“The Worst Advice We’ve Heard About Painting Your Home”
Much like when you tell people you are expecting a child, people cannot help but offer their two cents when you tell them you are painting your home. Do-It-Yourself painting is tricky so it makes sense that people want to share their shortcomings or shortcuts, but what people fail to understand is that painting a house is truly a craft. Professional painters have spent years perfecting what they do, so 9 times out of 10, you will get a better result by hiring one instead of doing it yourself. If you choose to do it yourself, please heed the advice of this longtime professional painter! Here’s a just a handful of some of the worst advice we’ve ever heard about painting:
“Just wear a mask when dealing with lead paint.”
This one drives me NUTS. Why do people not take their health seriously? There is a reason there are waivers that sign your life away when you move into homes or apartments built before 1976. Lead paint is no joke. I am not going to tell you how to live your life, but if you’re not comfortable with the intensive care needed to remove lead-based paint, please enlist the help of a certified professional painter. Wearing a mask is just the tip of the iceberg.
“You don’t need to move any furniture – just cover it all in plastic.”
There is a reason you see furniture pushed out of a room or to the center of a room when you see a paint crew at work – they do not want to get paint on your stuff! And they are pros! Drips and spills happen. Do yourself a favor and move knick-knacks, electronics, smallish furniture, light fixtures and anything you care about to another room. Then move your large furniture to the center of the room and cover it in thick plastic or in two sheets of plastic. Plastic will help mitigate paint damage, but it’s not 100%. It simply does not do a good job of absorbing paint. If you are replacing drywall or doing any drywall repair at all, remove EVERYTHING and cover carpets in thick, high-quality canvas drop cloths because that mess gets EVERYWHERE. Bed sheets and old blankets will let paint and drywall dust get through.
“All paint is the same!”
No matter what Home Depot tells you, what you spend does make a difference. And by the way, no paint is perfect after one coat. If you are going to do the job right, use a good primer, pick a quality paint and do at least two coats. Most quality paints are around $25-$35 a gallon. They are usually worth it though because they hold up for years. The $15 a gallon paint looks good for a few months, but will often crack, peel and fade much faster.
“You’re safe to use that leftover paint in another room”
The shelf life of paint all depends on storage conditions. Was the paint stored in a cool, dark room? Did it get sealed properly? Has it ever been exposed to temperatures where it might freeze? Painters will recommend you hold onto a small amount of leftover paint for touch ups but using that paint in another room entirely is not always advisable. The thing is, you never know what a paint color will look like until it’s completely dry and examined in natural light. If the rooms face different directions, they will look like different colors in the sun. Another key takeaway is whether or not you have enough leftover paint to cover the room. If you’re not sure you do, be sure to check with your local paint store to see if that color is still in stock or if they are able to match it. That would be a tragedy to exert all the effort in painting a room only to have to redo it.
“You can use interior paint on the exterior of your home.”
Now you may get away with using a good exterior paint on interior surfaces, but never the other way around. Exterior paints are formulated differently these days to offer protection from the elements. They are more resistant to UV rays, rain, snow, dirt, etc. This means they are less likely to peel, bubble, crack and fade away. You will be so disappointed if you try to use an interior paint outside!
If you got involved in a painting project that you no longer want to be a part of, give us a call. We can handle any residential or commercial painting project. We actually like what we do. If you are near the Breckenridge/Summit County area, we would love to ease your burden. We can be reached at: 970-418-5368 cell or 970-547-9778 office.