The exterior of your home in Eugene, Oregon is starting to look a little pale and dated, and you’re now wondering if it’s time for an exterior repaint yet. Well, there are a few obvious signs that indicate your siding could use a fresh layer of paint, and this includes paint peeling, cracking, fading, caulking and flaking. But as you probably already know, exterior painting is a major task, especially if it’s a multilevel home, and no one wants to do it more times than necessary.
Which brings us to the question; how often should you have the exterior of your home repainted? Unfortunately, there is no set timeline for all, each home is different and unique. However, there’re a few guidelines that can help you pick an appropriate frequency that works for your unique situation. Here is a quick look at the top four.
The Siding Material
Paint has varying durability across different surfaces, which is one of the biggest reasons why lifespans for different paint jobs will differ even if they’re in the same neighborhood. According to popular findings, here is how painting needs will vary for different materials:-
• Aluminum siding – Paint every 4 years.
• Wood siding – Paint every 3-7 years, or every 4 years if it’s stained
• Stucco – typically lasts 5-6 years before requiring a fresh paint.
• Other Materials –hybrid and new types of materials such as brick and cement fiberboard often require less painting frequency, typically 10-15 years.
Quality of the Previous Paint Job
Not all paint jobs are created equal, even under the same conditions. There is a lot that goes into an exterior paint job other than just changing the color of your siding. And the overall quality of the paint job and materials used play a major role in how long your paint will last and how often you need to do touch-up painting.
The surface needs to be thoroughly prepared – washing, sanding, paint scraping, caulking, repairing and priming need to be done where appropriate. Failure to thoroughly prepare the surface will lead to signs of paint failure in as little as one year or even months after painting. The quality of paint, number of coats applied and the color will also determine how long your paint job will withstand external harsh elements.
Your Maintenance Habits.
Your home’s exterior takes a toll from a myriad of damaging elements such as frost, rain, humidity, mildew and mold, sunlight and insect invasion. These elements can quickly damage your paint system. Without regular intervention and a bit of TLC, your paint can fade, crack, peel, flake and caulk much faster than you can file your tax returns.
To ensure your exterior paint job lasts longer and in turn requires less frequent painting, perform a regular inspection in order to catch these problems at their early stages. Take care of any spotted issues such as insect invasion, mold and mildew growth, and rotting wood as soon as possible. Regularly wash off the dirt and mold, and hire a professional painting contractor to touch-up areas that have signs of failing paint.
Wear and Tear
If you see major paint failure signs such as extensive paint bubbling, cracking, peeling and chalking, it’s time for a new exterior paint job. You can only touch-up and correct so much when your paint starts to fail, so knowing when to call for a full exterior repaint is important. Generally, the longer the problems sit on your siding, the more damage there is, and the harder and more expensive they will be to correct.
Bottom Line
The above guidelines should give you an overall idea of when and how often you should repaint your home’s exterior. If you’re considering hiring professional painting service in for your home in Eugene Oregon, we can help. Call us today for a free estimate or more information.