Most house painting tasks are best left to professionals, especially larger painting jobs such as exterior walls and trim or interior wood floors. An experienced house painter ensures a quality job that lasts and that offers the finish you expect.
However, if you’re like most homeowners, you might want to tackle some smaller house painting jobs yourself. Before you buy some brushes and gallons of paint and start working, note some house painting mistakes virtually every homeowner makes. You can then avoid those same mistakes yourself, or decide if it’s best to call a pro and let him or her manage all the residential painting you need to have done.
Don’t Skimp on Prep Work Before House Painting
Surfaces need proper preparation before house painting begins. This prep work includes scraping away old paint and debris like rust or dried caulk and grout, filling in holes and dents, smoothing rough surfaces or roughing up overly smooth surfaces.
It’s not unusual for homeowners to rush through this prep work, perhaps thinking that new paint will cover chipped coatings and rusted areas, or not realizing that dried caulk might simply peel away, taking your fresh paint with it! Without proper preparation, however, your home’s surfaces won’t hold new paint, or you might notice unsightly bumps and other such imperfections after applying fresh paint. While this prep work is often tedious and time-consuming, it’s a vital part of quality house painting.
Clean and Then Dry Surfaces Before House Painting!
Most homeowners know to clean surfaces properly before painting a house, but they might overlook the need to let those surfaces dry thoroughly as well! Paint doesn’t adhere very well to damp surfaces, and that moisture might also break down paint so that it looks thin and faded.
In many cases, you might consider pressure washing your home’s exterior a day or two before you start house painting, to ensure outside walls and other surfaces are dry. Inside the home, consider using fans or even rented heaters and blowers, if needed, to ensure walls and floors are also dry and ready for your fresh paint.
Not All House Painting Tools Are Alike!
When a professional house painter arrives at your home, you might be surprised to see the number of brushes and rollers they bring with them. You might also get a bit overwhelmed with the variety of house painting tools available at your local hardware or home improvement store!
The reason for this wide variety of brushes, rollers, and other tools is that they are all designed to apply certain paints and coatings to specific surfaces. Rollers with a thick coating that might resemble a sheep’s wooly coat, for example, are best for painting brick and other surfaces with lots of nooks and crannies. That thick coating reaches into those deep crevices, ensuring nothing is overlooked during the house painting process.
However, it’s not unusual for homeowners to just pick a cheap brush or roller and assume it’s sufficient for their house painting needs. Using the wrong tools on various surfaces or for different paint types is a surefire way to end up with a messy, uneven coating or to have your house painting job take far longer than it should! Before shopping for brushes and other tools, research the best type for your home’s various surfaces and then shop accordingly.
Avoid Bad Weather When Painting a House
Weather extremes affect both paint and the surfaces that need painting! Hot and humid weather might break down paint, making it thin and interfering with its ability to adhere to surfaces. Overly cold weather might thicken paint so it’s difficult to mix and apply.
Weather conditions are especially vital to consider when painting exterior surfaces but note that an overly humid or cold and drafty interior might also affect paint’s finished appearance. If you’re painting humid upper stories, consider putting a dehumidifier in the space for a day or several hours before beginning work. In a cold basement, use space heaters to ensure the area is not overly cold and won’t affect your house painting task.
Know Your Surface Materials Before House Painting
If you’re not sure the actual composition of surface materials around your home, it’s probably best to leave needed house painting to the pros! A homeowner might assume that their house is covered with aluminum siding when it’s actually vinyl, or may not realize that a patio is made with stamped concrete and not paver stones. Using the wrong paints and coatings on materials often results in a poor-quality finish that doesn’t last!
While it’s easy to mistake exterior materials and surfaces, this can also happen with interior building materials as well. If you didn’t choose your home’s wood flooring, as an example, you might think it’s soft pine and easy to sand and prep for paint, when it’s really a more rugged maple or bamboo! Knowing the materials to be painted is vital for choosing the right tools and paints as well as for proper prep work before painting begins.
Advantages of a Professional House Painter
While a professional house painter is not likely to make these common DIY mistakes, there are many other reasons to invest in their services. According to The Kansas City House Painters, one advantage of a professional house painting contractor is that he or she is likely to guarantee their work. If your new paint fades or chips not long after they’ve left your home, you can probably have them come back and redo that damaged area without cost.
The right prep work and high-quality materials and tools also ensures a paint color that is true and accurate, and as expected. Not prepping surfaces properly, using cheap paints and the wrong brushes, and other such mistakes might mean ending up with walls and floors that look nothing like the color you chose!
You might also be surprised at the differences in appearance between flat, gloss, semi-gloss, and satin finishes for paints. To avoid common mistakes many homeowners make and ensure surfaces you’ll love for years to come, consider investing in a professional house painting contractor rather than trying to DIY the painting work you need to have done.
