When it comes to the paint on your walls, knowing when to paint and repaint it can make a world’s difference for the appearance of your home. Though modern paints are engineered to last anywhere between 5 and 10 years, many factors can affect paint jobs, trigger a loss of luster and decrease their longevity. Re-doing your walls based on your mere whim is not a bad thing, but, there are clear signs which indicate and help you to decide when it’s time to apply a new coat of paint on your walls. This, brings attention to the questions: how often should you paint your walls?
Interestingly, how often you should paint your walls largely depends on the room in questions. As a general rule of thumb, you should repair the hallways or corridors more frequently—every 3 to 4 years, than other parts of your space. This is because it sees the most activity and is likely to see a lot of wear and tear. Bedrooms on the other hand do not endure as much activity as you generally use just to sleep, consequently, it require much less up-keeping. But, there is always an exception with bedrooms as well and generally the exception is the room of children. Their creativity and love for drawing on walls means that wall colors are likely to get altered and require attention. Children’s rooms might require repainting attention in as early as 2 to 3 years whereas a nice coat of paint can last in an adult’s room for up to 8 years.
Though the amount of activity in your space is definitely a determinant in deciding the next repainting date, it certainly isn’t the only factor. Living rooms and dining rooms are also popular spaces in your house but they don’t require as much repainting. This is because, along with activities being more formal, these rooms are mostly decorated with a certain color scheme in mind and repainting it requires a total revamping of the décor in general. So, people generally choose to repaint living rooms and dining rooms every 5-7 years, given that it demands a little extra consideration beyond wall colors.
Another factor to consider is the amount of care taken and prep work carried out while the room was painted in the first place. If a good primer base is applied and the quality of the paint used is of a high standard, you can most probably wait 5-6 years before repainting your walls. Likewise, a poorly done paint job requires a re-painting sooner. This is where professional paint jobs end up showing their value.
Additionally, shift in ongoing trends is another detrimental factor while repainting your rooms. Simple grey walls might be the fad now, or you might have a fancy accent wall but soon, the trends will change and you might want to adapt to those changes. In the same way, your own tastes and preferences in décor and furniture might change as your priorities change in life. A five year old’s bedroom will be vastly different from what a 10 year old wants so the coat of paint on your walls are dictated by the milestones in your family as well.
The quality of the color of your walls could be a reflection of your lifestyle, mood and personality. Up-keeping your walls it in the best way with well-timed repair jobs will mirror you in the best way and can also help you save money in the long run. Keeping a sharp eye and taking the type of room, quality of paint job and the décor trends into consideration will help you determine when you should paint your walls.
Marc Poulos began his real estate and financial services career, but he soon realized that his true passion was beautifying homes. He started working with various small craftsman shops before serving an apprenticeship with the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Chicago. His commitment to excellence won him Top Apprentice from Washburne trade school in Chicago – the country’s premier school of its kind.
