Q&A
Paint Company
How often should you repaint a home for maintenance?
Great question. When it’s done right, you should get 15 to 20 years out of a good midrange paint on interior drywall, but a lot depends on who lives there. You’ll see some smudging and staining from having dogs and kids, whereas a home without children might see their paint last much longer.
Now, for exteriors, you want to use premium paint, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be the highest end. You should still get 10 to 15 years out of it depending on things like direct sun on the house and colors used. Darker colors fade faster than cooler ones.
An expert can help guide you on the best options for your home. I’ve been around the construction industry since I was a kid, because my family were builders and remodelers, so I have seen how paint performs on projects over the decades. I also did consulting work with painting companies prior to owning Bear Creek Painting.
Do you have any tips for choosing affordable, high-performance paint?
Sure. You don’t need to waste money on top-of-the-line paint products for surfaces like drywall. With ceilings, you don’t need high-end ceiling paint because nobody is up there to touch it and smudge it, so a midrange paint should last a decade or two.
What kind of paint is best for kitchen cabinets?
If you’re repainting, the least expensive thing to do is use the paint type that’s already on the cabinets. If you want to switch because you’re not happy with the finish, priming is a must.
Oil-based paint usually produces a harder finish, but some water-based products – like the high-end Sherwin Williams Emerald or the Benjamin Moore Aura – give the same finish as oil paint. Keep in mind that those two paints require use of an expensive primer as well.
Why does my real estate agent want me to paint the house?
You can paint to update the look of a house, but you protect or increase the value of your home when you paint, too. It’s one of the least expensive ways to do that. Not only will it freshen up the look and brighten up the space, but clients also usually see a substantial return on their investment in terms of a higher asking price.
Do you do any prep work prior to painting?
Absolutely. Prep work and customer service are the things I care about the most, so everyone who works for me does an excellent prep job. It’s just cheaper to prep a room than to try to clean up paint afterward, so prep is usually over half the time we spend on a job. We make sure to tape neatly, and anything not painted will be well covered. We’ll cover any hard surfaces with contractor’s paper and use plastic for furniture and carpeting. In kitchens, if we use oil-based paints, we will plastic-off the area. Though it’s not airtight, that does seal the room to some extent.
About The Expert
