At Lynam Painting—Ireland’s Leading Painters, one of the most common questions we receive from customers is ‘how long will the paintwork last?’. Given the amount of time we spend in our homes and the impression of us it gives, it’s a very understandable concern. Of course, various factors come into play here, so we’ve put together this article explaining what you can expect from your home’s paintwork in terms of its longevity.
How long will my home’s exterior paint job last?
A house’s exterior paintwork will have to cope with the often harsh realities of nature, be it sunlight, snow, or frost. A professionally-applied paint job (using premium quality paint) should last anywhere from 5 to 10 years. Of course, this will vary from house to house and depend on the exterior wall material itself; wood will require repainting or staining approximately every 2-3 years. Location can play into your exterior paintwork’s lifespan too. For instance, a house situated on the coastline may be subject to weathering from the sea. Paint in city areas will be more subject to pollutants from traffic than one in the middle of the country.
How often should I have my house interior repainted?
Generally speaking, interior paint jobs are not subject to the ravages of the weather and other natural factors, etc. A well-applied, professional interior paint job should last anywhere from 5-7 years. Even with the interior of a home, some areas will be more prone to wear and tear than others, so let’s consider these areas individually:
- Kitchen paint jobs
The paintwork in your kitchen will have a harsher life than most areas of your home. Food preparation often results in splatters, water splashes from the sink, sticky fingers are hard to avoid, steam, and sometimes even smoke may contribute to wear. So naturally, kitchen paintwork will have a shorter life expectancy than its living room equivalent. Of course, professional painters will recommend using high-quality, durable paint for kitchen areas, so you should be able to expect anywhere from 4-5 years out of a premium kitchen paint job. - Bedroom paint jobsAdult bedrooms are relatively low-traffic areas, and a well-applied, premium-quality paint job should last anywhere from 6-7 years if need be. Children’s bedrooms are slightly different, in that they’re generally used more and have to take all the rough and tumble that comes with play. In many cases, they will probably be more subject to sticky fingers and dirt brought in from outside. That being said, as children develop and their tastes change, it’s probable that your children will enjoy a change of bedroom scenery every 3 or 4 years anyway, making this an ideal lifespan for paintwork in a child’s bedroom.
- Bathroom paint jobsToilets and bathrooms are high-traffic areas, for one. The paint is also likely to be pelted with water spray over time, and even specs of soap, shaving cream, shampoo, toothpaste, etc. Mould is more likely to accumulate here too, given the humidity (and it’s essential to keep this under review). A good bathroom paint job should last 3-4 years if well ventilated.
- Living and sitting room paint jobsWhile they may be high-traffic areas, depending on the home, it’s not likely to be anywhere subject to much knocking or banging against the walls (unless children are frequently at play here). By their nature, sitting rooms are used for fairly passive activities, be it watching TV or reading. A good living room paint job should last around 6-7 years, perhaps even more.
- Hallway paint jobsWhile hallway environments aren’t quite as harsh for paint as a kitchen or bathroom might be, they’re still that bit more highly trafficked than a bedroom or living room might be. Think about it. To get to any other room you’re going to have to traverse a hallway, multiply that by the number of people in your house and that’s a lot of traffic. Hallway walls are going to take a lot more knocking, banging, and scraping. Paintwork is more likely to be scuffed here and in a house with pets; while they may be restricted from certain rooms, chances are the hallway will remain their domain. If children are in the mix, this ‘hardship’ multiplies. With this in mind, a hallway paint job will have a shorter lifespan than a bedroom, with 3-4 years being a good lifespan.
Of course, there’s no ‘one size fits all’ answer when it comes to home paint jobs, and factors such as paint quality and the experience of the person applying it certainly come into play. The above is a good outline of what you can expect in terms of a lasting home paint job. Lynam Painting has been providing painting and decorating services to homes and businesses in the Kildare, Dublin, and Greater Leinster Area for decades, so we’ve amassed a lot of expertise in painting and its lifespan. As we said above, each home is different, and if you’d like a better idea of how to achieve a long-lasting paint finish for your home, please feel free to call us on 087-9186389 or get an instant estimate here.
