How often should one repaint the house interior?

[snoozy]

Is there any kind of a rule? We painted the interior in 2001. Think it's time again?

[Backfourty,MI.]

There's no rule at my house. I paint when I think my walls are looking faded or when I want a color change.
I think it all depends on the individual & what they wamt there house to look like.

[Curtis B]

The same as others stated, it is mostly your taste. I accidently laughed at the guy at Lowes when he tried to sell me a premium interior paint with a 25 year warranty.

[Jerngen]

It depends. Downstate MI where we are from, it wasn't uncommon (like with my mother) to change the wall colors every few years.
I've noticed up here in the U.P. that many houses still have the same wall paint that was put up 40+ years ago!

[Our Little Farm]

When money and time allows. If you are a smoker, a lot more often is needed.

I recently painted our living room and dont expect to repaint for another 10 years at least.

[countrysunshine]

We painted before we moved into to our (new construction) home 14 years ago. I repainted one bedroom when a son moved out and one of the bathrooms. I am now in to process of repainting the other walls. It is a log home so not a lot of drywall downstairs.

We don't smoke and for the most part I managed to keep the walls clean by washing them. THey need it now, though

[timfromohio]

As many times as your wife tells you to!!! Ha, sorry - couldn't resist.

[hobbyfarmer]

We have a wood stove and 2 girls learning to cook - so we're repainting for the second time in as many years. (plus we moved into this house VERY quickly and I didn't have time to really choose the best colors at that point). I'd rather take a beating than repaint.

[Windy in Kansas]

With the modern paints of today----only when you wish to change decor/color.

[foaly]

Originally Posted by Our Little Farm

When money and time allows. If you are a smoker, a lot more often is needed.

Seriously, does this help get rid of the smell of smoke? I'll soon be starting the cleaning process on my grandparent's house and, unfortunately, my GF smoked for 40 years and it still smells (even though he's been gone for years).

I probably also need to get rid of the carpet <duh>.

[KnowOneSpecial]

FOALY...a good coat or three of good paint should seal the stink in.

I paint so often that DH thinks that we're going to start losing square footage!

[mnn2501]

Originally Posted by timfromohio

As many times as your wife tells you to!!! Ha, sorry - couldn't resist.

You beat me to it - thats the ONLY reason I paint the interior. I'd be perfectly happy to paint once when we move in if it needs it, and then never again.

"Come on dear, you loved that color.......20 years ago"

[RWBlue01]

Originally Posted by timfromohio

As many times as your wife tells you to!!! Ha, sorry - couldn't resist.

I still make fun of a guy I have known for many years because his wife had him pain the inside of his house white. And then a few months later had him paint it again because she didn't like the color of white he did it with the first time.

I am single. I don't smoke. I don't mess up my walls. They are the same color as I moved in.

[Kris in MI]

Originally Posted by mnn2501

You beat me to it - thats the ONLY reason I paint the interior. I'd be perfectly happy to paint once when we move in if it needs it, and then never again.

"Come on dear, you loved that color.......20 years ago"

We built our house in 2003, and in order to trim some from the building budget, I volunteered to do all the painting and staining myself rather than hire it out. Now, our house is two stories (not counting the basement) coming out to about 1800 sq ft. After spending most of a hot, humid summer priming, painting, staining and sealing pretty much every inch of wall, door, counter-edge (oak) and window frames, I looked at my dh and informed him that we would not be changing the color of any rooms until such day came that we put the house up for sale. Since the plan is to stay here until dh retires and he was 34 when we built. . . . 20-30 years ought to be about right.

I might have to break down and paint the ceilings tho--when we had them put in the drywallers mixed primer with the texturing mud and the ceilings were such a nice white we cheated and elected to skip painting them. After an 'oops' with the pressure cooker several years ago my kitchen has a "brisket mark" on the ceiling directly above the stove. There's also a dark "Christmas tree mark" in one corner of the livingroom where we underestimated the height of the Christmas tree one year.

[NorthCountryWd]

According to me.....never.

According to my wife.....every 6 months.

[JuliaAnn]

I've been painting our interior in increments over the past 6 months or so. I hate painting. It always looks very nice, professional, clean, neat edges, etc., but I hate doing it. I am painting because it has been about 10 to 12 years since I last painted, and we had taken up carpet and put down laminate floors, put down new baseboards, plus years of just moving furniture and dogs curled up in cozy corners had the walls dirty and gouged in places.

Funny about someone mentioning changing colors--- the colors I chose are pretty much the colors that were already there, just a bit lighter. I brought home color catalogs and had paint chips taped up everywhere, and I never did find different colors I liked more than the medium to light sage greens, the light, soft butter yellows, rich cream shades and bright white woodwork. White walls are ok, but I like soft colors so much better.

[airotciv]

When we sell the house.

[Jim Bunton]

I am a painter by trade and will agree interior paint lasts a long time depending on abuse. No rule of thumb just when you think it needs it. As far as smoke smell goes you will need to use a good seal coat. I like Gripper from Glidden just make sure and let it dry 24 hours to get the full benefit out of it. This will seal in not only the smell, but also the stain which will bleed back through paint.

Jim

[foaly]

Originally Posted by Jim Bunton

As far as smoke smell goes you will need to use a good seal coat. I like Gripper from Glidden just make sure and let it dry 24 hours to get the full benefit out of it. This will seal in not only the smell, but also the stain which will bleed back through paint.

Jim

Thanks Jim! Just the advice I needed.

[Callieslamb]

Every time paint goes on sale.