In this blog post, we’re going to quickly run down a few of the telltale signs that it’s time you consider repainting your homes exterior. This blog post comes in handy if you don’t know the last time the exterior of your home was painted or and/or if you’re not 100% set on repainting it and want a bit of extra reassurance before dropping a few grand on hiring a painter or spending a few weekends doing it yourself.
10 Signs Your Exterior Needs To Be Repainted
- Damaged Stucco: If you see cracks in your stucco, it’s time for a repaint. We recommend painting stucco every 5-10 years, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn wait to take care of cracks in the stucco as they may appear in as little time as 1-2 years. Your homes exterior paint will work to keep your home safe from the elements, but no surface will last forever. Damaged stucco can be repatched, but it’s important to do a full analysis to see if the whole exterior needs to be retouched.
- Bubbling, Cracked, Or Peeled Paint: These are all signs that the elements have all gotten the best of your exterior. This can happen at an accelerated rate in hot climates like here in Arizona or in cold states like Michigan. Once your exterior starts doing any of these three things, you’ll want to fix it ASAP. When wood is exposed to rain or snow, it can start to mold or rot. As with almost all of the issues on this list, they may not call for a full exterior repaint, but they sure do call for an immediate fix.
- Gaps Or Shrinking Wood: Gaps can be a sign of dry rot.
- You’re Selling: First impressions only happen once so you’ll want to leave a great one on potential homebuyers.
- You Want More Curb Appeal: Are you tired of the way your exterior looks when you come home? Maybe you’re not tired, but it just seems to blend in to mediocraty with each day that passes? Then maybe it’s time for a new exterior paint job.
- Cracked Caulking: Caulk is a material used to seal joints or seams against leakage around doors and windows. If they’re left untreated, this can allow moisture to seep in. When your caulking starts to crack and look brittle, this means it’s lost its elasticity.
- Moisture Stains & Mold: Weak paint coverage can leave your stucco or wood exterior vulnerable to water damage.
- Fading Colors: After years of standing up to the rain, snow and sunshine, the colors can start to fade on your exterior. Fading colors will cause your house to look worn and tired.
- You Don’t Like The Color: Sometimes you don’t need a reason other than you don’t like the color of your exterior. Often times, we see clients partake in large landscape design projects installing a new deck or patio and plants around their yard only to realize their exterior isn’t up to match with their new landscape.
- Time Has Passed: Wood surfaces should be painted every 3-7 years, 5 for aluminum, and 5-10 years for stucco.
