The expression “rather than” in the text is equivalent to:

A Better Way to Paint a House

    Fall is by far the best time to paint a house in most locations. The cooler, drier weather allows the paint to cure properly and also makes the work more _____________ rather than suffering through the summer heat or spring showers.

    Keeping your house painted is the best way to keep issues like rot or termites at bay and should be a regularly scheduled part of your maintenance every 10-20 years depending on your climate and the condition of your paint.

    If you let a paint job go too long you run the risk of damage to the underlying structure and increased costs for more involved surface prep. Heavy sanding, scraping and carpentry repairs can be budget busters so keeping your house painted regularly is a time and money saver.

https://thecraftsmanblog.com/... - adapted