The interior paint in some areas of the house can take a real beating. Children’s bedrooms, kitchens and hallways can suffer from all the traffic that is in these areas. Other rooms such as the living room do not have as much traffic so they will not need to be repainted as often. Homes with children, smokers or fireplaces may need a coat of interior paint to keep it looking well maintained. Much will depend on how much the room is used and how much traffic is typical in that area of the house.
Kitchens and Bathrooms
These are perhaps the two busiest rooms in the house. Literally everyone who lives there will visit these rooms on a daily basis. The increased traffic and nature of the traffic will cause the paint to show wear and tear sooner than other areas of the home. These two rooms also have to deal with a lot more moisture than other rooms and this can influence how often they should be painted. The kitchen walls may also suffer from many different spills and splatters which may soil the walls. These rooms will likely need to be painted at least every 2 years. For those who are really rough on the walls in these areas interior painting may need to be done every year to 18 months.
Bedrooms
Most of the time, the walls in the bedroom will not have to endure too much punishment. The one exception is for children’s rooms. Bedrooms which house adults will not need to be painted frequently. Unless the paint begins to chip, peel or show obvious signs of wear and tear it is likely that it only needs to be painted every 4 to 5 years. However, children’s rooms can take a real beating and to keep them looking decent will require more frequent painting.
Other Rooms
Each home has its own interior design and every room has its own level of activity. Rooms such as a home office may not take a lot of abuse and may not need to be painted frequently. Dens or family rooms may be susceptible to damage and need to be painted more often. Interior painting should be completed in any area of the home when the paint shows obvious signs of wear and tear.
How Do I Know When to Paint the Exterior Of My House?
There are three contributing factors that determine how often the exterior portions of a house should be painted. The climate, paint quality, and environmental issues all play a role in how quickly or slowly the paint deteriorates. For those who live in harsh, NJ climates homes need to be painted about every 3 to 4 years. Those who live in milder climates can expect to paint the exterior portions of the house every 8 to 10 years. For low quality paints, expect to paint the home more often; higher quality paints will last much longer and may very well be worth the added expense. Exposure to sunlight will fade some colors more quickly than others and require more frequent paintings.