remember, many variables help determine how long an exterior paint job might last—from the materials being painted, the type of paint being used, and the climate your home endures.

However, there are plenty of tips and tricks you can learn to enhance the longevity of your home’s exterior paint job, no matter the variables.

Ways to Make Your Exterior Paint Last

A paint job’s longevity largely depends on the techniques used and the weather conditions on the day the home’s exterior was painted. If painting your home’s exterior, make sure you:

  1. Fully clean and prime the surface.
  2. Wait for a mild, temperate day with temperatures between 60 and 85 degrees.
  3. Pick a day with minimal wind to prevent dirt, dust, and pollen from getting trapped in the paint.
  4. Use paints recommended by professional painters.
  5. Go one coat at a time, and use one more coat than you think you need.
  6. Preventative maintenance helps improve the longevity of your exterior paint job.

Interested in Learning More? Contact Our Professional Painters Today

If you want an exterior paint job that lasts, trust Pizzazz Painting to do the job right—from the prep work to the final coat. We’ve been painting the interior and exterior of homes and businesses for over 25 years. Contact Pizzazz today and speak with one of our professional painters about starting your next painting project.

Call Now Button