Home Improvement FAQ: Tips from Staten Island Painting Experts

You’ve got a bunch of projects on your wishlist, don’t you? A long list of to-dos around the house. How do you know which to tackle when? We’ve been working on Staten Island homes long enough to know the best times of year to focus on certain projects (and the projects that can be worked on any time of year). We’ve also been at it long enough to receive the same home improvement questions again and again. That’s why we thought it would be helpful to put together a simple home improvement FAQ. You can use this list to understand what should be worked on now, what can wait another year, and what requires the help of a professional.

This list into two categories: interior projects and exterior projects. Please reach out if you have any additional questions.

Interior Home Improvement FAQs

Unlike some exterior projects that become impossible during Staten Island winters, indoor home improvement projects like updating your kitchen or repainting your interior can occur anytime.

How Do I Know If It’s Time to Refinish My Kitchen Cabinets?

Your kitchen should always be a priority. There’s a good chance it’s where your family and friends most commonly gather, and you want it looking its best. The good news is that you don’t always need new custom cabinetry to enjoy a great kitchen look. If you have food, grease, or fingerprint stains or see chipping or obvious signs of wear (or just want a change in style), you can revitalize your kitchen by refinishing them.

This process involves removing the doors, sanding down the cabinets, stripping off the old finish, and applying new paint and/or stain. If you’re seeing wear, or if you’re unhappy with how your cabinets look, than yes, it’s time to refinish them. You can do it all year round. That said, cabinet refinishing is an extremely time-consuming endeavor and takes great care to get it right. So you may want to consider consulting a local professional.

How Do I Know If It’s Time to Repaint the Interior of My Home?

This one is simple, and is not all that different from your cabinets — if you see chips or wear in the existing paint, or are ready for the change that occurs with new paint, its time to redo the walls of your home.

For a more specific timeline, consider hour house’s highest and lowest traffic areas of your house. High traffic areas typically include the kitchen, bathroom, stairs, hallways, and entryways. They tend to need repainting more often, likely every 3-5 years. Lower traffic areas that can include the living room, dining room, bedrooms, and office may be able to last 7-10 years. It of course depends where you spend the majority of your time, but these are good benchmarks.

Does Wallpaper Go Bad?

Technically yes, wallpaper can go bad. You may certainly seeing it begin to bubble, fold, fade, or even tear. But it’s more likely that your taste will change and you’ll want that pattern gone before the wallpaper itself begins to spoil, which is typically after 15 or more years. So wallpaper is a good investment, as long as you’re confident in the style or excited about the idea of changing it to suit any shifting tastes.

How Do I Know If It’s Time to Replace the Wallpaper in My Home?

If you want to know whether it’s time to replace your wallpaper, ask yourself the following questions:

• First and foremost, am I happy with my current wallpaper, or would I prefer a change? After that consider:
• Is my wallpaper peeling?
• Is my wallpaper splitting at the seems?
• Is my wallpaper showing stains or sun damage?

If you want your home to look your best, and any of the above questions results in a yes, then you should change your wallpaper. As with the cabinets, it’s best to consider professionals — they will remove the old paper and install the new with flawless precision, versus you spending hours if not days trying to line it up correctly. Trust us.

Exterior Home Improvement FAQs

All your interior projects completed during the winter months and those rainy Staten Island weekends? Then it’s now time to tackle the great outdoors. Exterior home improvement projects including powerwashing your house and any possible patio areas, staining your deck, and repainting the siding.

Do I Need to Re-stain My Deck?

Eventually, yes. Staining your deck does not protect it forever. In fact, most stains protect it for less than five years (less than three if the weather is particularly bad). The good news is that regular touch ups and yearly coats can help to prolong the life of your stain, But after five or so year’s you’re going to want to remove the current stain and apply something  new. It will look better, and it’ll better protect your investment.

When is the Best Time to Re-stain My Deck?

This may seem obvious, but the spring or fall is the best time to re-stain your deck. Direct sunlight and extreme summer temperatures can negatively impact the application, and possibly cause the stain to wear prematurely.

You also want to ensure the stain is applied to a dry surface. You’ll need a prolonged stretch of dry weather (and preferably cool temperatures) to get it perfect.

Do I Need to Repaint the Exterior of My Home?

It’s best practice to repaint your house every 5-10 years, depending on the material. That will keep it consistently looking like new. Depending on whether your home is prone to collecting debris or showing wear or fading, you may want to do it more frequently. In general, if your home is looking weathered, or if you are tired of the color, it’s time to repaint.

When is the Best Time to Repaint the Exterior of My Home?

Painting the exterior of your home is less about the time of year and more about the temperature. The majority of paints adhere best when they are applied between 50 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

How Often Should I Powerwash My House?

At least once a year is how often you should powerwash your house, more frequently if you live near trees or bushes that result in excess dirt or other materials building up on your siding. The idea is to keep the home looking as clean as possible, and powerwashing is a fantastic way to accomplish that. It also works wonders on walkways and patios.

When is the Best Time to Powerwash My House?

Powerwashing a surface does not have the same limitations as painting and staining a surface. That said, we recommend the spring or summer, as natural light will help you identify the areas that need the most work, and a strong sun will help quickly dry the surface. Just be careful — some surfaces can be damaged if you use too high a setting. Feel free to contact us if you need some guidance.

Contacting a Professional

We hope this article helped you determine the best times to tackle certain projects, but you can always contact a home improvement expert to discuss questions, concerns, and ideas in more detail. CertaPro Painters^® of Staten Island offers free remote and in-person estimates with no obligation. We can assess your need, discuss your options via video conference to uphold social distancing guidelines, provide a detailed analysis of what’s needed, and if you decided not to go with us, you at least have useful information for when talking to others.

Contact us when you’re ready to discuss your project and schedule your free remote estimate.