How often should I repaint the exterior of a wood-sided home in New Brunswick?

Most wood-sided homes in New Brunswick need exterior repainting every 7 to 12 years, though homes in coastal areas or those with older, thinner paint coats may need it every 5 to 7 years. The wide range comes down to paint quality, surface preparation from the last job, and how much punishment your specific home takes from the Maritime climate.

NB's climate is genuinely hard on exterior paint. You get the full package: salt-laden humidity off the Bay of Fundy and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, intense UV in summer, 100+ freeze-thaw cycles per winter, and spring moisture that works its way into any gap or crack. Wood siding — whether it's clapboard on a 1960s Fredericton bungalow or cedar shingles on a Saint John Victorian — is particularly vulnerable because wood is a living material that expands and contracts with every temperature swing. Even the best paint on the best wood will eventually fail because of this movement.

What accelerates the need to repaint is just as important as the calendar. South- and west-facing walls get the most UV and typically show fading or chalking first. North-facing walls and overhanging soffits hold more moisture and mildew, which breaks down the paint film faster. If previous painters skimped on prep — painted over peeling sections, skipped primer on bare wood, or used builder-grade exterior paint — you may find yourself repainting in 5 years rather than 10. The life expectancy of an exterior paint job is really the life expectancy of its weakest point.

Signs it's time to repaint are more reliable than a fixed schedule. Look for peeling or flaking, especially at joints, window frames, and the bottom courses of siding where moisture wicks in from the ground. Chalking (rubbing your hand on the wall leaves a chalky residue) means the paint film is degrading. Fading that's uneven across the house, or cracks that penetrate down to bare wood, mean moisture is getting in and damage is accelerating. Catch it at the chalking or fading stage and you can refresh with good prep and two coats; wait until there's widespread peeling and you're looking at much more extensive scraping, priming, and repair work.

Practical tip: Walk around your home every spring once the snow melts — late April or early May — and look at every surface. Pay particular attention to wood trim, window sills, door frames, and the lower 60 cm of siding where splash-back from rain and snowmelt is worst. Northern NB homes (Bathurst, Edmundston, Campbellton) tend to show wear faster than Moncton or Saint John homes because of more severe winter conditions, so check them more carefully.

When it does come time to repaint, timing matters enormously in NB. The reliable exterior painting window runs mid-May through mid-October. Earlier than that, wood moisture content after snowmelt is often still above the 15% threshold safe for painting, and cold nights can prevent proper curing. A professional painter will use a moisture meter before applying any paint — it is worth making sure yours does the same.

Need help finding a professional painter to assess your home's exterior? New Brunswick Painting can match you with local painters for free through the New Brunswick Construction Network directory.

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