Having your home repainted is no small task. It is costly to have it professionally done and few people have the time, equipment, or patience to do it themselves. Unfortunately, however, having your home periodically repainted is not exactly optional. To minimize costs and hassles while remaining environmentally conscious, follow these tips for repainting your house.

-Don’t Go Overboard with Colors-

If you’re not satisfied with the current color scheme of your home’s exterior, it can be a good idea to choose something new for the outside of your home. If you do decide to switch things up, remember to be wary of picking colors that are too bright and vibrant. Picking very garish colors for your home may cause it to stand out more than you want, especially if you live in a neighborhood in which the other homes have a subtler color scheme. Having a home that stands out so much can also scare away potential buyers when you plan to sell, as they may be alarmed by a house that is in such contrast with the others on the block.

-Get the Timing Right-

As with other large improvement projects, repainting your home is something you want to avoid procrastinating. And it’s just as important not to jump the gun and have your home repainted too early, a clear waste of time and money if the paint is still in good enough shape for the time being.

There is no exact formula for how long to wait before repainting your home, as factors including the age of the home, type of paint it has, and the climate in which you live are all relevant in determining how often your home should be repainted. There are, however, fairly obvious signs you will see indicating that it’s time for a new paint job. Cracked, faded, bubbling, and peeling paint are signs of damage, so it is best to repaint the moment any such warning signs turn up.

-Know the Importance of Material-

It may come as no surprise to learn that what your home is made of is important in determining how often to repaint your home, as different materials do not respond in the same way to things like sunlight, cold, and precipitation. Yet it’s also important to understand that different materials require different paint types and some can even be damaged by being painted. Brick, for example, can deteriorate far faster if you use a nonporous paint, as this will trap moisture in the brick and cause problems when temperatures drop below freezing. The brick may warp as the water trapped within it expands, and you may be looking at a far greater cost than the initial investment required in painting your home.

-Be Aware of Environmental Concerns-

Whether you are doing the job yourself or having your home professionally painted, it’s important to avoid practices that are unnecessarily bad for the environment. The type of paint you purchase is definitely a relevant factor in terms eco-friendliness, and it’s a good idea to buy paints with low levels of volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. Even though these types of paints tend to be more expensive, VOCs have been shown to contribute to health problems such as respiratory diseases and even some forms of cancer, so try to pick paints with as low levels of these compounds as possible.

Besides the type of paint you choose, there are other ways to stay green. Old paints can actually be recycled for future use, so if you have leftover paint lying around you can save it for your next job. And to eliminate other forms of unnecessary waste, be sure to take the time to research which brushes and other tools will stay in good condition and not have to be thrown away after a short use. If you are hiring contractors to repaint your home, don’t be shy about asking them what practices they employ to remain eco-friendly while doing the job.