How Often Should You Paint the Exterior of Your House?
Boost your home’s curb appeal by knowing how often you should paint the exterior of your house. Homeowners can sometimes feel unsure about how often and when they should paint their home's exterior. Fortunately, if you know the date of your previous paint job, you can calculate when you will need to freshen up your home exterior.
How Often Should You Paint a House Exterior?
A house exterior should get repainted every five to 10 years. How often your house should get painted will depend on several factors, such as climate, personal taste, and paint brand. However, the primary factor determining how often a home’s exterior needs a new paint job is the siding. Discover how long your next exterior painting project will last based on your choice of siding.
Type of Siding Paint Lifespan
Wood 3-7 years
Stucco 5-6 years
Aluminum 5-6 years
Cement Fiberboard 10-15 years
Brick 15-20 years
The Top 4 Factors That Affect Paint’s Lifespan
Many factors affect the longevity of a home’s exterior paint. But, the top four factors will have the most impact. Let’s take a closer look at siding, climate, taste, and paint brands.
1. Siding
Siding shields your home against inclement weather and physical damage. The type of siding you have on your home will determine how often you should paint it. For example, wood siding needs frequent repainting to protect it against mildew growth and dry rot. Stucco and aluminum siding need a little less paint maintenance. And cement fiberboard siding needs two to three coats of high-quality paint every 10 to 15 years.
2. Climate
Weather plays a significant role in how long a house’s exterior paint will last. Harsh winters can cause signs of wear and tear after the thaw. Salty air can result in chipped paint and cracking caulk for most beach houses. High humidity may cause peeling paint. And intense storms can lead to fallen tree limbs damaging the exterior of your home, including your paint job.
3. Personal Taste
For many homeowners, the amount of time between their last paint job and their new paint job will depend on their personal preferences. Some people like the rustic look of chipped paint on a vacation home. Others can not wait for their freshly painted brick to start revealing itself again. When it comes to house painting, beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.
4. Exterior Paint Brand
Exterior paints come in seemingly endless varieties. High-quality paints, like acrylic paints, last a long time but cost more than low-quality paints. Low-quality paints cost less upfront but may have you planning a home exterior painting project sooner than you would like.
How to Maximize the Life of an Exterior Paint Job
If you want to paint your house exterior as infrequently as possible, there are a few things that a home painting professional can do. Find the best ways to maximize the life of your paint below.
Choose Acrylic or Satin-Finish Paint
Selecting high-quality paint, like acrylic or satin-finish paint, will help you extend your home’s curb appeal. Low-quality paint fades faster in direct sunlight than the same paint color made with acrylic or a satin finish.
Apply Two or Three Coats
How many coats of paint should a house receive? When in doubt, apply more than one coat. It will protect your home better and last longer.
Annual Checkups
Regular maintenance checks can reveal problem areas that may need a touchup. By catching cracked or peeling paint early, you can spot-fix it and extend the life of your current paint job.
The Top 4 Signs a House Exterior Needs Fresh Paint
When checking the exterior, a painting professional will look for several signs that a home needs a new paint job. They include excessive wear, siding gaps, cracked caulk, and faded colors.
1. Wear and Tear
Over time, excessive wear of your home’s paint can result from nearby trees, plants, kids, wildlife, and pets. Accidents can also cause significant damage to outdoor paint. Signs of wear include:
- Scratches
- Bubbles
- Scuffs
- Chips
- Peels
- Cuts
2. Siding Gaps
Gaps in the siding of a home are a clear indicator of the need to repaint. Wood siding expands and contracts under changing weather conditions, which causes warping of the wooden boards and siding gaps. In many cases, a homeowner may need to replace a few boards in addition to repainting.
3. Cracking Caulk
Old caulk tends to dry out and crack after five years, exposing the exterior of a home to rain and humidity. To prevent damage to house paint, a homeowner should schedule an annual maintenance check with a professional painting company. The small price for a maintenance check can save thousands of dollars in repairs.
4. Faded Color
Over the years, the Sun’s UV light can fade the color of your home’s paint job. Light colors prove especially vulnerable to fading, but even dark colors lighten up after years of exposure. If house painters notice the paint has faded, they will recommend a new paint job.
How Often Should You Repaint the Exterior of Your Home?
Do you need to paint the exterior of your house? Putting off your next house painting project can lead to unnecessary wear and tear. Call Groovy Hues at to schedule a free estimate today!
