How Long Does Exterior House Paint Last?
Your home is your most significant investment. When you choose to paint your home's exterior, you're adding time and money to make your investment more valuable. However, exterior home painting is a large project and often comes with a significant price tag. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Repainting your home can give it a breath of fresh air. Just make sure you make the right choices, so your exterior paint job lasts as long as it's supposed to.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I PAINT THE EXTERIOR OF MY HOUSE?
Exterior house paint can last anywhere between 5-12 years. However, several different factors can drastically impact the longevity of your home's exterior paint job. When it comes to painting the exterior of your home, the adage of proper preparation prevents pour results is the main key to your success! Here are some tips and tricks you’ll need to know to achieve a long-lasting exterior paint job. By following this advice, you can extend the life of your home’s exterior painting significantly, saving you time and money in the future!
The Quality of Paint You Choose Matters
One of the most significant factors in achieving a long-lasting exterior paint job is your choice of exterior house paint. The quality of paint you choose will directly impact how long your paint job lasts. If you choose the cheapest paint option, we guarantee you'll be repainting in just a few years. Don’t gamble with your exterior house paint! When it comes to painting choices, we recommend a top of the line 100% premium acrylic latex paint, it’s usually the best choice for exterior painting applications.
“Too often, homeowners try to save a little money by trading down to run-of-the-mill paint. The better approach is to trade up to top-quality paint, which will protect better, last longer, and actually, save money in the long run”. Debbie Zimmer - Dow Chemical Company
The Surfaces Your Home Was Built With
The materials used to build each home is different, so it’s difficult to say how long your exterior paint job will last. This factor is outside of your control, but the type of material you are painting will directly correlate with your paint's longevity. For example, stucco (which is made up of cement, limestone, and sand) will hold onto paint much better. A house made of stucco has a better chance of its exterior paint job lasting 10 years.
What You Need to Know About Exterior Painting
On the other hand, homes made of wood will have a shorter paint job lifespan. As wood ages, the surface naturally begins to deteriorate, often resulting in fading and cracking in the paint. An exterior paint job for wood will usually last only 4-7 years.
Here is a breakdown of how often you will need to paint the exterior of your home based on the surface type:
· Brick: every 8 – 17 years
· Wood siding: every 4 – 7 years (or 4 if it’s stained)
· Aluminum siding: every 5 years
· New or mixed materials: every 7 – 12 years
· Stucco: every 5 – 15 years
Factors that Can Impact Your Exterior Paint Job's Longevity
The Previous Paint Job
If you have just purchased and moved into a new home, you may not know the last time the property was painted. If you can, you should find out when that was, and find out the type of paint that was used (usually there are old paint buckets in the garage and sometimes they have labels with dates on them) as this will help you better determine when you’ll need to paint the home again. Things like the type of paint used, the quality level of the paint, and even the color, can all speak to the overall longevity of the exterior paint surface.
When picking exterior paint colors, we have several rules and recommend high-quality paint in lighter colors (hues) because they tend to last longer (usually 2-5 years longer). I tell this to clients all the time, the lighter the longer!
WHAT AFFECTS THE DURABILITY OF AN EXTERIOR PAINT JOB?
Sunlight Exposure & Damage From The Elements
Homes that are exposed to a significant amount of direct sunlight will often experience much faster deterioration. The painted surface can start to show premature signs of fading and cracking in just a few years.
To determine if your paint is old and outdated because of sun exposure, there is a quick and simple test you can do to determine this. Just take your hand and run it across the surface of your siding. If there is a chalking powdery residue on the tips of your fingers then your paint is breaking down and it most likely time to paint. What causes this? Ultraviolet light breaks down the binders in the paint and releases the pigments. This is called chalking paint.
Speaking of the sun, don't paint in direct sunlight either (if you can avoid it). Try to aim for painting on a cooler day. Direct sunlight will cause your paint to dry too quickly, which will make the paint job more difficult overall. The heat will show brush strokes and general unevenness more clearly.
If you live in an area that's hot all the time, consider the painter's trick of "following the sun." While the sun is on one side of the house, concentrate on painting the other side.
Always Use A Quality Primer
Additionally, the quality of the prep work done before painting can dictate how long the paint holds up. Your primer is the most important part of prep work. Many paint companies now offer "2-in-1" paint and primers, but we don't recommend those when it comes to exterior house painting. When you use a primer, it allows your top-coat of paint to adhere to the surface without blistering or bubbling. That's because primer helps to smooth out any surface imperfections before you start painting.
We recommend using a water or oil-based primer if your topcoat is acrylic latex paint. If you use an oil-based paint, you should always go with an oil-based primer.
Apply The Proper Amount Of Coats
If you want to increase the lifespan of your exterior house painting, we recommend applying several coats. As you put on additional coats, they act as a barrier protecting your home from damage from weather and other elements. Generally speaking, areas that are especially high-risk for damage should get three coats in total: one primer and two topcoats.
Manufacturers like Sherwin Williams specify on all products that they recommend two coats of paint be applied. This is the way the product is designed to hold up over time. Two coats will outperform one coat in terms of durability, protection, washability, and getting the true color, and retaining the true color.
Exterior Pressure Washing Extends The Life
If your exterior paint job starts to look faded before it's time, consider giving your home an exterior washing. The build-up of dirt can make your paint look faded when it's not. We suggest power washing your home once a year to keep your paint job looking fresh and bright.
Hire Professional Exterior Painters
If you hire professional painters in Jacksonville, FL, they can use industry best practices to ensure your exterior paint job lasts as long as possible. Conversely, if you attempt the work on your own, you might make rookie mistakes that cause you to have to repaint in just a few short years.
When you hire A New Leaf Painting, our paint jobs typically last well beyond the typical 4-6 years. The average life expectancy for an exterior painting job from A New Leaf Painting is 7.3 years!
A New Leaf Painting has painted over 4000 homes in the last 20 years in the Greater Jacksonville, FL area. So, we know how to make a paint job last. We stand behind all of our projects with a 5-year written warranty, which can be upgraded to 7 or even 10 years. Our paint jobs typically last well beyond this, however: the average life expectancy for a painting job from A New Leaf Painting is 7 years! Call us to schedule a free estimate at 904-615-6599.