Painting Services - affordable solutions

I’m sure that most of us at some point in time have picked up a paint brush and tried our hand at painting a room in the house, the deck out back, or maybe even the dog house.  Perhaps some of the end results were a success story, aannd perhaps some jobs didn’t turn out quite so well, or just didn’t stand the test of time.  Regardless of our own personal skill and experience, there is usually a time when we need some professional painting services to roll some fresh color onto the walls of our home.  This then, is what has lead me to write this hub; what to look for in a painting service company, and what to expect.

As with everything in life, you get what you pay for.  That’s not to say you won’t catch a break and find a deal in something; but when hiring a painting outfit, you won’t want to cut too many corners.

Obviously a local company or individual will be the way to go, as it would hardly be practical to bring your house to a painter who lived afar.  Often a professional painter will be an individual who works alone, or may have a less experienced hireling or two along, or perhaps fellow painters who will team up for the larger jobs.  Often a painter will be a student trying to earn cash for school during the summer, or it may be an organization of students such as CollegePro.  Whoever they are, you are bound to find more than a few willing painters in your area to offer their services.

Your home is no small investment.  It’s your sanctuary, its your security blanket, its your pride.  When choosing a painting service there are two key areas you should look at..

Experience and Trust

Experience is worth everything if you want a quality service, even from simple rolling technique and cutting, all the way to exterior surface prep and knowledge of proper primer and paint combinations for a durable long lasting finish.  Do you want a painter who is using your house as a “practice job?”  You might get a cheaper rate….?

Trust is worth more than a few points in the painting services business.  Will they give you an honest estimate (you may want to call in a few contractors for more estimates anyway)?  Will they charge you more as the job progresses?  Will they warranty their work or will they cheap out on prep work and product quality? 

You may do well hiring a painting service outfit that you know and trust from experience, even if they cost a bit more than the next guy.  Or maybe a friend or neighbor knows a good company.  You may want to check up on the contractor’s references regardless, or even view some of their past jobs.  If they are hesitant to supply this, it may be a sign to look elsewhere.

Hardly.  Interior painting can be quite simple, provided the painter does all necessary taping, covers all exposed furniture and places the necessary drop cloths to avoid accidental spill and drips.  Prep work can be minimal if the wall was previously painted and in great condition.

However, exterior painting can be a whole different kettle of fish.  It’s generally considered that prep work is 80% of the job.  That involves scraping, washing, removing mold and mildew, maybe even replacing boards on a deck or siding.  An issue of peeling or cracking should be able to be identified by an experienced painter and appropriate steps should be offered.

Pressure washing can be an important part of prep work.  Is your painter willing or even equipped to pressure clean a deck before painting or staining?  Is he knowledgeable about the correct chemicals and bleaches to prep the surface of decking or siding to resist mold or mildew?

A top notch, experienced painting contractor should offer a little more than the ability to roll on fresh color.  Besides the afore mentioned cleaning and prep work needs, and the knowledge about causes and fixes of previously failed paint jobs (such as a moisture problem), they should have much more to offer to be a one stop shop, well rounded organization.

Wall paper removal is an integral part of painting prep.  If wall paper is not properly pealed or steamed off, the drywall paper can be pealed off along with it, creating even more work to be done prior to actual painting.

Color consultations…for free.  While you can’t expect them to be interior decorators, with experience, however, a good painter will know colors.  Whether it be what colors go well together, or what colors are currently in trend, your painting service should have a large array of color chips and should be happy to bring them over for a free consultation, while giving a free estimate.

Carpentry repairs.  A novice, or perhaps a carefree painter, may overlook rotten or damaged decking or siding; simply because they are unable to repair it or can’t recognize a moisture problem.  Experienced painting services should have at least rudimentary carpentry repair skills, and this will have been born out of necessity and experience.

Drywall repair.  This may be one area where you, the homeowner, can prep in advance before the painter moves in, to help cut costs.  Simple spackling and sanding can be easily done, as a putty knife and drywall compound is very cheap.  Larger repairs, however take a fair amount of skill, such as repairing large holes and outright drywall replacement, along with taping joints.  It really is an art, and should not be done by a novice as irregularities won’t really show up until after the paint goes up.  Trust me, they will show.

So that was a lot of information, feel free to comment if you have something to add or take away.