How Long Should the Builder Coat Last On A New Home?

A question that I receive all of the time is “How long should my builder coat last on my home…or how long will my builder coat last on my new home?” This is a great question. The interesting part of this question is that there are many variables that can contribute to the answer. Let me break down this question into different parts.

Exterior – How long will the paint last on the exterior of my new home? The length of time that a “builder coat” lasts on the exterior of a new home comes down to three things:

1. What painting product was used on the home? Normally, contractors that work for builders use cheap paint. Sometimes the builders spec in cheap paint, and sometimes the contractors take it upon themselves. Cheap paint will cause the job to last a much shorter time. You can easily lose 2-4 years by using cheap paint.
2. How much paint was actually put onto the new home? Was there actually 2 coats put on the new home? Was there only 1 coat to get by? The integrity of your painter is what actually matters. If only one coat of paint is used, you can lose up to half of the time that a paint job should last.
3. When was the exterior paint job done, and what was the weather during the winter? The time of year that the new home is painted, and the toll that the weather takes on the new paint job affects the amount of time that it will last.

Interior – How long will the paint last on the interior of my new home? How long the interior paint job lasts is affected by the following factors:

1. What type of paint is being used? Just like exterior painting, the length that an interior job lasts if dependent on the quality of paint that is used. The cheaper the paint that is used, the easier the walls or trim are to be marred by scratches or scrapes. Better paint is more wipe-able, and is more resistant to fading and scratches.
2. How hard are you on walls, doors, and trim? If you have young kids or slobbering dogs, your paint is not going to last as long. Handprints and paw marks will eventually make you have to repaint.

Interior summary: The length of time that your paint job will last depends on your builder, contractor, and you. The average length of time is between 8-10 years. Normally, homeowners are ready to change wall colors by then.

Here is how Elite Pro Painting paints new homes differently than most new home builders painting contractors:

• Elite Pro Painting uses the finest materials. There is a price difference, but as talked about above, it will last longer. It is the right thing to do.
• Elite Pro Painting does 2 coats. Not to repeat myself, but there is a price difference. It will last longer. It is the right thing to do.
• Elite Pro Painting tries to only paint homes when the weather is best for good results. The paint job will last longer. It is the right thing to do.