Understanding how often you should paint your house can be challenging, especially if you are a first-time homeowner. Regular painting and touch-ups are essential to prevent chipped or flaky paint from ruining your home’s aesthetics and damaging painted surfaces. But how often should you paint your house? Today, we are here with expert guidance and the answers you need, showing you how often each aspect of your home needs to be painted.
How Often Should You Paint Home Interiors?
Your home interiors typically need painting every 2 to 10 years, depending on the area that needs repainting and whether it shows any damage. How often you need to repaint the area depends on how often it is used, whether there are signs of damage, and whether you are looking to refresh or change the colour scheme. Usually, we recommend the following:
- Ceilings – every 7 to 10 years
- Bedrooms – every 5 to 7 years
- Living and dining rooms – every 5 to 7 years
- High traffic areas (like hallways) – every 2 to 4 years
- Humid areas (like kitchens and bathrooms) – every 2 to 4 years
You can wait longer before painting these areas, or do the job sooner, depending on the condition of the current paint. For minor scuffs or chipped paint, touch-ups are recommended to keep the room feeling fresh without the effort of repainting the entire space.
How Often Should You Paint Your Home’s Exterior?
Your exteriors will need repainting regularly to keep the paint fresh and vibrant. Not only can chipped or faded paint impact the value of your home and its curb appeal, but it can also increase the risk of surface damage, leaving you with potentially costly repairs down the line. How often you need to paint varies depending on your home’s exterior materials. Typically, we recommend:
- Brick – every 10 to 20 years
- Aluminium/Vinyl siding – every 5 to 10 years
- Stucco – every 5 to 6 years
- Wood siding/trim – every 3 to 7 years
If your home’s exterior uses a mixture of these materials, you will need to repaint the areas separately, following the timeframes provided and using suitable paint for each material. Several factors can affect how often you need to repaint your home’s exterior, including the climate, paint quality, and surface materials. Exterior walls that face the sun typically fade faster and will need repainting more frequently, especially if you don’t use paint with UV protection. You will also need to consider heavy rainfall or winds that may cause debris to hit your house, damaging the paint and causing you to repaint more frequently.
6 Signs That It’s Time to Repaint
While you can follow our recommended time frames for painting, your walls and surfaces will often tell you when it’s time to repaint. Look for signs on your interior and exterior walls that need repainting to prevent damage and improve your curb appeal. The following signs are common:
- Exterior walls with faded colour
- Exterior walls where the paint is peeling, cracking, or bubbling
- Interior walls where stains can’t be cleaned off
- Interior walls where the paint is peeling, cracking, or bubbling
- Interior walls where there are dents in the paint
- Interior walls where the colour no longer matches your desired look
How to Make Your Paint Last Longer
Ensuring that your paint lasts longer can reduce how often you need to repaint and will keep your house feeling fresher for longer. How you do this will vary depending on the type of paint you used, but typically, the following tips will help to make the paint last longer:
- Clean your walls regularly to prevent paint damage. Exterior walls especially need regular cleaning to prevent the paint from degrading
- Choose high-quality paint to ensure that it lasts longer and that your coats apply evenly
- Prepare the surface thoroughly beforehand for even application and to prevent peeling or bubbling
- Use a primer before applying paint to provide a smooth and even surface
- Invest in the best rollers and brushes to help with a smooth and even application
Find Expert Painters and Decorators Today
Your home’s interior and exterior will need to be repainted regularly to keep them fresh and free of damage. We know how time-consuming this can be, which is why we recommend utilising the help of professional painters, like DC Decorators. These professional Brisbane painters can help repaint your home and provide guidance on keeping your paint fresher for longer and on touching up where required. Contact them to arrange your house painting today.