Nothing gives the exterior appearance of your home a fast, exciting makeover like a fresh coat of paint. Whether you intend to improve your curb appeal before selling your home or enjoy a great-looking home, painting your house exterior will help you achieve that.
Our guide today will address several things you need to know about giving your exterior house a facelift. But before we get started, let’s discuss the reasons to repair and repaint the outside of your home.
Benefits of Painting Your House Exterior
Of course, exterior house painting requires some work and significant investment. If you are hesitant regarding whether the value of applying a fresh coat of paint on your exterior home is worth the cost, the answer is: YES, it is.
And here are the benefits;
It makes your house stand out
Everyone wants their home to represent who they are- look as great as they are. The best way to achieve this and leave a lasting impression is by keeping the outside looking impressive. A great exterior paint job is a significant step towards creating an excellent curb appeal.
Ensure that you pick a color that best suits the aesthetics of your home and nicely goes with your property’s landscaping. You can also look at the neighboring houses to make sure your color doesn’t come too close in tone or clash with theirs.
For instance, two white houses next to each other could make one look more faded than the other, depending on the intensity of the color used.
Increase its value
You have invested a lot to make your home value, but to ensure its value keeps rising, you must maintain its exterior looking fresh and sharp. An impressive surface will create an excellent first impression on visitors and home buyers, which means higher resale value.
Therefore, having your house painted with attractive colors is worth it to retain or increase its value.
Repair damages
When applying a coat of paint on the exterior, professional painters will look at other more significant issues you might not have noticed. With time, mold, mildew, rotting wood, and water stains can begin to eat into your walls, and regular painting will reveal such damages before they become apparent.
The good news is that bruises and damages are not brutal to repair when spotted early. If addressed by a professional, these damages will not reappear.
Please protect it from different elements.
A fresh exterior house painting job does more than make your property look great; it adds a layer of protection from different elements such as weather damage, dust, and insects.
Quality paints can also prevent the wood from rotting. This helps you to avoid more considerable exterior house painting costs in the future.
Now that you understand the need to repaint your home exterior regularly, you may ask, how often should I paint it? Let’s discuss the timing.
How Do You Know It Is Time to Paint the Outside of Your Home
There are a few obvious signs, such as chipping and cracking paint, that show your home needs exterior painting, but some less noticeable signs can necessitate a repaint.
Of course, there is no set timeline since every home is different. However, there are some guidelines to follow, although several factors can change the timing.
Most experts advise that you paint your exterior walls every 5-10 years, depending on climate, previous paint job, and other factors we will discuss later.
Here are the probable timings of different materials;
- Wood siding– this can be repainted in 3-7 years. Averagely, it needs paintwork every four years due to staining
- Stucco– this lasts 5-6 years if done professionally
- Cement fiberboard siding. These can go for 10-15 years before repainting
- Aluminum sliding– paint usually last about five years
- Brick– Paint on brick can last 15-20 years
What Affects the Durability of Exterior Paints?
Several factors affect how long an exterior paint job will last. The three major ones are; how your house was painted previously, how you have maintained your home, and climate and weather.
Let’s discuss these three factors in greater depth.
Previous paint job
If you just bought your home, it is hard to know when it was last painted. However, you can inquire about the paint job to plan when your house might need a repaint job. The quality and type of paint used, how many coats were used, and the color used all impact longevity.
It is also essential to know the season your newly-acquired home was painted since the weather condition when your house was painted can change how well the paint dried.
Overall, high-quality paints with lighter shades last longer, mainly if they are applied by pros in two or three coats. Regarding paint types, 100 percent acrylic paint is the best since it resists fading and last longer.
House maintenance
When discussing exterior house maintenance, we discuss preventative maintenance and identifying problems before they go overboard. Look at the exterior of your house regularly to watch for any signs of cracks, wear, and tear. Things to watch out for include insects or rodent infestation, rot, dampness, rodent, and mold.
If you spot any of the above things, act accordingly to ensure your paint job last longer. Besides, you must maintain your walls by regularly washing off dirt and moss before they eat into your paint.
Damage from elements
The weather and climate of your locality can also significantly impact your paint and affect how long your exterior house painting job lasts. For instance, if your home doesn’t have trees to shelter place, its paint may fade away more quickly than a home surrounded by trees.
Also, if you are in an area that experiences intense storms and harsh winters, your paint job will likely age out more quickly.
With that in mind, let’s discuss the best time to paint your home.
When Is the Right Time to Paint Your Home Exterior?
You have never seen anyone painting their house exterior in the dead of winter because this is not the type of job that can be carried out in any season.
So, why is it that virtually all exterior painting jobs are done only in one season? Hint- It is because no one wants to feel cold outside!
The Right Time to Do Exterior Paint Jobs
How your paint dries depends on weather conditions and temperature at the time of application. That’s why you must do the work when the weather is warm so that your paint job turns out perfectly.
You should also look at the weather for a few days before you begin to paint because if it rains before your painting day, you must give your siding several days to dry. The same applies after you paint- you want to make sure that there will be no rain after the painting job since the paint has to be given time to cure properly.
You will also want to ensure that you paint when there are no major temperature fluctuations from day to night. Significant temperature fluctuations cause the paint to react and thus prevent it from curing properly. This means you will have unevenly painted surfaces with peels and cracks.
Therefore, the ideal time to paint house exteriors is early summer and early fall. These two periods offer the best weather conditions for painting since there are minimal temperature fluctuations and minimal rain.
How Hot Should the Day Be To Paint Outside?
Yes, we have mentioned that early summer is one of the perfect times to house exterior painting jobs. However, although summers have reliably dry weather that is perfect for painting, it comes with extreme temperatures.
Extreme heat could accelerate the paint to dry faster than it should, leading to a not-so-ideal finish. This means clumps of colors and brush marks on your surfaces.
Therefore, it is good to aim for a day with moderate temperature and humidity. Paint usually dries well when it is not overly humid.
As mentioned earlier, the best time to paint is during the early summer and fall, depending on your locality. Stick to these timelines if you want to end up with a smooth finish.
The Don’ts of Painting
1. Avoid painting when it is wet outside
Before painting, always ensure that the surfaces you intend to clean are dehydrated. This will increase the possibility of ending up with a smooth, perfectly even painted surface. Therefore, avoid painting when it’s rainy or excessively humid.
2. Don’t paint outside when the temperatures are extreme.
You want to avoid painting your exterior surfaces in the middle of winter since it usually is too cold for your paint to dry correctly. Also, avoid painting when there is extreme heat, which can cause the paint to dry extremely fast.
Factor in the temperatures at night as well since the paint will still be drying, and you want the temperatures to be ideal. However, if you work with professional painters in your locality, they will advise you on the appropriate conditions and time for exterior painting.
Of course, how smooth your painted surfaces will look depends on the area’s climate, but if you stick to the guidelines we have discussed here, you will have a new finish.
How to Prepare for a Paint Job That Will Last
- Before you start painting, get your siding in top shape. Repair cracks and holes in finishes such as stucco, replace rotten wood, treat insects and mold, and putty surface pitting and seal seams. If you want to remove peeling or cracking paint, you can sandblast. Follow up this with a power wash and apply the recommended amount of pressure.
- After power wash, allow your surfaces to dry completely so that you will have no trapped moisture under your paint. Also, if it rains heavily, it gives your house time to dry.
- Observe the weather to ensure that painting is done when the weather is dry and mild.
Should You Hire a Pro?
For people who are used to taking on their renovations, painting your home exterior is a money-saving project. But before you position the ladder to start painting, here are tools, stress, and safety factors you should consider.
Type of houses
Some hours are more difficult to paint than others. For instance, older, taller houses are delicate to paint, so it would be best to leave them to professional painters.
Straight exteriors on a box-shaped house make painting easier than irregularly shaped homes with two or more stories. This means that if you were to paint your sophisticated home, you would need more than a ladder to access high nooks and crannies.
Prep-work needed
Some surfaces require extensive prep work. For instance, if there is excessive mold or severe peeling, you may need to designate a few extra days to remedy the situation. Therefore, it will be great to talk with an experienced painter to fix extensive issues before you can get started.
Lead paints
Older homes built before 1978 May have leaded paint. Therefore, if you choose the DIY method, you must learn how to remove and handle it safely.
Tools and materials needed
If you already have painting equipment, it can be easier to do the painting yourself. However, if you are renting or purchasing them now, you should compare the cost of everything with the cost of hiring a professional company.
Remember that you will need lift and ladders, prep materials such as power washers, cleaning agent, scrub brushes, a bleach for mildew, pails, among other things, drop cloths, masking tape, rags, paint removers, and many other materials.
Other things to review include
- Skills and experience needed: Do you have them?
- Time and labor required: Is it available?
If you still feel confident after evaluating the above factors, you can go the DIY way and paint your house exterior. Ensure not to take shortcuts because, in the end, your home is your most valued investment, and thus it is good to give it your best.
If you are unsure or value your leisure time, you can approach a pro in your locality for an estimated cost of painting your house exterior.
Suppose you are considering hiring a professional painter. In that case, we, Wall Works in Murrieta and Temecula, CA, will gladly work with you to ensure your exterior walls look smooth and inviting.
Why We Are Your Ideal Exterior House Painters in Temecula
Here at Wall Works, we make giving your home a complete facelift easier without worries and hassles.
Our team of experts delivers the highest quality and smoothest results so your home can become a focal point in your neighborhood.
We undertake painting jobs right from preparation work to finishing touches.
At Wall Works, our trained professional painters will transform your home into something you will be proud of. Call us at 951-695-5588 or email us to schedule your free estimate. Check out our reviews on Yelp and Google.
