When Is It Time to Repaint Your House Exterior?

It is time to repaint the exterior when the paint no longer protects the wall. You can tell by faded colour, peeling paint, cracks and dark stains. If you see more than one of these signs, it is not worth waiting much longer. The later you paint, the more the wall deteriorates and the more preparation work it needs.

Signs that the paint has reached the end of its life

Walk around the house slowly and look at each wall. South- and west-facing walls get more sun and usually wear out first. North-facing walls stay damp and darken more.

The colour is washed out and the wall looks lifeless.
The paint lifts, blisters or falls off in pieces.
When you run your hand over it, a white or coloured powder comes off. This means the paint is breaking down.
There are green, black or grey patches of mould and algae.
Small cracks or fine lines appear in the render.
The wall absorbs water: when it rains, it stays dark for a long time.

What happens if you wait too long

Exterior paint is not just there to look good. It works as a coating that stops water getting into the wall. When that coating fails, rain gets in through the cracks and the places where the render is weak. Inside the house, this can later show up as damp and mould.

In Lisbon, Cascais, Oeiras and Sintra, the winter rain can be heavy at times and the summer sun is strong. These changing conditions make the wall expand and contract, and cracks appear faster if the paint is already worn.

A simple check

There is an easy hand test. Rub a dry cloth over the wall. If paint dust comes off on the cloth, the paint film is breaking down. Then lightly scratch an area with a coin. If the paint comes off in flakes, adhesion is poor and the wall needs to be scraped before painting.

It also helps to look at the details. Beams, eaves, window sills and corners are where paint fails first, because water runs down and sits there.

How long can you wait?

There is no exact number that fits every house. It depends on the paint used, exposure to sun, wind and rain, and the condition of the render. A house near the sea, for example, suffers more than one inland. So it is better to go by the real condition of the wall than by the number of years that have passed.

If the wall is just dirty and the paint is still firm, a good wash is sometimes enough. If the paint is already peeling, the surface needs preparing: scrape off whatever is loose, repair the cracks and only then paint.

What to do next

Walk around the house and photograph what you see on each wall.
Note any areas with cracks or damp, as they may need repair before painting.
Ask for a site visit to assess the render and recommend the right preparation.
Choose a dry, mild time of year for the work.

Tip: If you need to reach high areas, such as the second floor or the eaves, do not climb up on makeshift ladders. Work at height should be done by professionals, using proper scaffolding or a platform.