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When to Paint Your House

woman painting with a laugh and smile

woman painting with a laugh and smile

Your house looked amazing when you bought it. Now, years later, the paint might is fading,  peeling, or chipping off. Maybe it’s been scratched or stained. These are the telltale signs that it needs to be repainted. Every building, whether it’s a mansion or a birdhouse needs to be repainted every now and then. This is true for the interior and the exterior of the structure. How often you repaint may depend on the climate, the abuse it takes, the quality of the paint that was used, and the composition of the material that the surface is made of. A stained wooden fence or deck will need restaining/sealing more often than the exterior of a house covered in vinyl siding. Here are some broad guidelines you can use to plan ahead. 

One of the main reasons for painting things is to protect the material underneath. Yes, it will also make them look better, too. If you look at a piece of wood that has been left outdoors without paint or sealant, you can see how it dries out and cracks or, in a wet cool climate, it might soak up moisture and rot or grow mold. In many locations, it will get soaked by the rain then dry out in the sun repeatedly over and over. An unpainted wooden structure will not survive more than 10-15 years, where a correctly painted/sealed one can last forever.

dried out old wood

Exterior Surfaces

The outside of your home or commercial building may be made of any one of a variety of materials. What this material is can have a great impact on how often it needs to be painted. This also applies to outbuildings, fences, doghouses, or kind of structure that is painted and is exposed to the elements. The quality of the paint or sealant previously used will also come into play. The more expensive house paints also come with a longer warranty period. In general, a paint that goes on thicker is likely to withstand the weather, and abuse better than one that is thinner. An extra coat of paint can go a long way toward protecting any material for a longer period of time.

How Long You Can Expect Exterior Paint to Last

  • Wood – 
    • 4 years for stain
    • 3-7 years for paint
  • Brick – 15-20 years for paint
  • Aluminum siding – 5 years
  • Stucco – 5-6 years
  • Cement fiberboard siding – 10-15 years 
  • Vinyl siding – 20-25 years

brick wall painted blue

Interior Surfaces

The interior of your home or office will need to be painted more frequently than the outside depending on use. If there’s a lot of people or abuse in the area it will need repainting more often. Many companies offer paints and sealants designed for high use areas that need to be cleaned or wiped down frequently. We’re usually talking about home or office interiors. If you use a thicker paint or sealant it will last longer and if you can prevent damage, it will last even longer. Even under ideal conditions, though, colors may fade over time and the paint may crack or peel.

How Long You Can Expect Interior Paint to Last

  • Most home interiors: 3-5 years

peeling-yellow-paint

Signs Your Interior Walls Need Painting

There are the obvious things already mentioned: color fading, cracks, and peeling. Here are a few more signs that it’s probably time to repaint.

  • Fading – Over time most colors will fade. This may be due to sunshine or other light sources. But sometimes even colors that have been kept in the dark will fade just because of the chemical composition of the inks or dyes used in the coloring. Even White will become yellowed over time. When you see any of this it’s time to paint.
  • Cracks – If your paint starts getting tiny little cracks all over it, that means it’s drying or losing the elasticity inherent in the polymers that make up the paint. In pottery, they call it “crazing.” If you see it on your walls, it’s time to paint again.
  • Peeling – If the paint hasn’t adhered well to the surface beneath it may start peeling off. Sometimes it’s nothing to do with the paint and everything to do with the surface beneath. If the wood rots out from under the paint because it’s not sealed on another side, the paint will peel right off. This is a sure sign that you need to repair the wall and then paint it.
  • Not Coming Clean – If you have cleaned the area repeatedly and it isn’t coming clean, you have cleaned off your sealant and it’s time to paint.
  • Scuffs and Scratches – In your hallways or other high traffic areas people or animals may rub up against the wall. Too much of this and you will start to see scuff marks and scratches. When you see that, it’s time to paint.
  • Stains – In the kitchen, laundry room, garage, or other places where you may be using colorful liquids that can leave a stain. When those liquids get spilled or splashed on the walls and you can’t clean them off, it’s time to paint.
  • Damage –  Maybe a hole got punched or kicked into a wall. Maybe it’s just a dent or ding from moving furniture around. Perhaps it’s rotting wood or rusty metal. If you have to repair it, then you likely have to paint it too.
  • Renovations – Make sure you include the cost of the painting your remodeling project. Whether it’s a kitchen or bathroom or whatever room(s) you may be renovating. Any new construction or serious remodeling will always include painting as the last step.
  • Looks – If you’re just tired of looking at the same old walls or want to give your home a new feel, painting with new colors can have a dramatic effect. Many people have painted their walls after they were stuck inside them longer than expected due to the pandemic. They may be onto something that would make their home feel more comfortable as well as provide a much-needed home improvement project for those with too much time on their hands.

cracking-blue-paint

Hire Excellent Painters

We strongly recommend hiring professional painters such as those from Excellent Painters in Evergreen Colorado to help you get that painting done. You may not have much time on your hands, but hate the color of the walls in your improvised home office. KIt’s one thing to pick out the paint and the colors. It’s another to clear out all your furniture, lay down dropcloths to protect the floor, and then apply masking tape around all the windows and doors, paint everything, and clean up afterward on your own. It’s a lot of work and not all as easy as you might expect. There are a lot of tools and equipment that pros have that you may not want to buy. Think about it. Do you want a project that will last for weeks or a quickly repainted home within days? There are many reasons to hire the professional painters of Excellent Painters.

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How to Paint a House

woman painting with roller

House painting can be a very good thing to improve the value and liveability of your home. This is especially true when it comes to improving a comfortable and stress-free atmosphere. The colors of your home can make a difference in many meaningful ways. Painting a house is a big job. It will require a good deal of effort. Here are some tips to help you do properly.

These are the 2 ways to accomplish house painting:

  1. Do it yourself
  2. Hire professional painters

There are pros and cons to each approach. First, and for many people the most important difference is the cost. Professional painters are much more expensive than doing it yourself. Second, professional painters already know how to do all the painting and they have all the right tools and equipment to handle the job efficiently. Third, pros will almost certainly do the job quicker than you could do it yourself, so if you’re in a hurry, that might be the better way to go. Finally, professional painters will do the job better than you probably can so it will end up looking better than a DIY job. It’s up to you to decide which approach will work best for your project.

Painting Your Exterior Walls

If you wish to paint your home’s exterior, you will need to follow these steps if you want to do it yourself:

Clean the Walls

Before you begin, you will need to clean your walls. You should do this from top to bottom using a pressure washer or warm soapy water and a scrub brush, if you can;t get access to a pressure washer.  Use a ladder or extension poles to reach the highest walls.

Repair Any Surface Damage

It doesn’t matter whether the outside of your house is wood, metal, vinyl siding, or stucco, before painting you must search for any possible damage. It’s also crucial to give yourself enough time to fix or fill any cracks or holes using a spackling compound and a spackle knife. Let it dry, and sand it with a medium-grit sanding block before you paint. IN some cases you may need to replace the wood or whatever is there if it has been damaged beyond repair. You may wish to call in a carpenter to help with this.

You Must Remove Previous or Loose Paint

Also, before you begin, you must determine if there is any loose paint or chipped paint on the walls of your house. You accomplish this by walking around your house’s perimeter and looking for it. These areas will need to be fixed before you paint over them.

Remove the loose pain with a scraper or a sanding block. It’s important to remember that this is a critical procedure. If you just paint over the loose paint then the new paint is likely to chip off, too and you’ll have to fix it and paint it again.

Caulking

You already have caulking around the doors and windows. Inspect all this to see if it has come loose or separated from the wall or trim. You can fill in gaps around your windows and doors. Use an exterior caulk to fix this issue. 

Use Primer 

A primer will help cover any old color from the existing paint as well as any minor damage, spackling, caulking, or repair work that you have previously done. It’s important to know that there are many different types of primers you can use. Make sure the one you use is compatible with the paint you are going to use later. Primers will also help your final coating adhere to the area you want to paint. It will also prevent the surfaces from absorbing the paint, which would mean you would have to put on additional coats..

Avoid Contaminating Your Doors, Windows, and Lights

You will want to protect your doors, windows, and lights from unnecessary paint splatter. To do this, you can use plastic sheeting and painters tape. Make sure to protect the floor and any furniture as well. You can use drop cloths or plastic sheeting for this.

Paint Your Exterior

Now that you have everything ready you can paint the exterior. It’s up to you to decide if you want to use brushes rollers or a sprayer. Generally speaking sprayers cover the area quicker, but with a thinner coat, so you will need to apply at least two coats with a sprayer. Rollers work well, but can take a lot more time and effort than a sprayer. Brushes should be used for the trim, corners and edges. It may take some practice, but you can probably get the hang of painting corners without making a mess of it with some practice. Keep a rag handy to wipe up any paint that might get in the wrong place.

Paint Your Doors and Trim

After you finish the exterior painting, use a brush to paint your doors and around the trim. 

How to Paint Your House’s Interior

Follow these easy steps to paint the interior of your house. 

Prep Your Walls

Much like the instructions for exterior walls, you need to clean the walls and repair any damage you find along the way. Fill all cracks, dents, holes, and surface flaws. This will ensure that you’ll get the best result in the end.

Use Primer 

It is usually recommended that you use a primer before painting your walls and ceiling. The reason we do this is to make sure the surface is ready for the final colored paint. The only reason to skip this step is if you are painting the same color as the existing paint and there haven’t been any serious repairs or remodeling involved. Primer will also help your coating adhere to your wall correctly. This will effectively make it look like a pro painter job. Professionals will often advise tinting the primer towards the final color, especially when there is a drastic change in color. You can do this by combining a small amount of your topcoat paint into your primer. When you tint your primer, it will become a more effective option for covering the imperfections on surfaces.

Choose Canvas Instead of Plastic

Canvas is extremely durable compared to plastic sheeting. What’s more, it is resistant to tears. It can absorb paint drips. Plus, the canvas can be easily folded in every corner of the room you are painting. The same is not always true of plastic coverings. The main downside is that canvas drop cloths do cost more than plastic sheeting.

Choose Extension Poles

If you have a rather high ceiling, you should always opt for extension poles rather than a ladder. This is to prevent any damage caused by the ladder as well as the risk of falling. Falls from ladders cause many serious injuries every year.

Use a Paint Grid

Instead of just using a paint tray, you also use a paint roller grid. This will remove excess paint on your roller and distribute it evenly.

TIP: Where to Store Your Roller?

Keep your brushes in a refrigerator overnight. You can wrap your rollers and paint brushes in plastic. Then you will just seal it with a tight rubber band and put it in the fridge. This will keep the brush or roller from drying out and it will be ready for use the next day. Let them warm up for 30 minutes prior to using them again. Always clean your brushes and roller thoroughly between painting projects.

Our Recommendation

There are many advantages to painting your house yourself.  But if this seems like a lot of work, you should seriously consider hiring professional painters such as our friends at Excellent Painters in Denver, Colorado. They will do an expert job in an efficient manner that will leave you delighted with the results.