Many homeowners understand that their home is the most valuable asset they have and want to know how to protect it. I visit with close to 600 homeowners every year for painting estimates. Some of them think they need to paint their home every 5 years to keep it protected and some think once every 25 years should do the trick. Here are some pointers to know what you should be doing.
How Often Should You Paint Your House?
This is a great question that many Portland area homeowners ask me. Not every home is the same so the answer is not always the same. A general rule of thumb on exterior home painting would be to paint about every 8-10 years to keep it looking good and protected. Though it’s important to note that some paints are not going to last as long as others.
Additionally, some homes are more exposed to the elements than others so that can change the timeline for painting. Some homes have siding that is easily damaged that should be painted more often. If you see caulking failure all over your home that might be a good sign that it is time to paint the home. If you can tell that the paint color has changed drastically on the sunny sides of your home it may be time to paint. Badly cracked or damaged siding or trim may be an indication that you need to paint and possibly replace some wood too.
If your home has the old LP siding that was recalled in the 1990’s I recommend you stay on a regular paint schedule to help extend the life of the siding. Signs that this siding is deteriorating will normally be easy to spot but looking at the underside and seeing if it is cracked and expanding from moisture damage. If LP siding is undercover it can last for many years so look for the areas that get the rain. We have special primers we can use on LP siding in areas to help extend the life as well. I would recommend painting an LP home every 6-8 years and have it inspected every 2-3 years.
Cedar siding is a great product but it does need to be painted on a regular basis to keep it protected. Once the paint coating has failed and the siding is taking on too much moisture you can get rotten wood which leads to costly replacement. I recommend painting cedar siding every 8-10 years and back rolling the siding between coats of paint. It is still good to have the home inspected every 2-3 years.
Hardie Plank siding is the more popular siding in the Portland area the last few years on most homes. It is a concrete/wood fiber product that holds up very well in most cases as it is barely affected by the weather. It does however need to be caulked in areas and painted to keep it looking nice as it tends to have color fading issues. Lighter colors will fade less over time than darker colors will so if you don’t want to paint as often that is something to keep in mind. I recommend painting Hardie Plank siding every 8-12 years for best long term results but have caulking inspected every few years.
Why It’s Important to Paint Your Home
Painting your home helps protect your biggest investment. Your painter will look for problems that are arising and fix them or let you know if you need something fixed. They will fix all failed caulking to help protect it from the weather and make sure that bare wood areas are primed and sealed properly. You are also raising the curb appeal and value of your home when it looks freshly painted.
When Is the Best Time to Paint Your Home in the PNW?
Our painting season in Portland is a little shorter than some other parts of the country so you need to plan accordingly. We recommend starting the process early in the year so you can get a good contractor lined up to do the work when the weather is agreeable. We prefer to see temps above 50 degrees to do any exterior painting so our season typically starts in March and goes until October. Of course, rain can change our schedule pretty quickly so we have to wait for dry days. A good painting contractor can be booked up months in advance so don’t wait until July to call them if you want the work done that year.
Exterior Painting Contractors in Portland, Beaverton & More!
At Absolute Painting & Power Washing we have been providing painting services for 25 years now and we really care about our customers and their homes. I believe that you should educate the customer about painting and be 100% honest during the entire process. We are not going to tell you your home needs to be painted if it’s in good condition, just to sell you a paint job.
Make sure you choose a company that is honest and trustworthy and don’t focus on price as much as quality. A bad exterior paint job can start to fail within a couple of years. A good paint job can last a decade or more.
If you’re in the Portland metro area, contact us, and we would be more than happy to walk you through your options. We look forward to hearing from you!
