House Painting: DIY vs Hiring A Pro Painter

House Painting: DIY vs Hiring A Pro Painter

When the interior and exterior of your house starts to look a little faded and chalked with a few stains here and there, it’s time to apply a fresh coat of paint. Repainting your house is the most transformative makeover you can give it –painting approves the carb appeal, increases the home’s value and prevents damages that can be caused by mold and mildew.

However, you have several decisions to make before the paintbrush meets the wall. You will need to choose the paint color, finish, and detailing. But before you bookmark those Pinterest pages and pull out the home decor magazines, you have one major decision to make; DIY or hire a Pro? The two are both viable options, but they’re not interchangeable in every situation. If you’re torn between going DIY and hiring a pro home painter, here are some considerations to keep in mind.

Why choose DIY?

Cost

Saving on the cost of painting is the biggest motivation for most homeowners who go for the DIY painting option. On average, professional painters charge about $40 – $70 per hour. Depending on the size of your home and type of preparation required, the entire home painting project might take anywhere from 5 to 10 days, which puts the cost of labor alone at around $1,500 – $2,500.

Now, if you add the cost of materials and tools required, the numbers can rise pretty fast. DIY helps you save on the labor and reduce the overall cost of repainting your home. But, for you to realize these savings, you need to have some painting experience, the right tools and, well, a great deal of patience.

Repainting your interior or exterior is a major project, and a single mistake such as not sanding properly or applying a primer where necessary can be quite costly. You will need specialized tools and materials such as painters’ ladder, orbital sander, protection sheets, scrapers, and extension poles, among others. Acquiring these things can be expensive, and the fact that pro painters already have them in their toolboxes means that they might actually help you save on the overall cost of tools and materials.

Creative Control

A paint job on your interior or exterior is going to stay with for years to come, and if the job is shady or there is a mistake in color selection, you’ll have very long years of un-satisfaction ahead. DIY painting means you have the freedom of seeing everything through personally, from color selection and the type of preparation done, to painting techniques and even the finishing touches. But again, this benefit will only come true if you really know what you’re doing.

Why hire a Pro Painter?

Workmanship

As earlier mentioned, painting a house is a major project –it’s much more than just changing the color on your walls. DIY painters may not have the skills to mix the paints in correct quantities or a steady hand to apply the paint evenly across all surfaces. Due to practice and experience, these things are like second nature to pros.

Skimpy surface preparation and sloppy painting techniques hardly last long, and your paint job may require touch up sooner than later, resulting in higher costs in the long run. So choosing to work with a professional painter right away is almost always the best option.

Safety

Painting is not necessarily the most life-threatening project, but some situations, such as painting high exterior eaves and gables of a two-story, can be quite dangerous. Pro painters have scaffolds and stepladders that make it safer to access this painting. If you’re not confident about staying safe, it’s better to hire a painting pro.

Expert advice and results

Did you know that tinting your primer can help block stains and darker colors more effectively? Or that walls of newly built homes have more moisture? Well, such technical know-how comes with experience that can only be acquired from years of practice.

Experts are better placed to choose quality materials and tools, carry out adequate preparation and use painting techniques that ensure outstanding and durable results. Additionally, they can offer free expert advice on color choices based on your unique situation and current color trends.

Bottom line

I hope the above quick overview of DIY vs professional painting has given you some ideas of what it’s like choosing either option. While DIY painting might save you some labor costs and give you creative freedom, it might not be the best solution if you don’t have the right skills and tools for the project.

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