How Long Does Exterior Paint Last?

Seven common questions about exterior painting:

How long should an exterior paint job last?

This is one of those questions I get a lot while meeting with potential customers for consultation and estimate. The longevity of an exterior paint job depends on many factors. Including, the age and condition of the substrate, presence of moisture/humidity and amount of exposure to name a few.

In the ideal world, a properly prepped and painted exterior project should last 10 to 15 years! However, in the Northeast with harsh winters and rainy season, this number can be less.   

The longevity of painted surface depends on architect’s design, carpenter’s installation, and painter’s prep and paint application method. In the following paragraphs, I’ll try to touch on each one briefly.

I’ve heard many homeowners saying the last painters did not prep the job well or did not use proper primers or paints. That’s why the paint is peeling. That can be true in some instances, but more often the source of paint failure is moisture behind the painted surface that causes paint to peel.

Other reasons exterior paint peels

On occasions, I have walked away from bidding on a project where apron (the lower trim piece around the house) was sitting directly on the stone patio in the back of the house. Certain window casing and trim also were right on the roof shingles.

This is a recipe for the paint to peel and wood to rot. In this situation, the trim is exposed to winter snow and spring rain for such a long period that never fully dries. This obviously, causes paint failure and cannot be blamed on carpenter or painter but rather the architect who designed such house.

Another important factor is specification and product selection on a new construction or existing home. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come across the wrong paint product on a house. This is the responsibility of all parties involve to do their due diligence and make sure the right product and application methods is specified for each substrate.

Mistakes tradesmen make

There are also times that carpenters don’t do their job properly. One common problem is that carpenters don’t apply prime the ends when they cut a piece of wood for installation. This can cause moisture to penetrate and eventually cause rot. Another mistake by carpenters is to use a nail gun for installing wood siding without adjusting the pressure on the gun.

When the pressure is too high, nails get inserted too deep into the wood. This can cause rot around the nail and you end up with moisture in the hole that can eventually rot the area surrounding the nail. When the nail gun is properly set, it should sit flush with the surface and never break the top.

Finally, it is the painter’s prep and application method that can determine how long your exterior paint job will last. As painters, we must be familiar with hundreds of different material substrates. Additionally, hundreds of paint and supply manufacturers and hundreds of different lines of paints with different characteristics.

We need to be able to match the right surface to the proper product in order to expect ultimate performance. Very often homeowners go to the closest paint store and ask the person behind the counter for advice on what product to use for painting their house or deck.

Many paint store employees are knowledgeable about the products based on what they are told by paint manufacturers’ representatives but lack the field expertise about certain characteristics of paint.

In summary, all parties involved must do their due diligence when working on design, installation, and painting of exterior surfaces to ensure longevity.