House Painting FAQ

How Do I Know When It’s Time to Repaint My Home?

All homes will require repainting at some point in order to help preserve the building materials. The trick is being able to identify when the right time is to repaint your home. You’ll want to do it before the elements have a chance to damage your home because they aren’t properly covered.  Be sure you call us to schedule repainting services if you notice any of the following:

• Bubbled, Cracked, or Peeling Paint: Paint that is beginning to bubble, crack, or peel should be addressed right away. When paint cracks and peels away, it leaves your home directly exposed to the elements, which could lead to mold, mildew, or rotting. Getting a new paint job will help prevent these issues.
• Fading Colors: While fading paint may seem like more of an aesthetic issue, it can also be a sign that your paint is no longer protecting your home as it should. If you’ve noticed that your paint is beginning to fade, it’s time to consider a new paint job.
• Stubborn Stains: Though some stains on the exterior of your home are just surface stains that can be removed with pressure washing, stubborn stains that are hard to remove could point to a larger issue. It could be a sign that the material is damaged and needs to be replaced, which also means its time for a new paint job, as your paint is no longer protecting your home.

Should I Do the Prep Work Myself?

Before you can paint the exterior or interior of your home, you have to properly prepare all the surfaces. Doing so will ensure a more successful paint job. While you can do some of this prep work yourself, like pressure washing your home exterior, you may want to leave the other tasks to a professional. Once the surface is fully clean, we can help to prep the surface by scraping any cracking or peeling paint, and also repairing any damage to drywall or exterior surfaces.

How Often Should My Home Be Painted?

There are a variety of factors that will affect how often you need to repaint your home. Interior spaces are more frequently repainted than exterior surfaces as interior paint is an easy way to change the style of your home if you get tired of one color. Many people choose to change up the paint in their home interior every few years, just to keep things looking fresh. On the other hand, the exterior of your home will be painted much less frequently. This is a larger project that is more expensive, so you don’t want to be doing it on a whim. Most exterior paints will last for several years. However, if you live in a climate with continuous days of harsh sunlight or difficult winters, you may have to repaint more often. Locations near the ocean may also require more frequent repainting.

Will Repainting My House Increase Its Value?

If you’re planning to put your home on the market, even small improvements can make an impact on its value. The exterior of your home directly affects your curb appeal, so investing in a fresh coat of paint before selling will make a good first impression on potential buyers. If your home looks good from the outside, you’ll leave buyers wanting to know more about the rest of the house, which will help your home receive more attention and showings. You can also make your home more appealing to buyers by investing in interior paint. Neutral colors are usually the best option when picking a color for your interior spaces, as it will appeal to the majority of buyers. Warm beiges, pale yellows, or soft greys are a great option as they are neutral without being completely bland.

How Do I Maintain My Paint Job?

In order to protect your investment, you have to do your part to maintain your new paint jobs, both inside your home and outside. Caring for interior and exterior paint requires different steps, since these two types of paint will be exposed to different environments. For interior paint, you’ll want to clean up any spots, stains, or smudges as soon as you notice them. Most often, these can be removed with a damp cloth. You’ll also want to watch for any mold growth in bathrooms, using a 25% bleach mixture to wipe away any spots you see. Lastly, you’ll want to do your best to protect your interior paint from harsh UV light. This can quickly fade paint. To maintain exterior paint, you’ll want to keep it clean with regular pressure washing, which is the best way to remove a build up of dirt, dust, mold, and other contaminants. You’ll also want to regularly inspect the exterior for any rot or other damage. When you take care of small problems right away, you can prevent them from spreading further.

What Happens If My Exterior Paint is Peeling or Cracking?

If you notice that the paint on the exterior of your home is peeling or cracking, you’ll want to take immediate action. Ignoring this problem could lead to significant issues for your home because when paint cracks and peels away it leaves the building materials vulnerable to weather conditions. This means moisture can more easily get inside of wood and other materials and cause it to rot or deteriorate. The best thing you can do if you notice cracking or peeling paint is to call a professional, like Dixon Painting. We can determine if the problem is isolated to one area or if the entire home needs a new paint job.

Should I Paint My Walls or Cabinets First?

When completing a kitchen renovation, you should always paint your cabinets first. Because the cabinets are such a large focal point of the kitchen, painting them is going to have a drastic effect on the overall look of the room. For this reason, it’s best to paint them the color you want first, then paint a few samples on the wall near the cabinets to see how the two colors will go together. If you paint the cabinets last, you could end up with too dramatic of a change with colors that don’t really match or look right together.

How Long Does a House Painting Project Take?

The answer to this question will vary depending on the size of the house. However, most three-bedroom homes can get an exterior paint job in three to four days if there is a crew of painters working together. Our team can give you a better estimate of the length of your project once we see your home.