Is it time to give your Washington DC home a fresh coat of paint? Contemplating whether to DIY or hire a professional painting company to get the job done? Consider the following before beginning any project, as choosing DIY painting versus professional work can yield very different results!
Know Your Skill Level
Painting your home requires a base level of knowledge about surface preparation and repair, taping, and primer, paint, and finish types. If your walls are harboring cracks, holes, or water damage, you’ll likely want to hire a professional painting company, which will make proper restorations before starting the job. Precision is essential when painting, but it can be achieved with patience and effort. Opting for DIY painting necessitates additional research about which primers, paints, and finishes work well together. Failing to account for incompatible combinations will lead to unattractive peeling and increase the likelihood of repainting in the near future. Inadequate expertise and research can produce messy results!
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Safety Considerations
Survey the areas you plan to paint. How high are your walls? Does your home contain hazardous lead paints or other substances that must be carefully dealt with? Does the work include handling dangerous solvents? A professional painting company will be familiar with and know how to safely manage such risks. If you’re on the fence about DIY painting versus hiring an expert to cover your home’s exterior, think about how power lines, trees, and other obstructions will affect the work (if it's exterior). If exposed to electrical cables or unsafe heights seems inevitable, it might be better to call in a professional.
Do You Have the Right Tools?
Even with the right knowledge, skills, and confidence, DIY painting is impossible to complete unless you have the proper tools. An interior paint job involves specific instruments and materials including sandpaper, drop cloths, extension poles, scrapers, paint brushes, and ladders. Painting your home’s exterior may require additional equipment, such as a paint sprayer and higher ladders. Review your toolbox and make any necessary purchases before beginning a DIY paint job.
Check Your Time and Budget Constraints
Be realistic about how much time you are willing to spend painting your home. A DIY whole house paint job can take about a month to complete, although time constraints vary from one homeowner to the other. A professional painting company, on the other hand, will often take no more than a few days to complete the same amount of work. Of course, DIY jobs are cheaper and grant you greater control over the overall process and design. Be sure to factor in costs related to obtaining your tools when DIY painting, which can tack on an additional couple hundred dollars.
Weighing between DIY painting versus hiring a professional painting company is a smart move which, when approached correctly, will guarantee the best results. A general rule to stick with? Never start a DIY paint job you don’t feel 100% comfortable with!