It’s time to repaint the living room. New colors are all picked out. Cans of paint, brushes, rollers, trays, masking tape, a ladder and tarps are stored in the garage, ready for the weekend. Plans are to wake up early Saturday morning and, after a hearty breakfast, get started. Should be finished by Sunday afternoon. Nice productive weekend. “Maybe,” said George Borland, owner of Borland Painting, the Paso Robles house painter. “One of the top reasons people decide to paint their home themselves is to save some money.” However, do-it-yourself jobs often turn out to be more work than expected because of unanticipated problems that, in the end, cost more in both money and stress.
Doing it yourself
One of the secrets to a smoothly running painting project is to get organized. Being organized means much more than just buying all the supplies. Getting organized means:
- Survey the area to be painted and assess preparation steps such as whether or surfaces need to be washed, are the surfaces textured, do cracks or holes need to be patched, are stains present and what’s the best way to cover them so they don’t show through the new paint, is the old paint chipped, how many windows and how much trim needs to be masked, does furniture need to be moved, how are kids and pets being kept out of the work area and what kind of clean-up supplies are needed.
- Plan the order of the preparation work such as removing fixtures, moving and covering furniture, cleaning or scraping the surfaces, protecting the floor, patching and masking and priming if necessary. Painting a light color over a darker color, painting over an old paint job, stains or other conditions of the surfaces often mean you need to prime first.
- Double-check all of your supplies at least a week before starting. It’s frustrating to discover you need an important tool or more paint and have to take the time to run to the hardware store.
Prepping can take an entire day because the substances used to repair damage to the walls needs to dry and sometimes sanded and another treatment applied, flaking paint needs to be scraped off then cleaned up and masking windows and trim to protect them can take a few to several hours. Making sure furniture is protected is also time consuming.
“The actual painting can go relatively quickly,” said the Paso Robles house painter, “but there is some drying time before adding the second coat.” Then there is the clean-up that includes removing all the masking tape, picking up the tarps, cleaning the brushes and rollers and cleaning up any spills, spots or drops of paint.
“If someone is willing to take the time to get organized and do all of the necessary preparation, they are probably going to be happy with the final results,” said Borlodan. But, after thinking about all of the work involved and considering some of the things that can go wrong, it’s always worth the time to discuss the project with a professional painter.
A consultation gives you a realistic plan:
- At the preparation phase
- The length of the project from preparation through clean-up
- The cost of a professional job that you can compare to the cost of tools, supplies and your time
Working with a professional
The advantages of working with a professional painter, such as the Paso Robles house painter from Borlodan painting, include:
- The job will be completed on time to your satisfaction.
- Professionals arrive with all of the supplies, equipment and tools to do the job.
- Years of experience mean there is minimal chance of property being damaged.
- Clean-up at the end of the job is thorough complete.
- The team has years of experience that means most problems are avoided from the start.
Since its founding in 2011, Borlodan Painting Company has been among the Central Coast’s top residential and commercial painting businesses. Arriving on time, clean and ready to work, the professional team offers fine craftsmanship and the utmost respect for clients’ personal space and belongings. A local small business, the company has become the Central Coast’s painter of choice.
Call today for an estimate.
