My house is a two story combination vinly, brick, and wood trim on the exterior. It is 14 years old and has been restained 7 years ago. I am working with a painter who promotes painting versus staining. He claims that there are paints with long term warranties provided they are put on properly by the painter. The issue for me is maintainance of the outside. Right now I can get away with staining every 7 years or so. I am afraid that painting will turn into a nightmare from that perspective. Your thought?
My advice...
HOUSE PAINTING COULD BE YOUR LEAST EXPENSIVE INVESTMENT
Rudy Ni o (November 23)
Believe it or not, painting your house could be the least expensive improvement you do. Maybe it's not stocks or bonds, but a painting job could be a smart investment.
Painting you house can add years to its life, and painting with an acrylic latex exterior product can add years to the life of the paint job, possibly even saving you some money. Acrylic latex produces a "breathing" or "one-way" film that forms a barrier to keep moisture from penetrating the surface, but does not interfere with the escape of water vapor from within the walls.
Properly applied, acrylic latex paint can perform well and protect your exterior for years to come. Latex paints made with 100% acrylic binders can last twice as long as ordinary house paint, possibly even ten years or more as compared to a three or six year lifespan of ordinary exterior paint. Acrylic latex paints can cost three to five dollars per gallon, but the added cost could be as little as $60 to $100. Since most of the cost of repainting often goes to labor -- up to 85% in some cases -- the additional cost of the acrylic latex may not make much of a difference because the time between paint jobs can be much less.
A good way to understand the investment value of acrylic latex is to consider the life of the paint job and its related costs.
Thanks so much for your response. I received a quote which seems reasonable as it includes repairs to the wood and caulking of seams, etc. I believe I will paint. Now the hard part of picking a color combination that make the exterior pop and standout nicely. Again, thanks Rudy.
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