DIY Don't: Why You Should Always Hire Professional Painters

A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for you and your home. It increases your home value, adds protective layers, and can even lighten your mood.

Are you ready to repaint your home? Are you still debating between hiring professional painters or attempting a DIY project?

There are many reasons why you should leave the home painting to the pros. We have the go-to guide on why professional painting services are the preferable choice for the results you require.

Cheaper

Most people choose DIY home painting because they hope to save money. Labor costs can scare homeowners into attempting their own projects, even for dangerous and complicated work like electrical and plumbing.

The average cost for a 10x12ft professional paint job is $200-$800, according to HomeAdvisor. The same project for DIY is an estimated $100-$300.

This price doesn't account for several important factors, however. If you want a high-quality finish comparable to the pros, you'll need more than a roller and a can of paint.

You still have to pay for the work and supplies needed for high-quality results. These include the sneaky hidden costs of:

  • Painting equipment
  • Safety equipment
  • Prep work
  • Repair work
  • Mold and pest infestations
  • Primer and multiple coats
  • Textured walls and ceilings
  • Markup paint prices
  • Cleanup supplies

If you make a mistake or end up with a less-than-satisfactory finish, you may need to hire a painting company to fix it anyway. You've basically paid double the costs if that happens. And the DIY completion time will be much longer than a professional painting service.

Faster

Professional painters can get the paint job done much more quickly than DIY. This includes faster turnarounds on prep work, the actual painting, and clean-up afterward.

DIY projects can underestimate the prep work it takes for high-quality paint job results. The walls must be smooth, in good condition, and ready for new paint. Prep work can include:

  • Washing away dirt
  • Removing stains
  • Scraping away old paint or wallpaper
  • Repairing wall damages like cracks
  • Fixing structural damages 
  • Filling in holes, gaps, and chips
  • Sanding surfaces
  • Adding primer or base layers 
  • Treating mold or pests
  • Setting up ladders and scaffolding
  • Taping and tarping windows, ceilings, doors, and floors
  • Covering major items like cars (exterior) and furniture (interior)

The professional paintwork will also be much faster, especially if you want a specialty finish. A painting company already has all the special tools and skills on hand.

You may also have to schedule home painting around work and family obligations. In the time it takes you to buy everything and learn the techniques to apply one even paint coat on a wall during the weekend, professional painters can be in and out of the whole project. 

Higher Safety Standards

Home painting seems relatively low-risk compared to other DIY projects. However, OSHA has a long list of safety issues for residential painting, including:

  • Working at high heights
  • Using flammable materials
  • Exposure to toxic fumes
  • Expose to mold, fungi, and bacteria
  • Exposure to pest waste
  • Potential back and eye injuries
  • High levels of heat and/or noise
  • Electrical hazards
  • Slip hazards

Exterior painting on multi-story homes is a notable safety issue. You'll have to navigate high ladders and scaffolding.

You will also be exposed to weather hazards like high heat, cold, rain, and ice. And you're in closer proximity to power lines and other electrical current carriers.

Interior painting increases your risk of inhaling toxic fumes without proper venting and airflow. You can be exposed to electrical shock if you remove outlet coverings or disconnect major appliances.

Professional painters should already have the safety equipment and know-how to deal with these routine safety risks. They’ll also know how to handle lead paint exposure.

Avoids Lead Paint Hazards

Lead paint is a serious health hazard. Any home built before 1978 has the potential for lead paint safety issues.

Lead paint is very risky for children, but can also cause issues for adults. Lead poisoning symptoms include:

  • Headaches
  • Anemia and appetite loss
  • Fatigue and weakness
  • Insomnia
  • Abdominal cramps and pains
  • Mood changes like increased irritability
  • Joint and muscle aches
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Constipation
  • Numbness or tingling
  • Memory loss and concentration issues

Lead paint is especially hazardous when it's flaking, chipping, or peeling. Even small amounts of lead dust can cause lead poisoning. High amounts of lead poisoning can lead to seizures, organ failures, and even death.

If you have to scrape away lead paint to repaint your walls, you're risking your health and the health of anyone else living in the home. The EPA recommends using certified professionals for any home improvement projects that involve lead paint.

Liability Insurance and Warranties

Accidents will happen, no matter how much careful consideration and safety planning you do. It's easy to spill paint buckets, topple ladders over, and damage walls or windows. 

If you attempt to DIY your home painting, you're the one liable for any damages. If you paint splatters onto your car, for instance, you're paying out of pocket for an auto detailer to fix it.

You can also drip paint in your eye, or break a bone from falls and slips. If you or anyone else is injured during the work, you can be held liable for the medical costs. 

You also don't get any workmanship warranties during a DIY project. If the paint job is defective it can result in cracking, peeling, flaking, or bubbling paint. The paint can also be discolored, uneven, or have hardened drips and streaks.

These defects can appear in mere months, or even weeks and days. You either have to attempt everything again, or hire a painting company to correct it.

Painting companies are generally required to carry liability insurance. This includes any bodily injuries and property damage that occurs from a professional painter's work. 

Reputable painting companies will also offer warranties on their work. You can rest easier knowing you won't have extra expenses from damages and defective work. 

Professional Expertise

The home painting process looks relative straightforward:

  1. Go to the paint store
  2. Pick out your paint color
  3. Apply paint

The painting reality is much more complicated. Besides prep work, the actual paint job itself includes many factors.

Do you know the difference between oil-based and water-based paints? What about which paint will work in a paint sprayer, and which type will clog it?

Professional painting expertise is invaluable. It includes expert knowledge about:

  • Paint colors
  • Paint finishes
  • Paint utilities
  • Paint tools
  • Paint methods
  • Paint techniques

Choosing the right paint color is very important. You may want a certain color, but it might clash aesthetically with the rest of your furniture and decorations.

It can also be the wrong paint for the room/area. And you may have HOA restrictions or residential codes that you aren't aware of, but a professional painter already knows.

Plus, even interior residential painting has many different paint finish options. Each finish has a different look and purpose. A satin finish is lustrous and adds definition, for example, while a matte finish is flat and more easily covers flaws.

Paint types also have different utilities. These can include:

  • Easy cleaning
  • Moisture resistance
  • Allergen repellant
  • Stain blocking
  • Durability
  • Weather protection
  • Flame retardance or resistance

Your bathroom will need a different paint type and paint method than your dining room or home exterior. Even the various areas and surfaces within a room may require different paint types, tools, and methods.

A professional painter already knows what works best. Along with the expertise, you'll also get invaluable professional painter skills.

Professional Experience

Knowing all things paint goes hand-in-hand with painting experience. Professional painters can quickly and easily determine the right paint tools, methods, and techniques and apply them for high-quality results.

Sprayers, rollers, and brushers are used for different paint types and painting surfaces. There are also various types of these tools.

Brushes come in specific sizes, shapes, and styles. Brush types include:

  • Foam brushes
  • Square brushes
  • Finishing brushes
  • Synthetic brushes
  • Natural brushes
  • Angled brushes
  • Flat sash brushes

Paint rollers are determined by thickness, size, and material type. This include:

  • Mini-rollers
  • Foam rollers
  • Textured paint rollers
  • Thin or thick nap rollers
  • Microfiber rollers
  • Pad rollers
  • Lambskin rollers

Paint sprayers are also surprisingly versatile. Their type depends on the spray method:

  • Compressed air sprayer
  • Airless sprayer
  • Electric pump sprayer
  • High-Volume Low-Pressure (HVLP)

Each tool works best for certain areas and jobs, and requires certain skills to use effectively. For example, proper brush techniques are important to avoid visible brush strokes. Proper rolling helps you avoid drips and uneven coating.

Paint sprayers can also be tricky for DIY beginners. They can clog or diffuse paint around the area. They can also inject paint into your skin and eyes if you aren't careful.

Professional painters already have experience with these tools. They won't waste time and money on selection mistakes, with lower quality results. 

Better Results

It's very easy to tell an amateur paint job from professional work. The biggest tell-tale is the paint finish. It will look lumpy and cheaply glossy instead of seamless and smooth.

Other improper results that can mar your finished results:

  • Drips and blobs
  • Streaks and smudges
  • Stains
  • Discolorations
  • Uneven coating
  • Brush marks
  • Garish colors
  • Improper finishes
  • Uneven sheens
  • Powder residues
  • Lap marks
  • Paint marks on other areas
  • Cracking or peeling
  • Bubbling 

Even one small mistake in prep work, paint, or application can ruin your home painting. Professional painters use tried-and-true methods to avoid these mistakes, such as surface evaluations and color consultations.

Weather and environment also play a role in paint results. If you paint during high humidity, for example, the moisture can affect proper paint drying and adhesion.

Any money saved by skimping on DIY tools and time will be a loss against increasing your curb appeal and interior design, two things important to your home value. 

Higher Return on Investment

A new paint coat offers a high return on investment. If you want to sell your property, painting the interior and exterior in fresh paint with a popular color is a great strategy.

Even professional residential painting is cheap compared to other major renovations projects, like kitchen remodeling. The ROI for painting is also higher (109%) compared to projects like basement finishing (75%) and pool installation (69%).

To maximize this ROI, however, the results have to be high-quality. An amateur paint job won't automatically offer you a high return.

In some cases, bad paint choices and poorly executed DIY projects can even devalue your home. Potential buyers don't want to pay for color correction and defective paintwork, and they will have a harder time imagining a space's potential.

The gap between cheap DIY projects and the resulting ROI may be larger than you realize. When you hire painters, the labor costs are a smart long-term investment in your home.

Less Overall Stress

We already have enough stress in our lives. America is one of the most stressed nations in the world, with 78% reporting the pandemic alone as a significant stress source. Juggling jobs, families, education, and living spaces also takes its toll.

Taking the stress out of a home painting project is a great benefit. When you hire professional painters, you don't have unnecessary stress over:

  • Unexpected expenses
  • Time management
  • Improper prep work
  • Safety issues
  • Physical exertion
  • Lead paint
  • Property damage
  • Bodily injuries
  • Defective paintwork
  • Lack of skills and experience
  • Lower home value
  • Cleaning up messes

With a professional painting service, you also won't have to worry about picking the wrong paint colors or types. Your home will look great, with paint that doesn't quickly crack or clash with its surroundings.

Professional Painters and Premium Services

Painting your home has many perks. An improper DIY job can take away these perks, however, and even add extra stress and problems.

Professional painters will help you get the most paint perks for your home, whether you want to increase your home value or improve your interior design. If you're looking for premium paint services, check out our team.

We offer top-notch residential painting on home exteriors and interiors. We also provide color consultations with our very own color specialist. Schedule your free estimate today!

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Thursday, 28 March 2024

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