How Often Should You Repaint? Our Pros Share the Facts
As a homeowner maintenance is both a blessing and a curse. A curse because … man, who loves doing chores, really? But a blessing because, done right, maintenance can save you a whole lot of time and money. And painting is some of the most important maintenance you can do. So, if you’ve typed “how often should you repaint” into a search engine before and come up with a bunch of confusing answers, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. Our paint pros lay down the truth.
How Often Should You Repaint Your Interior Walls*
Paint isn’t just a cost-effective way to change a room’s appearance. Correctly and regularly repainting your home’s interior can help walls last longer and look better.
Interior spaces come with their own kryptonite, like kids, pets, humidity, light or temperature fluctuations, and cigarette smoke. Certain spaces are more likely to need maintenance more often, based on the traffic load or environment (humid bathrooms, we’re looking at you).
On average, most interior paint jobs last between five and seven years. If you’re kid- or pet-free (or your kids, fur or otherwise, are older), it’s possible that you could bump that up to 10 years.
However, if it’s time for a redesign, you’ve got an area that gets extra wear and tear, or a space with environmental fluctuations (light, temperature or humidity), you may need to repaint more often.
Since these rooms typically get less traffic and are usually not subject to environmental extremes (though light exposure and fading could be an issue) we recommend repainting every five to seven years:
- Adults’ bedrooms
- Dining rooms
- Living rooms
These areas tend to get more abuse (especially trim and baseboards). Plus, bathrooms, kitchens and laundry rooms are subject to humidity – and in the case of kitchens, cooking grease and odors. So, redo these every three to four years:
- Baseboards and trim
- Bathroom
- Kitchen
- Laundry room
These high-traffic areas should get a paint job every two to three years:
- Hallways
- Kids’ bedrooms
And finally, ceilings can go as much as 10 years between paint jobs, though if you or someone in your house is a smoker, you may want to redo them more often to combat yellowing.
How Often Should You Repaint Your Exterior Walls?*
Painting your home exterior is both time consuming and expensive, so it’s natural to want to put it off as long as you can. But paint is your first line of defense from the elements and is an important part of curb appeal. So, knowing how often you should repaint your exterior is as important as knowing when to redo your interior.
Your exterior paint is subject to a whole host of challenges. It gets wear and tear from the weather, sunlight and moisture in the form of rain and snow.
What’s the bottom line for how often you should repaint your exterior? A good rule of thumb is every five to 10 years, depending on the paint quality and whether it was correctly painted. There are different guidelines for different surfaces, though, for how often you should paint certain materials:
- Paint aluminum siding every five years
- Stucco should be repainted every five to six years
- Repaint wood every three to seven years
If you see wear and tear, cracked caulk or faded paint – or you’re putting your house on the market – that’s a sign it’s time to repaint.
Still have questions about how often you should repaint? Our interior painting and exterior painting services can help you take the mystery – and the work – out of repainting your house.
*Recommendations only