How Often Should You Paint Your House Exterior

Painting the exterior of your house is never fun. It takes a lot of planning and plotting because it’s not just for your eyes. It is visible to the entire neighborhood. So you must do it correctly, addressing critical questions such as how long does paint last and what type of paint is best to ensure the durability of your house exterior paint.

Is House Exterior Paint Essential For Curb Appeal?

“Curb appeal is everything when you’re trying to sell a home because that’s the first thing [buyers] see to get interested,” says Sidney Torres, a Real-Estate Developer.

A perfectly painted house exterior is one of the ways you can improve your house’s curb appeal, as it will help you sell your home faster and for a higher price – if you ever decide to go down that road in the future.

Furthermore, a fresh coat of paint not only adds value to your home but also distinguishes it from other houses on the block. Who needs dull exterior paint when you can have eye-catching house paint?

But saying it is much easier than doing it or maintaining it. You must keep an eye out for a few things to keep your house in good shape. But don’t worry; we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about how long does paint last for the house exterior and much more.

How Long Does Paint Last?

If we ask the experts, they will tell us that the durability and longevity of a house’s exterior paint is 5-10 years. However, this is not a hard-and-fast rule you must strictly adhere to.

It is a rough estimate for the majority of the houses. However, how long does a house last on its exterior paint depends on a few key factors that you should consider carefully.

Factors Influencing the Timeline of Your Home’s Exterior Painting

A few driving forces or factors influence the lifetime of your paint. Make a mental note of them if you’re on the lookout.

House Exterior Surface

The surface of the house is critical in determining the frequency with which house paint is applied. Some surfaces require more or less time before needing a new paint job than others.

We’ve listed the types of surfaces and their longevity for your convenience so you can know exactly how long you need to wait or check the condition of your house’s exterior before a repaint.

• Wood Siding: Wood siding surfaces should be painted every 3-7 years.
• Aluminum Siding: It needs to be repainted every 5 years.
• Stucco: It has a typical lifespan of 5-6 years.
• Fiberboard Cement Siding: It requires less frequent touch-ups and can last for 10-15 years before needing to be repainted.
• Brick: If not painted, it requires only occasional cleaning; if painted, it can last 15-20 years.

The Local Climate

The climate of the area in which your house is located is another important factor that influences its exterior paint.

The exterior paint is likely to bubble and fade quickly if you live in a hot summer environment with few or no trees to shade your home. Furthermore, if you decide to paint on a day when the temperature is too high, the color will dry much faster but will have bumps and wrinkles.

On the other hand, cold weather areas do not provide much relief if harsh winters, storms, and humidity take up half of the year because it helps paint age more quickly.

The perfect day for painting your home’s exterior is neither too hot nor too cold.

Also, if it rains a few days before you paint the house, ensure it is completely dry; you don’t want moldy paint.

Quality Of The Paint

Quality takes precedence over quantity. We’ve all learned this lesson at some point in our lives. It’s also the lesson most homeowners learn when they forego high-quality paint in favor of lower-cost alternatives.

Cheap paints, such as oil-based paints, will likely fade quickly as the sun’s ultraviolet rays break down the chemical bonds in the paint. Furthermore, these rays can cause blistering or chalking.

100% acrylic paints are said to be the best quality because they are less likely to harden, blister, crack, or allow mildew growth over time.

As a result, it is prudent to inquire about the quality of paint used by previous homeowners and even landlords. If they used acrylic paints and the paint job is good, you won’t have to repaint it anytime soon. However, if they use oil-based paint and you notice a few wrinkles, it’s a good idea to spend the money and repaint the house.

Why Is House Exterior Painting So Difficult?

As previously stated, painting the exterior of a house is never enjoyable. It is a difficult task because one mistake in paint quality, quantity, finish, or even a stroke can result in a hideous-looking house that you cannot hide behind wall art or wall hang. Every neighbor is free to look and judge.

So you never want to try anything new or take any chances with your exterior house painting project. Take matters into your own hands only if you have previous house painting experience and know how much to paint the exterior of a house.

Otherwise, it’s best to leave it to the hands of professionals who know what they’re doing and how to work their magic to make your house stand out from the rest.

Let’s Wrap Up

So the answer to the question, “How long does paint last?” is that you don’t know. You can examine the factors that influence the longevity of a paint job as well as the wear and cracks that the house has sustained over time to get a rough estimate.