How Often Should You Repaint The Exterior Of Your Home?

How Often Should You Repaint The Exterior Of Your Home?

It’s estimated that the exterior paint of a house should last between seven to ten years. But this is just a general estimation. How often you should paint your home depends on climate, type of paint used, prep work done, and maintenance. Let’s look at how each of these factors affects the longevity of a Winnipeg exterior painting project.

Weather

Climate counts when it comes to paint’s durability. For example, houses near the coast are more exposed to sand, sun, and salty air, so the paint will wear out more quickly than those in more forgiving climates. Exterior paint for houses in locations that experience harsh winters, intense storms, and high humidity will also age more quickly. Exterior paint for houses that are exposed to direct sunlight will bubble and fade more quickly compared to those within a similar climate but sheltered by trees. Given Winnipeg’s rather long, brutally cold winters and non-stop summer heat, residents should expect to repaint the exterior of their houses more often than every seven years.

Preparation

There are a few things to consider before deciding between hiring professionals or doing the job yourself for your next exterior painting project. There’s more to exterior painting than selecting the perfect paint colour schemes. Preparation is a critical contributor to the overall finish of the painting project. If you intend to stretch the longevity of the exterior paint as far as possible, the surfaces of the exterior walls must be free from debris, loose paint, mould, and any rot. If preparation is not done properly, the paint job will degrade before its estimated time. That’s why It’s important to always hire well-experienced painters who understand how to properly prepare different surfaces.

Quality of Paint

There’s no debate about this. A quality paint job done with quality paint lasts longer. High-end paints are made using high-quality solvents, binder additives, and pigments. In essence, it’s these ingredients that increase a paint’s longevity. Cheap paint may look fine for a while, but over time, deficiencies start to show through. The colour you first fell in love with begins to evolve into something else. The dollars you were trying to save finally cost you hefty amounts when you realize you have to repaint the exterior all over again too soon.  If you don’t want to keep repainting the exterior of your home after every three years, opt for high-quality paints. 

Maintenance

Preventative maintenance can actually extend the life of your exterior paint job. This means spotting problems before they become extreme. Inspect the surfaces every once in a while looking for dampness, chalkiness, cracking, and insect infestation. How well you address these signs will affect how long the exterior paint lasts. Still on this, general maintenance includes washing dirt and moss off the exterior walls.

If you’re one of the many homeowners wondering whether the value of a new exterior paint project is worth the cost, it definitely is! A good exterior paint job will not just improve your home’s curb appeal, it will also increase the value of your house.