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Getting ready for an exterior or interior house painting is not at all trouble-free. Remember that for every home improvement project you'll have, the preparation stage takes most of the time and is considered a crucial part since the project's success depends largely on it. To get it right, you have to learn how to start with the preparation and get through with the whole painting job smoothly.
The first thing that you have to decide on is the color. From hundreds of different shades (light to dark), try to cut it down to just only three shades or two color combinations per area. Choose by theme, by favorite, or by purpose. If you wish your house to possess a royal and classy look, go with the color purple, beige and gold. Aside from that, I suggest that bedrooms be painted with cool and calming colors like blue to promote comfort and sleep. On the contrary, use bright colors in rooms where you're most active. Asking for a booklet of paint samples is also very useful to get precise color shades of your choice.
Next is the type of paint to be used. After a primer or sealer paint, you may choose from latex or alkyd paint. Latex-based paint is often chosen indoors because you'll only need soap and water for cleaning. It has less odor and dries up quickly, is also non-flammable and allows moisture to evaporate through the film, which means there is fewer blistering, cracking and peeling. On the other hand, alkyd paint (also known as oil-based paint) is preferred for exterior house painting for its long lasting quality.
Once you're done deciding on the color and type of paint for the interior or exterior of your house, prepare the surface to be painted. Caulk all cracks, joints, and seams on the surface then clean it. Sanding blocks and sandpapers or wire brushes will create a smoother painted surface.
Set up your workplace. The area should be tidy, not cluttered. If there are still furniture in the area (of course you don't want that to be painted too) be ready to mask or cover the furniture with newspaper or plastic.
Getting the right tools and equipment to start your painting job is also a must in your workplace. The basic materials that should stay with you all the time are the paint and the paintbrushes or rollers. You wouldn't want to be interrupted from your work whenever a tool or two is missing. A complete spray kit or pans with stirring sticks must also be within reach. True, preparation is time-consuming but it is all worth it.
Major and minor house repairs are necessary to be done before painting projects so that flaws after the repairs will or may be concealed. If you're not used to doing DIY interior and exterior painting jobs, contact a reliable home improvement painting contractor in your area. Ask your neighbors and friends for referrals and contact numbers of professional painters to work wonders in your home.
Well, as I'm sure you have discovered by this point in your life, what sounds great in theory does not always have such a promising outcome.
To illustrate this point I have created a list of the top 3 things to consider when selecting a contractor to paint your home. In addition, I have listed with each tip, what the possible outcome might be if you do not pay attention to these details.
Are you ready?
Ok, class is now in session so pay close attention
1. To Cheap To Be True?
Let me ask you a question. Do you ever remember hearing the timeless old slogan “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”? Well, I would be the first person to admit that I have always been the last person to give any mind to this slogan. However, when it comes to hiring a house painting contractor I have learned the hard way that this slogan holds a great deal of validity in this matter.
Well for a number of reasons, all of which I will not go into here; however, I will state the most important reason. Whether it be exterior house painting or interior, the process requires a great deal of time, focused attention to detail, and professional workmanship. It is simply impossible to do an A++ job in a very small time period. It takes patience from both parties; the contractor as well as the home owner.
When considering a contractor for the job, do not base your final decision on how cheap the person/company is. Rather, be leery of anyone offering a price to cheap to be true.
2. Unbelievable Deadline
In many areas in life, the faster you can get things done, the better. That being said, it is only natural that you would be hooked and reeled in by a painter who promises to have your entire home painted within a very short period of time.
Here is a rule of thumb for this topic. If it sounds like an unbelievable deadline, run away as fast as you can.
Though the house painting contractor may be able to meet his self-proclaimed deadline, you will likely have major problems down the line.
This is because the painter is probably cutting corners in order to meet this deadline. When a painter cuts necessary corners, you are the one who ultimately pays for it.
3. References, References, and More References
Any house painting contractor that is worthy of your business will have a very large list of satisfied customers. Furthermore, these customers should be so satisfied with the job they received that they are more than willing to be used as a reference.
What this means to you is that when you ask the prospective contractor for references they should not offer a moments hesitation to hand over some very quality references. In fact, most quality painters will not wait for you to ask for their references. They will be so confident with their abilities that they come right out and offer their list of satisfied customers to you for your inspection.
The point here is that if the person/company you are considering for the job has a traceable history of providing quality work, chances are you will also receive top notch service.
In conclusion, you should always use these top 3 items as a means of determining the worth of anybody bidding for your house painting job. If they smell fishy, throw them back; however, if they check out by these standards, you certainly have a great chance of scoring high quality work.