How Often You Need To Paint Your House Exterior

No matter how well-built your house is, it needs to look good. The exterior of your home is as important as the interior. It is the first thing people will notice about your house.

The exterior is not just to make your home beautiful. It also protects your house from all kinds of harsh natural calamities. You can say it’s also the most vulnerable part of the house. 

So, what can we do to save the house’s exterior? Well, the only solution is to paint the house exterior. Now the question is, how often should you paint your exterior? In this article, we will deal with this question.

Do I Need a New Paint Job?

Truthfully, this is a subjective and objective question at the same time. The objective part is simple. If your exterior paint starts to deteriorate heavily. The condition is so bad that things can get really worse if you don’t do an immediate paint job.

The subjective part is the question of aesthetics and beauty. Are you looking for a chance? Do you think your house looks a bit drab? Are there any upcoming important family ceremonies or parties? These are the questions that can lead you to do a new paint job.

So, you are the ultimate decider on how often you need to paint your house exterior. Well, you can always ask for an expert opinion.

Factors to Consider When Painting House Exterior

You need to look at a few key factors before deciding whether or not to get a new exterior paint job-

• What materials are used to build the exterior? It could be brick, vinyl, wood, etc. The paint job works very differently on different material surfaces.
• What type of paint was used when the house was built? There are several different types of paint – oil-based, water-based, latex-based. Other types of paint have different lifespans.
• What is the weather condition around your house? If the weather is extreme, you’ll need to paint more than usual.

Exterior House Material Makes a Difference

Different materials react to paint jobs differently. Before deciding to paint, you must figure out what materials were used to build your house. 

The construction materials are crucial factors to determine the lifespans of a paint job.  

• Wood siding – needs to be repainted somewhere between 3-7 years ( If the weather is humid, then more)
• Brick – You can relax for 15-20 years.
• Stucco – can hold paint better than wood, needs to be painted every 5 years.
• Cement board – Ceramic is as good as bricks. It should be painted every 10-15 years.
• Vinyl siding – paint jobs on vinyl siding last around 10 years.
• Aluminum siding – should be painted every 5 years.

These are the most common types of siding. When you decide to paint your house, the material of your home should be the first consideration.

Different Paints Have Different Lifespans

Usually, house painters use latex-based or acrylic paints for exterior painting. The advantage of using these paints is that they are generally the easiest to apply, and they dry the fastest. Depending on the exterior, and acrylic paint job should be good for around ten years. This is a slightly longer lifespan than latex and oil-based paints.

Another determining factor is the quality of the original paint. Cheap paint won’t last nearly as long as the more expensive, high-quality variants.

How Well Was the Last Paint Job Done?

Obviously, it all comes down to how you paint your home last time. If you use high-quality paint, you don’t have to be worried a lot. These simple questions should determine whether you need a new paint job or not?- When will you paint the exterior for the last time? How many coats were applied? And What time of year do you choose to paint your house? 

The Bottom Line

As you can see, I was not giving a definitive answer to how often you need a new paint job. The reality is, there is no definite answer to this question. But, in general, a typical house exterior needs to be painted once every five years.

Every house is different; many variables need to be considered before painting a house. If you’re not sure exactly when you need to repaint your home, consider talking to experts.