The rule for interior paint is that high traffic areas need a fresh coat more often. The paint on your walls can begin looking shabby over time. Applying a fresh coat of paint every few years keeps your home looking it’s best. How long interior paint lasts depends on the room it’s in and how much wear and tear it suffers. Interior paint can look good as new for up to 7 years in rooms you rarely use. In other rooms, it may only last for 2 years before it needs a fresh coat. How many feet pass through your home and little hands run over your walls also impacts the lifespan of your interior paint. If you’re looking for guidelines on when to schedule a new interior paint job, you can use this interior repainting schedule as a guide.
Interior Repainting Schedule
Hallway or Corridor Paint: 2 – 3 years
The walls that need the most lovin’ in any home are the hallways or corridors. These are the highest traffic areas in any home. Since people, toys, and furniture move through these areas more often, the wall paint suffers more. It’s a good idea to freshen up hallway paint every 2 to 3 years.
Kitchen Paint: 3 – 4 years
Your kitchen is the hub of your home. It’s where you grab snacks, make meals and catch up with your loved ones. Kitchen paint gets dirty from food splatters and grease. You and your guests also wear it down by leaning on it and brushing past it. We recommend using paint with a durable finish, like eggshell or satin, in your kitchen so that it’s easy to clean. With durable paint on the walls, it will look good for 3 to 4 years before it needs to be repainted.
Bathroom Paint: 3 – 4 years
Bathrooms are high traffic areas. The smaller the bathroom, the more wear and tear on the paint from people’s hands and humidity. Humidity and moisture have the biggest impact on how long bathroom paint last. Semi-glossy or satin paint is the best for bathrooms. It will last for 3 to 4 years before it needs a fresh coat.
Bedroom Paint: 3 – 5 years
Paint in children’s bedrooms endures a lot of wear and tear. Kids love touching everything, including walls. They also spend more time in their bedrooms playing and goofing around than adults. Like a kitchen, it’s smart to use a paint with a durable sheen in a child’s room. Even with durable paint, the walls will be ready for a new coat in 3 to 4 years.
The paint in adult bedrooms lasts much longer. Adult bedrooms are low-traffic areas. Bedroom paint in an adult’s room can last for 5 years or longer.
Living Room & Dining Room Paint: 5 – 7 years
The paint in living rooms and dining rooms tends to last longer than other rooms. You can thank all the extra furniture in these rooms for that. People and children usually keep their hands off the walls in these rooms. They put them on the furniture instead. Even matte paint can stay in good shape in a living room or dining room for 5 to 7 years (depending on how much traffic you have in your home).
What about the paint on ceilings, baseboards, and trim?
Ceilings and crown molding rarely need to be repainted unless they are stained from smoke, dust, or water damage. You may want to repaint the ceiling if you’re changing the paint sheen of the room to match the new sheen. The best time to repaint crown molding, door frames, and window trim is when it’s too stained by dirt for even a magic marker.
Baseboards and trim are the exact opposite. They endure the most wear and tear. They are frequently scuffed and scrapped by vacuums, toys, and animals. Baseboards and trim could use a fresh coat every 2 to 3 years. The paint on your walls will last longer if it’s applied by a professional who preps the walls and uses high-quality paint. Rushing to get the walls painted yourself can leave you with an uneven paint job or peeling walls in the future. Our team of professional painters at Franklin Painting takes pride in their craftsmanship. If you are looking for painters in Central Connecticut that you can trust to get the job done right, schedule an appointment with us!
Frank Campanelli, the esteemed founder of Franklin Painting LLC, has been leading the company since 1986. He takes immense pride in the stellar reputation his dedicated team has built by consistently delivering top-notch service to each customer.
