When Does Your Home Need a Fresh Coat of Paint?
No matter how good a paint job, is, it won’t last forever. At some point, your house will need an exterior repainting. But how do you know when it’s time to call a painting company? Consider the following factors:
- Material: The durability of your paint job will depend on the surface. Wood siding needs new paint every 3-7 years, or every 4 years if it’s stained. Aluminum needs a new coat every 5 years, and stucco lasts about 5-6 years. New types of materials, such as cement fiberboard, can last 10-15 years before repainting. Brick lasts the longest, at 15-20 years – unless it’s unpainted, then brick just needs occasional cleaning.
- Previous paint: If you have the details from when your house was painted last, such as the quality of paint and number of coats applied, you can get a better idea of when you’ll need to repaint. Lighter shades of high-quality paint tend to last the longest.
- Weather: The elements have a big impact on how long your paint will last. Direct sunlight can cause the paint to fade more quickly, as can harsh winters and high humidity.
- Preventive maintenance: Check your home’s exterior for signs of dampness, rot, mold, or insect infestation regularly. By catching and taking care of these problems early, you can prevent further damage and maintain your paint job for longer.
When’s the Best Time of Year to Paint Your House?
Although it doesn’t seem like it would matter too much, the time of year can have a big impact on your house’s paint job and the paint’s durability. Typically, the best time of year to paint is in summer, although it depends on the weather conditions during this season. Your painting contractors shouldn’t apply the paint in extreme heat, as the high temperature or direct sunlight might cause the paint to dry prematurely.
Paint doesn’t do well in temperatures that vary drastically, like when it’s extremely hot during the day but very frigid at night. For this reason, late fall and early spring should typically be avoided. Most high-quality paints on the market also shouldn’t be applied in temperatures lower than 35 degrees, so that rules out most of the winter in Northern Colorado.
House painters should also avoid moisture at all costs. Paint should always go on a dry surface, or the moisture will damage the paint job. At HERO exteriors, we do thorough checks that your surfaces are as dry as possible after we’ve finished power washing, and before we start painting.
