{"id":2479,"date":"2022-06-01T16:05:41","date_gmt":"2022-06-01T20:05:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/?post_type=community&p=2479"},"modified":"2025-11-09T17:59:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T22:59:10","slug":"how-often-do-i-need-to-paint-my-boston-area-home","status":"publish","type":"community","link":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/community\/how-often-do-i-need-to-paint-my-boston-area-home\/","title":{"rendered":"How often do I need to paint my New England home?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s not easy to tell if your exterior needs painting.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

First, it’s just not that obvious that an exterior needs painting. \u00a0Often a home that needs the protection of paint or stain looks “just fine.” \u00a0This is because as paint fades, it looks pretty good as long as it fades evenly.<\/p>\n

Many buy a new home and forget to ask the previous homeowner when the exterior was last painted. \u00a0In this case, take our quiz<\/a> to see if your home needs a coat of exterior paint.<\/p>\n

You may not know when the previous owners last painted your home’s exterior.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You may also have moved into a home recently and forgotten to ask the previous owners when they last painted the exterior. \u00a0So again, you’re in the dark about when you should ideally paint the exterior to keep it protected.<\/p>\n

The main reason you NEED to paint is the protection of your home.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Paint isn’t just decorative; it’s protective. \u00a0This means that even if a house looks good, the paint is still slowly wearing away from UV sunlight and harsh weather.<\/p>\n

Paint is comprised of two elements: \u00a01 – thepigment (the color) and 2- the resin (the part of the paint that offers protection).<\/p>\n

Resin is the part of the paint that protects your home, so moisture can get into your wood clapboards, siding, and trim when it breaks down over the years. \u00a0Painting is much less expensive than having to replace siding and trim wood that’s been rotted by moisture.<\/p>\n

New England is known for its heavy precipitation, including snow, sleet, and rain. This can make it difficult to keep moisture out of wood. \u00a0Painting or staining your home will help keep the wood in good condition.<\/p>\n

Did you know many new construction homes on the South Shore are painted with only one coat of exterior paint? \u00a0We are often called in to apply a new coat of paint to protect the underlying wood.<\/p>\n

The main reason people WANT to paint is aesthetics.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Protection aside, people mainly call us to paint their exterior because they want to change colors or give their home a fresher look.<\/p>\n

New England is home to many historic houses, and it’s important to preserve the character and integrity of antique homes when painting their exteriors. In many cases, it may be necessary to use historically accurate colors<\/a> and paint formulations to maintain the authenticity of these homes.<\/p>\n

A quick way to determine if your home needs painting? Take our 20-second quiz.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Here are the general timelines for painting homes in the Boston area. \u00a0Homes closest to the coast will likely need painting more often than those inland ones, but the following are good rules of thumb.<\/p>\n

Is there an easy way to tell if my exterior needs painting?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Our\u00a020-second quiz will tell you if you need to paint now<\/a> or have a few years left in your previous paint job.<\/p>\n

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How often should I paint my home’s exterior?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"View
These coastal South Shore homes need painting more often than inland homes do.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Coastal homes need on the South Shore should be painted every 5-7 years:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Homes along the coast in towns like Duxbury<\/a>, Marshfield<\/a>, Hingham,<\/a>\u00a0Cohasset, <\/a>Hull,<\/a>\u00a0Quincy<\/a>, Kingston<\/a>, Plymouth, <\/a>Marion,<\/a> and Dartmouth<\/a>, Massachusetts, tend to need painting every 5 to 7 years. \u00a0Painting a “maintenance coat” of paint after 3 years for homes directly on the coast<\/strong> is advised because salt and wind quickly wear away at the protective resin in your paint because you’re near the ocean.<\/p>\n

As climate change occurs, Northeast storms and tide surges can wear away at coastal homes in ways they didn’t before. This is because storms are stronger, winds are more damaging, and rain, sleet, hail, and snow are more common. \u00a0It’s also because tide surges can reach parts of our home’s exterior that they weren’t before – this is why lots of South Shore towns are building sea walls, raising coastal roadways, and recommending that new coastal homes be built either much more setback on the property, or on stilts.<\/p>\n

Inland homes likely need painting every 7-8 years.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

New England’s harsh winters and very hot summers<\/strong> tend to wear away at paint faster. \u00a0The true impact of the sun is seen on your deck and porch’s floorboards which take a beating from the sun and are the last thing on your home to dry when it rains (the floor of your deck is a horizontal surface that holds puddles of water, while the wood on your house is mostly vertical, so it sheds rainwater more easily due to gravity).<\/p>\n

Better paint<\/a> and preparation tend to result in a longer-lasting job. \u00a0It does matter which paint brands and grades you choose!<\/a><\/p>\n

PVC Trim Boards:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Every 12+ years. Usually, exterior paint lasts MUCH longer on PVC than on wood or wood composite boards because no moisture penetrates the PVC material.<\/p>\n

Often PVC trim does not trim the entire home but is only \u201cspliced in\u201d where rotted wood has been replaced. If this is the case, we simply paint over these small PVC spots when we\u2019re painting your regular exterior wood trim and the PVC and wood are indiscernible from one another once they are painted. \u00a0PVC trim boards even come in historic profiles that match antique trim perfectly.<\/p>\n

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How often do I have to paint my Boston-area deck or porch?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Faded
This mahogany deck’s vertical railings are darker than the floorboards because water puddles & lingers longer on horizontal deck boards. \u00a0Because of the excess water and sun damage, your deck floor will need staining long before other parts of your deck.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Deck floors<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The floors of decks and porches need staining or painting<\/a> every 1-2 years because of the beating they take from foot traffic, hot sun, and puddling rain and snow. \u00a0Most uncovered decks are in direct sunlight, which quickly fades the horizontal deck boards.<\/p>\n

Deck railings<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Deck railings and vertical spindles need painting or staining every 5 years.<\/p>\n

PVC, Composite, and Trex Decking<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While PVC decks can be painted, the idea is that they are maintenance-free and don’t need to be painted. \u00a0We love seeing PVC decks (like Trex) all along the South Shore because staining a deck every 2-years to keep it protected from rotting and looking good gets expensive. \u00a0Our carpenters can install Trex decking<\/a> if you’re interested in switching from a wood deck to a composite one.<\/p>\n

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How often should I paint my interior?<\/b><\/h2>\n
\"painted
Invest in an industrial-strength bathroom fan. You will know it’s strong enough to prevent mildew when it can hold a piece of tissue against it while running.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How often should I paint my walls?<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n

Because of the scrubbable paint formulas available today, our customers often get tired of a particular color before the paint shows a lot of wear. \u00a0Scrubbable simply means it’s easy to wash off dirt and dings. \u00a0Sometimes cleaning a wall<\/a> makes it look brand new, so start by cleaning a small patch to see if this can help.<\/p>\n

Refreshing a coat of paint to remove scuffs generally is done after 5-8 years.
\nWe can use scuff-resistant paint to prolong the paint job for high-traffic areas and businesses.<\/p>\n

How often should I paint my interior trim:<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n

Adding a coat of trim paint every 5-7 years lends a sense of cleanliness to marked woodwork. \u00a0We often are called in to paint one coat of paint on the trim before it goes up for sale, to lend a clean look to the space.<\/p>\n

How often do bathrooms need to be painted?<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n

Using paint specifically formulated for the moisture and mildew growth in a bathroom should keep the bathroom walls and trim looking good for 7+ years.<\/p>\n

Run a strong bathroom fan to reduce moisture after showers and baths. \u00a0It is worth investing in an industrial bathroom fan to keep mold and mildew from growing in your bathroom.<\/p>\n

To test if your bathroom fan is strong enough to clear moisture, hold a square of double-ply tissue paper up while the fan is running, and make sure it is held in place by the fan\u2019s suction.<\/p>\n

How often do I need to paint my ceilings?<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n

Often ceilings can go 10+ years before adding a coat of paint because they are not often touched.<\/p>\n

Of course, if you have a leak causing your ceiling to stain, you must fix the leak or else the ceiling stain will return.<\/p>\n

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Moving? That’s a good time to paint:<\/h2>\n

We see many people paint their homes right before they put them up for sale and after moving in. \u00a0In general, painting before a home goes on the market<\/a> helps “neutralize” a home’s colors so more buyers can visualize themselves in that home.<\/p>\n

You don’t have to break the bank when trying to paint a home to sell. \u00a0Ask your painter for a “one coat real estate spruce up.”<\/p>\n

Painting done after you move into your new home helps to personalize a space. \u00a0Painting an interior or exterior of a home on the market only makes sense if the increased price you will fetch for your home will be more than the price of the painting.<\/a><\/p>\n

Many customers rush to have us paint their homes BEFORE they move in, but we don’t NEED to paint your interior while it’s empty. If you’d rather take your time moving, get settled, and then have us paint. \u00a0Our painters are used to working around furniture, pets, and your family!<\/p>\n

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< BACK TO OUR INDEX OF ARTICLES, TIPS, AND ADVICE<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n
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You also might like:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Our 20-second quiz will tell you if your exterior needs to be painted (or not!)<\/a><\/p>\n

Working with our free color consultant to get the perfect colors for your interior or exterior<\/a><\/p>\n

Getting your home ready to sell<\/a><\/p>\n

Do you really need to paint?<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s not easy to tell if your exterior needs painting. First, it’s just not that obvious that an exterior needs painting. \u00a0Often a home that needs the protection of paint or stain looks “just fine.” \u00a0This is because as paint fades, it looks pretty good as long as it fades evenly. Many buy a newRead the full article <\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","format":"standard","categories":[20,63],"tags":[38,227,273],"class_list":["post-2479","community","type-community","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community","category-residential-painting","tag-exterior-painting","tag-residential-painting","tag-tips"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/community\/2479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/community"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/community"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2479"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/community\/2479\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/certapro.com\/boston-south-shore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}