Stop and think about what you are asking your paint to do for you. On the exterior of your home you are asking it to stand up to changes of over 100 degrees over the seasons. It has to stand up to the expansion and contraction of the wood siding and other wood surfaces. And it has to stand up to wind, rain, and here in Indianapolis, where Greg Mrakich Painting does business – snow and ice. Interior paint has to stand up to the everyday wear and tear of you, your family and your pets.
Both interior and exterior paint jobs have a life span. The time to repaint your exterior is at the first sign of chipping and peeling. It is only going to get worse from there forward and require more prep work, which means it will cost more money to repaint. Exterior paint protects your house from wood failure and other expensive repairs. I have worked on several historic homes in the Indianapolis area that were over 100 years old that still had the original wood siding. This is because over the years the wood was prepped properly and protected with a good coat of paint. I have also worked on houses that were less than ten years old and needed extensive wood replacement because the wood was not properly primed, caulked and painted. The exterior of your home should be painted once every 7 to 10 years (sooner if using a color such as blue that fades more quickly). That is about how long you can expect paint to last in Indianapolis with the extreme weather conditions. If you wait until it looks like it needs it, you have waited too long.
Interior paint is a little different. Bathrooms and kitchens have to deal with humidity and steam, but a good paint job with the proper product (sheen) can last up to 10 years in a bath or kitchen that sees everyday use. The life of the paint on trim and the walls in other rooms depend on if they can be cleaned/touched up anymore and not have the touch ups highly visible. As with the exterior, the longer you put the interior painting off, the more prep will be necessary.
Greg Mrakich Painting is an EPA lead-safe certified firm. For more information about Greg Mrakich and Greg Mrakich Painting, click here. Or, if you live in the metropolitan Indianapolis area and would like to contact me, click here.
Tags: Exterior Painting, Greg Mrakich Interior Painting Tips, indianapolis area painting companies, Indianapolis area painting contractors, Interior Painting, wall finish
