Most rooms take one to two days and a full exterior usually takes three to five days, depending on weather. This page covers timing, drying and how long the finished paint should last in the Fargo climate.
How long does it take to paint a house inside?
It takes one to two days for most rooms, and about a week or more for a whole house, depending on its size and the prep. Ceilings, trim, doors and repairs add time. An empty house goes faster than a lived-in one.
| Room | Painting time published by HomeGuide |
|---|---|
| Bathroom | 2 to 3 hours |
| Bedroom | 4 to 5 hours |
| Kitchen | 4 to 5 hours |
| Primary bedroom | 5 to 6 hours |
| Living room | 5 to 7 hours |
| Open-plan basement | 6 to 12 hours |
| Trim and baseboards | add 1 to 2 hours |
Those hours are painting time only. Moving furniture, covering floors, repairs, drying between coats and cleanup are why a room takes a day or two in practice.
How long does it take to paint the exterior?
A full exterior usually takes three to five days, depending on the size of the house and the weather. HomeGuide gives a national figure of 4 to 5 days for an average job.
Weather is the wild card in Fargo. Rain, wind, heavy dew or a cold snap can stop work for a day. Houses with a lot of scraping, or with two stories and many gables, take longer.
How long should I wait between coats?
Follow the recoat time on the paint can. For most water-based wall paints that is a few hours. Oil-based paints and enamels for trim and cabinets usually need to dry overnight.
Cool or damp air slows drying. Paint that is recoated too soon can wrinkle, stay soft or peel.
How long before furniture can go back?
You can usually put furniture back the day after the last coat, as long as it does not press against the walls. Keep it a few inches off the wall for the first weeks if you can.
Wait longer before you hang pictures, push a bed frame against the wall or load painted shelves. Fresh paint is dry to the touch long before it is hard.
How soon can I shower after the bathroom is painted?
Wait at least a day before a shower, and longer if the paint label says so. Steam on paint that has not set can cause streaks and drips of sticky residue on the walls.
Run the fan, and leave the door open after showers for the first couple of weeks.
How long before I can wash or scrub new paint?
Wait until the paint has had time to cure, which takes about two to four weeks for most water-based paints. The label gives the exact time. Paint is dry in hours but only reaches full hardness once it has cured.
Until then, clean marks gently with a soft damp cloth and no cleaner.
Can I stay in the house while it is painted?
Yes. Most people stay in their home while it is painted. We work room by room, so you keep the use of the rest of the house, and modern water-based paints have little smell.
Tell us if anyone at home is pregnant, has asthma or is sensitive to smells, and we will plan the order of rooms and the products around that. On a pre-1978 house with lead-safe work, the work area is closed off until it has been cleaned.
How long does interior paint last?
There is no single published figure for how long interior paint lasts. It depends on the room. HomeGuide says paint in general is redone every 5 to 10 years. A guest room can go far longer. A hallway, a kitchen or a child's room may need it sooner.
Good paint in a washable sheen lasts longer because marks can be cleaned off instead of painted over.
How long does exterior paint last?
Exterior paint should last 5 to 10 years on average, by the national figures, with a full range of 3 to 20 years. It depends on the siding.
| Surface | Published lifespan of paint |
|---|---|
| Wood siding | 3 to 7 years |
| Vinyl siding | 5 to 10 years |
| Aluminum siding | 5 to 10 years |
| Stucco | 5 to 7 years |
| Cement fiberboard | 10 to 15 years |
Fargo is hard on paint. The swing from deep cold to summer heat works every joint, and south and west walls take strong sun. Expect wood siding here to sit toward the short end unless the prep was thorough.
How often should I repaint the outside of the house?
How often you repaint depends on the siding: about every 5 to 10 years on average, and sooner on wood. Do not go by the calendar alone. Walk around the house every spring after the snow is gone.
- Paint that is cracking, flaking or lifting at the edges.
- Bare or grey wood showing.
- Chalk that comes off on your hand.
- Caulk that has split at windows and corner boards.
- Color that has faded badly on the south and west sides.
Repainting before the paint fails is cheaper, because there is less scraping. A free estimate with a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your job. Call or text (701) 502-6833.