How often do you paint?

[Ritascornershop]

I feel like the last ten years I am painting every dumb summer. I’ve lived here for over 20 years (4 bedrooms, 2 levels) and every year it’s something. We have very fiddly older sash windows and by the time I’ve done 3 or 4 I’ve lost the will to live, so the last 4 years have been windows. Now I’m done that it’s time to fix cracks in the ceiling and paint those.

I am so fed up with painting, I never want to see a tin of paint again. I guess on average rooms are getting redone (walls or trim or ceilings) every 10 years and window frames and paint rails maybe every 7.

Is this normal? It looks so much better when it’s done but I also am so bored of it.

Every damn summer, silly autocorrect.

What a nightmare! Old slash windows can be super hard to maintain. I’d advise when you next have to do them, rub them down thoroughly to get rid of any old dry paint, use and undercoat before repainting and make sure the paint being used is protective with all weather types. The same with rooms inside of the home. Cracks in the ceilings may be a foundation issue rather than the paint being used! Again making sure the paint your using is worth your while and if it doesn’t make the room feel like it’s had a facelift then it’s not good enough! Hope this helps.

Pay someone to do it or lower general interior design standards I'd say.
Every 5 years is more normal than every year.
We haven't done it since we moved in 5 years ago and it badly needs doing but we want to move house so seems like a huge wasted effort

I have no idea, but we are living the same life. And every summer feels like a race against time to get it done while the days are still light and the weather is still dry.

Every year, I think once “this” is done I won’t need to do anything for a couple of years but that never happens and it feels like starting decorating just leads to more decorating and I find a new “this” to do. I think because once I start decorating I notice things which need to be done in other rooms and then can’t un-see them.

Yes, that’s it exactly @Nestofvipers Now the windows and ceilings look better the door frames look grubby.

I’d pay a painter if I could. In face when I win the lottery I’ll have a team of the buggers on standby! It’s every year because it’s just me and I get thoroughly fed up so only do certain bits every year (1/4 of the windows, the outside, the fence, the spare room, the ceilings, the doors, etc).

And it is a combination of the house sitting on clay and frequent very mild earthquakes (Canadian west coast).

So over this drudgery.

A good clean with sugar soap can spruce up paintwork

Ours look incredibly tatty after 7 years, and “in need of paint” before then. It’s just such a boring chore! Can you do a complete room every year? It feels more like an accomplishment that way!

We have 2 rooms in our house that have not been touched for 20 years! We know they need doing, but we have a small house and the thought of having to shift the big furniture fills me with horror. Nevertheless, it is our intention to get them done in the next year!

Lived here nearly 20 years, house 22 years old.

Outside woodwork (window & door frames, conservatory, soffits, external doors etc). Pay someone to do them, done 4 times, last done 5 years ago and really need doing this year.

Internal window & door frames, skirting boards (all wood stain) - most of the house has been done once by me, although the spare room & utility were only this year. The main bathroom & ds2s room have never been done.

Lounge walls - soon after we moved in and again about 10 years ago when I had an extension, also did the extension. I washed them all down with sugar soap a couple of weeks ago when we moved the furniture to vax-wash the floors and it's made a real difference.

Hall, stairs & landing - all painted once, and reachable bits (so not right up into the stairwell) done again about 10 years ago in the same paint.

Kitchen & utility - once, last autumn during kitchen refit.

Conservatory - when new 17 years ago and a couple of times since including last autumn during kitchen refit. Gets marked from dogs and not much wall so easy to do.

Dining room & main bathroom - previous owners painted, I've not redone.

Spare bedroom & ds2s room - still original builders magnolia.

My bedroom - did a few years after moving in and have sugar soaped once.

Ds1s bedroom - did when pg in preparation, he is 18 shortly.

Re-painted some internal doors when the extension was done they looked really good, keep thinking I should do more but have never got round to it.

TBH while house (except kitchen, utility, conservatory) is looking tired and in need of a refresh, although sugar soaping does make a massive difference.

Off to check out sugar soap! I’ve never come across this before (not in the UK), but probably obtainable.