Prep and patience are key to painting a house
Carmen Steiner
The right tools for the job will make painting so much easier.
Painting is one of the easiest ways to transform the look of your home; yet we’re often just not good at it. We think we can do a room in a day, the whole house in a weekend.
“People think painting is a very easy thing,” says Michael Parreno of 78 Painting, Textures, Plasters and More in Austin. “It’s all about the prep and many years of experience. Patience is everything in painting.”
That prep work is going to be about 75 percent of the job.
Choosing the right color is also important.
Gray is the big color right now, says Stacy Paulson of Stacy Paulson Design. It’s a light-to-medium gray, but you have to be careful because some grays tend to go blue, and when it’s too cool, gray can go wrong, she says. “You’ve got to find the right gray that stays gray,” she says.
Before you pick any color, spend $5-$7 and get a sample. Paint a square of it on the walls and look at it at different times of day to make sure it looks right in any light and with your furniture.
Paulson says she hires professionals for her clients, but for her own home, she paints the interior walls herself. Light colors are less risky than trying to do dark colors.
For dark colors, as well as trim work and exteriors, the professional might be worth the investment.
When you’re looking for a professional painter, make sure the company is bonded and insured. Ask for detailed estimates. How many coats will they do? What kind of prep work? What kind of paint will they use? The paint is also going to be only about 15 percent of the bill. Labor is your big cost.
With trim and cabinets, you want this paint job to last because it’s not the kind of job you’re going to do often. Choose the best quality paint you can afford. Traditionally you’d use oil-based paint, which has powerful fumes. That’s why professionals use masks when working with these products. If you’ve decided to do the interior walls yourself, move everything to the center of the room so you have space to work. Remove electrical and light switch covers.
Take time to tape carefully in a straight line around the windows, doors, baseboards and crown molding. Some professionals use brown paper trim rolls in addition to tape to cover crown molding and baseboards.
There are a lot of tapes to choose from, and what’s important is the release time. If you’re able to complete the job in a day or two, you can pick a three-day release tape. For bigger jobs, such as faux finishing or more detail work, choose a 14- to 60-day-release tape.
Not every job needs a primer. If you have a flat, light-color paint on the wall already, you can skip the priming step. A paint store can help you determine whether you need a primer and what kind.
Don’t go cheap on interior paint because you’ll just have to do more coats. Some of the higher-end latex paints might be $60 to $75 a gallon but will take only one coat with touch-ups, or two at most. Avoid paints that are less than $30 a gallon; with those you’re going to be painting again and again. Some of the new higher-end flat paints are scrubbable, so you don’t have to go with semigloss if you have children.
Most professionals use an up-and-down stroke, but a W stroke works well if you have a lot of texture and are using cheap paint. With good paint and the right roller or brush, you can just go up and down.
You want your roller or brush to have a lot of paint on it and frequently dip it back into the paint to avoid painting with a dry brush or roller. Make sure the brush and roller have an even coat to avoid streaking.
Austin American-Statesman
About the House Painting and Repair Welcomes New Clients in the Greater Charlotte, NC Area
About the House Painting and Repair continues to offer superb painting and drywall repair services in its service area.
This article was originally distributed via 24-7 Press Release Newswire. 24-7 Press Release Newswire, WorldNow and this Site make no warranties or representations in connection therewith.
CHARLOTTE, NC, December 27, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- About the House Painting and Repair specializes in offering quality home and property improvement services to the Charlotte, NC metropolitan area. This Charlotte, NC locally owned and operated company has been pleasing customers for over twenty-five years. Their highly skilled employees go through extensive training to perfect their interior and exterior painting, drywall repair, popcorn ceiling removal, and floor painting and staining skills.
According to the business's proud owner, Bernal Zeledon, "There is a simple formula behind our company's continuing success. This formula is identified by our business slogan: 'Delivering High Quality Extreme Detail Interior and Exterior Painting at a Very Affordable Price'." Every member of this enduring business understands customer satisfaction is the ultimate priority. They know their job is to produce happy customers, and that comes by taking care of the details.
The company is equally adept at performing small jobs and large jobs. In addition to interior wall painting, their painting specialists are trained to flawlessly paint hardwood floors. Painting hardwood floors is a delicate task, which is best left to the professionals, and their crews specialize in painting and staining hardwood floors with expert skill. For exterior painting, regardless of whether customers desire a smooth or textured surface, their skilled painters know how to perform the services listed at their website at http://www.housepaintingcharlotte.com.
However, their skills are not limited to painting. The range of property maintenance services offered by this versatile local contractor includes gutter cleaning and holiday decoration setup assistance. In addition, if you need drywall repairs, the area's premier contractor for drywall-related work is at your service. Should water damage the drywall in your home or business property, you cannot delay having it repaired, as that can seriously threaten the structural integrity. The drywall experts with such an experienced contractor are available to save your building from additional problems.
It is customary at About the House Painting and Repair to offer a no-obligation free price quote with every consultation. They make every effort to complete the project at no extra cost. This business begins its service with a free survey that identifies the type of work and the nature of the services required. Once they begin work, they stay on schedule without sacrificing quality for speed; and, once they have completed the job, they take pride that no mess is left behind.
About About the House Painting and Repair
About the House Painting and Repair has worked hard to build its reputation for high quality service. The painting enterprise puts the focus on rigorous training and superior customer service to win customer loyalty and customer referrals. Its winning formula includes offering flexible scheduling and a wide range of service hours to accommodate busy customers. Keeping the customer informed remains a cornerstone of the preferred local painting and drywall service for thousands of satisfied customers.
Information contained on this page is provided by an independent third-party content provider. WorldNow and this Station make no warranties or representations in connection therewith. If you have any questions or comments about this page please contact pressreleases@worldnow.com.
For the original version on 24-7 Press Release Newswire visit: http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/about-the-house-painting-and-repair-welcomes-new-clients-in-the-greater-charlotte-nc-area-399238.php