How Often Should You Paint Your Home’s Exterior In Baltimore

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How Often Should You Paint Your Home’s Exterior in Baltimore?

We all know first impressions matter, and when it comes to your home, curb appeal is that first impression. Nothing revives, beautifies, and protects a house as effectively and affordably as a good quality exterior paint job. A fresh paint job not only elevates a home's overall aesthetic but also serves to protect it from the elements. Whether you live in Roland Park, Hampden, Canton, or any other neighborhood in Charm City, eventually what was an attractive coat of paint is going to chip and fade. But how often should you paint your home's exterior? The answer may surprise you. Many people believe that they should paint their homes every five years. However, in reality, many homes only need to be painted every seven to ten years. Of course, there are several factors that will affect how often you need to repaint the exterior of your home.

Factors That Affect Repainting Frequency

 
  1. Material of Your Home’s Exterior A primary consideration in determining how often you will need to paint your home’s exterior is the material of your siding and trim. For example, if your home has vinyl siding/trim, it won’t need to be repainted nearly as often as a home wood siding/trim. That’s because vinyl siding/trim is much more resistant to fading and chipping than wood. A vinyl exterior should only need re-painting every 5-7 years. But if your home has wood siding/trim, you should plan on a new paint job every 3-5 years.
  2. Condition of Siding The condition of your siding will also affect how easily, and how often you will need to repaint your home’s exterior. If the siding is in good condition, it will be easier to prep for painting, and the new coat of paint will adhere better. However, if the siding is in poor condition, preparation will be much more extensive to allow the new coat of paint to bond to the surface successfully, or your next repaint will be needed much sooner.
  3. Quality of Paint Job If you treat your home to a high-quality paint job using proper procedures and products, you can expect results that will last 25 - 50% longer than a budget paint job. When higher-quality paints are used, your investment can last up to 10 years or more.
  4. Type of Paint Used There are three main types of exterior paints to consider – acrylic latex, 100% latex, and oil-based paints. Acrylic latex paints are the most popular choice because they offer good protection against UV rays (fading) and moisture. They are also easy to clean, and provide good coverage. 100% latex paints are similar to acrylic latex paints but don’t offer as much durability. While oil-based paints provide excellent protection against UV rays and moisture, they are harder to maintain than latex paints.
  5. Climate and Weather Conditions If you live in an area that gets a lot of sunlight, that will accelerate the fading of your paint job. Another consideration would be that if your residence is located in a heavily wooded area, falling leaves building up on your roof and gutters will cause portions of the paint on your house to chip and peel more rapidly.
  6. Color of Your Home The color of your home is another factor that will affect how often you need to repaint. Dark colors absorb more heat from the sun and fade faster than lighter colors, so with a light-colored home, you may be able to go a little longer between paint jobs. This same rule follows for your house trim; however, white trim tends to show dirt and grime more readily than darker colors and will usually need more frequent repaint as a result.
  7. Traffic Last but not least, you need to think about how much traffic your home gets on a daily basis. If you’re in a season of life where your home is a happy haven of children and pet activity, you will certainly see a need for that touch up paint job around the lower portion of your home!
We hope we have been able to present some helpful thoughts on how often you should plan on repainting your exterior as you consider your exterior wall material, what quality of paint job is currently in place, what your color selection will be for siding and trim, and how much “traffic” you expect. So, how often should you paint your home's exterior in Baltimore? The answer depends on several factors, including the material of your exterior walls, the quality of the paint job, and the type of paint used, among many others. In general, most homes only need to be painted every seven to ten years, but some may need it as frequently as every five years. Maintaining your exterior paint job. Powerwashing/cleaning Most times your home will not need a re-paint, but a powerwash cleaning. Mold tarnishes the brightness. The brightness of your home can be clouded over with mildew that you don’t realize. If you live in a wooded area, the house should be cleaned every 2 years to maintain a bright appearance. When you start to see green or gray on footstones, foundations, brick, and most certainly on the shady sides of the house, a good cleaning may be all that’s needed to refresh your look. Additionally, hard surfaces like footstones and patios get slippery when wet if not kept clean. That is a SAFETY issue. We are attentive to safety as well as aesthetics when evaluating/assessing your exterior maintenance needs. Additional to repainting siding and trim We are mindful of and attentive to items on your exterior, such as electrical conduit, gas meters, and pipes, foundations blending with siding, window glazing, mortar point up, carpentry repairs, such as rotted trim and sills. We can also facilitate storm door installation and window replacement with our inhouse team’s skills and through our partners.