A good interior paint job starts with a clean surface. If substances such as dust, grease or cigarette smoke are present on the walls or other substrates, they must be removed before doing any further work. There are many products which do this – some are better than others!
Any holes from old picture hangers, dents or damage should be repaired before a repaint. This is a great time to move fixtures and rearrange the appearance of your room! This is usually fairly straight-forward and easy for a pro painter to do – and sometimes less easy for the homeowner. And, if your home was built prior to 1978, there may be lead paint present…ONLY an EPA RPP-certified painter/contracter may disturb more than 6 sq. ft. of lead-paint-containing materials without using the proper procedures. It’s the LAW, it affects your family’s health, and it just plain makes sense!
To prime or not can be a controversial topic. Some painters assume because the existing paint is in decent shape, and you are not radically changing colors, that it’s ok not to reprime the walls. In many cases, they may be right. However, for a top-notch, lasting, and properly-appearing paint job, a quality primer is recommended. And always when painting over new sheetrock or plaster! When applied to a clean, solid surface, new primer sets up a base for your topcoat to adhere to firmly and evenly. Whether a primer is applied or not at times can be a matter of economics; only a painter with experience can make the call whether or not priming should be omitted from your job.
Whatever the preparation methods, there is no substitute for using quality paint! Many folks cannot discern between a big-box store brand and a higher quality such as Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams. But, after a day of actually using the product, they would! Paints are composed of, among other things, binding agents and colorants. A quality product has the right balance of both…deep colors, binders that help the paint to adhere (but not so much that the paint is ‘clotty’ or ‘goopy’). A knock-off brand is, basically, good paint that is watered down. Using lower quality paints to save $30 at the end of a job can add more coats of paint to the project, results that are less than desirable, and may actually COST you money in the end! Labor is the most expensive part of any job – using the right products will ensure that labor time is balanced and not spent struggling with inferior products! Trust the people who use them every day.
So, why use an experienced, certified professional painter for YOUR home’s interior?
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savings in time, headaches and money in the long run
savings in time, headaches and money in the long run-a professional is responsible for their work; you can delegate and let them use the products they KNOW, to achieve results beyond expectations
a professional is responsible for their work; you can delegate and let them use the products they KNOW, to achieve results beyond expectations-much less hassle and unexpected costs which occur when a novice attempts to cut corners, but fails to anticipate ‘sticky spots’ that pros account for
much less hassle and unexpected costs which occur when a novice attempts to cut corners, but fails to anticipate ‘sticky spots’ that pros account for-in some cases, to protect your family from hazardous lead dust and comply with the law – extremely expensive fines can be given to those who are not certified to work on lead paint!!
in some cases, to protect your family from hazardous lead dust and comply with the law – extremely expensive fines can be given to those who are not certified to work on lead paint!! A look inside your interior paint job
BeforeAfter
After
