6 Signs It’s Time to Repaint your House

Repainting the exterior of your home is disruptive and expensive. Most homeowners put off this task longer than they should, but chances are that could cost you. Paint is the first line of defense protecting your home from intrusion from vermin and weather. Don’t put it off. Here are 6 signs it’s time to repaint your house, from our Miami Painting Company.

Wear and Tear

Often times, paint will show you when it needs work. Physical signs of wear and tear like cracking, peeling and bubbling are your first warning sign. Any of these turning up outside your house mean it’s time to take action. These imperfections allow moisture to get under the paint film and cause more costly problems beneath. It’s a good idea to have a pro come assess the situation and give you a full rundown of potential issues and estimate for repairs and repainting.

Fading

Faded paint, while not an intrusive issue, can still make your house look more sad and tired than you’d like. Typically when the paint fades, it will be followed with other wear and tear problems. The sun in south Florida is more than harsh and will leach pigments from your paint faster than other geographical locations. Even without physical damage, your house could still be the eyesore of the block.

Selling

Many realtors will tell you that a paint job can bring you big bucks at the closing table. Before listing your home, you should at least consult a professional. They’ll be able to tell you if the price of a paint job can be recouped in your sale price.

Gaps

Gaps in your home are an area where water can get in and cold air can get out. If you have areas of your house that look like your frames are pulling away from your walls, likely you should at least talk to a professional. Moisture in wood frames and leaking air conditioning could cost you more than the repairs and subsequent paint job in the long run.

Cracked caulk

Fairly often, caulk is used to seal areas around windows and doors. As it ages, it gets brittle and can crack and fall away. Any missing caulk needs to be addressed to avoid moisture intrusion. Paintable caulk is available. This allows you to mask the repair with either a touch up paint job or full one.

Time

If you have looked over your home and still don’t see any signs of issue to be addressed, it still might be time to paint. If you can’t remember the last time your house was painted it’s probably time. House paint only lasts so long, and precipitation and sun can leach away at its elasticity. If it’s been a decade or so, you should at least consider meeting with an estimator. This can help you avoid costly repairs from putting it off.

So how often does your house need to be painted? Here are some estimations to start from.

Exteriors should be painted every 5 to 10 years, depending on the quality of paint and craftsmanship it was painted with last time.
Here are some guidelines based on exterior surface:
Wood surfaces need to be painted every 3 to 7 years.
Aluminum siding needs to be painted about every 5 years.
Stucco should be repainted every 5 to 6 years.

If you’re seeing any of the failure signs, give us a call. We offer free, in-home estimates for paint jobs. Contact us today to set yours up.