How Does a Desert Climate Affect Exterior Home Painting?

The weather and climate play a big role when it comes to a painting project. High temperatures and extreme weather conditions can quickly damage unprotected areas along your residence. Neighborhoods such as Fountain Hills in Scottsdale experience especially hot and dry temperatures. Residents often find themselves needing to repaint their home exterior more frequently and outside of the summer months. In this article, our local Arizona professional painters go into detail about all you need to know about how painting in a desert climate affects your house painting projects. Let’s get started!

How Often Should You Paint?

One of the main reasons there is no set answer for how often you should paint your home exterior is because there are so many types of home materials. Our painters have worked in Arizona a long time and have been able to piece together timelines that typically work for homes in the area.

• Stucco: 5-6 years
• Painted Brick: 15-20 years
• Painted Wood Siding: 3-7 years
• Aluminum Siding: 5-6 years

Signs it is Time for a Paint Job

Instead of basing your decision off of how many years it has been since your last paint job, we recommend taking a close look at what the exterior of your home looks like. There are distinct signs to look for that indicate it is time for a new coat of paint.

Common signs that your home could use a new exterior paint job include faded colors, chalky appearance, and peeling or chipping paint. The weather can be pretty harsh in a place like Scottsdale. Additionally, the majority of homes in the area are stucco. While you may only need to repaint the whole exterior every 5 years, maintenance and check ups should be an annual thing! Large cracks or bubbling in stucco should be addressed immediately. It may be an indicator of more severe damage under the surface.

Tips for Painting in the Desert

The desert heat can be unforgiving. If you’re going to go the DIY route, you’ll want to be sure to follow the tips we have learned through years of experience.

Start in the Evening or Early Morning:

Working before or after the sun is in midday form is best due to the temperature cut off. The ideal temperature for painting is right around 70 degrees. In the middle of the summer the temperature may never drop below this low, but working in early morning or evening can make it closer to the desired temperature. When painting in hotter temperatures, cracks expand and may almost disappear. Waiting until the cool times of the day helps expose these areas. Caulking in the evening is the best as it can solidify and harden overnight.

Spend Time Sanding

Due to the high temperatures, paint dries extremely fast. If the surface area is not completely sanded of imperfections, the paint is going to dry in an undesirable manner with streaks and thicker areas than others. By spending additional time sanding over imperfections, the paint has a better chance of drying even.

Get Exterior Home Painting Done by the Pros

If you have any questions about how often your unique home should be painted, call our local painting team that serves the Fountain Hills neighborhood as well as surrounding areas! We are always happy to help customers with any questions that they may have. If you’re looking to get a paint job that will last the full extent of its life, you’ll want to hire professional painters anyway. CertaPro Painters® of Scottsdale are trusted and reliable paint contractors with great reviews. Additionally, our team grew up in the area and know the specific challenges of living in such a town.

To get started on your painting project, fill out our free, no-obligation form or call 480-374-1762 to get your questions answered today!