Once you have removed all the loose paint, you should apply an appropriate primer to some of the distressed areas, especially if your paint-removal system has exposed raw wood or bare metal. The kind of primer you use depends on the kind of paint you'll be using later. For latex paint, use latex primers; for solvent-thinned paints, use solvent-base primers; and for metals, use metal primers. Not only do these coatings provide extra protection against the elements, they also form a firm foundation for finishing paints. Also, priming is always required when you're working on new wood.

Good contracts include descriptions of prep work and repairs; paint specs by brand name, type, color and product number; the number of coats; and a full description of the work, including frequently omitted items such as cabinet interiors and shutters. Minimize delays by specifying that, weather permitting, work will be continuous. Get a payment schedule that minimizes the down payment — the more payment you can withhold until the end, the more leverage you'll have to get the job done well and per your specifications. Insist that contractors provide proof that they carry both general liability and workers' compensation coverage.
In Mark Twain's classic "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," Tom tricks his friends into painting his aunt's fence. You probably won't get that lucky, but there are good reasons many homeowners keep their painting in-house. No building codes apply to interior decoration; if you do something dumb, you don't risk life and property as you would if you were, say, tackling a rewiring job; and because labor typically accounts for 80 to 85 percent of the price of a paint job, you'll save a ton by doing the work yourself.
The authors emphasize ways to maximize profits by anticipating the problems that can quickly turn into expensive mistakes. THe book has extensive step-by-step instructions for planning a painting job and doing the work, whether by brush, spray, or roller. You'll find practical tips, sample forms, examples, and suggestions that can help you set up a painting company, and prevent mistakes in your painting jobs.
Pressure washing, scraping, stripping, sanding–it’s dirty, hard work. In fact, greater than fifty percent of the time spent working on a home’s exterior finish should be devoted to surface preparation. This kind of preparation is particularly important here in New England where we experience such a wide range of weather. Historic homes (100-400 years old) are especially vulnerable because their thicker layers of paint become impermeable and too brittle to flex with seasonal changes of humidity and temperature.
Freshly painted walls often look blotchy. The color is uniform, but the sheen isn’t consistent. This usually occurs over the holes and cracks you patched with a filler or drywall compound. The porous fillers absorb the paint, dulling the surface (a problem called “flashing”). When light hits these dull spots, they stick out like a sore thumb. The smooth patch also stands out in contrast to the slightly bumpy texture of the rest of the wall. A quick coat of primer is all it takes to eliminate flashing and texture differences.

interior Painting Cost


A fellow (actually lives in the same neighborhood) by the name of Wayne Hickey (843-655-0366) painted the ceilings and most of the walls of our house in February 2017. He got paint all over my light fixtures, all over my trim around the doors, and had visible lap marks everywhere on the walls. He came back and rectified some of the problems, but not all, as I have noticed as I have had time to look more carefully at the work he and his assistant did. His assistant had no idea (not a clue) how to roll paint on a wall or ceiling. Some places were not covered. He said he would pull nails for pictures and then re-insert the nails exactly where they were. This he did not do as he promised. He painted over the nails. His assistant had no idea how to use a paint roller. I have painted all my life, and would have done this work myself, but I just had a full knee replacement and the other knee is in bad shape. I just could not do the work. Wayne is a pleasant and congenial individual, but he can not cut in a ceiling or wall to my satisfaction - not even close. He should have a putty knife and wet cloth with him all the time to correct any paint that might get applied where it shouldn't. That is something I always did as a painter. I would not recommend Wayne to paint anybody's home.

Historically, the painter was responsible for the mixing of the paint; keeping a ready supply of pigments, oils, thinners and driers. The painter would use his experience to determine a suitable mixture depending on the nature of the job. In modern times, the painter is primarily responsible for preparation of the surface to be painted, such as patching holes in drywall, using masking tape and other protection on surfaces not to be painted, applying the paint and then cleaning up.[2]

house Painting Tips


The national average cost for an interior painter ranges between $450 and $900. Interior painters can tackle everything from complete color makeovers in each of your rooms to touching up an accent wall to painting pieces of furniture. The square footage and complexity of the project, along with the materials needed, are the main factors that will affect cost. Other factors include whether you supply the paint yourself or want the painter to do so, whether you move the furniture and do the prep work or ask them to do it, and whether any repair work is needed on the walls. Painting the ceiling and the trim will also have an effect on cost. The type of paint you choose can also raise or lower your house painting cost. A gallon of paint may range from $20 to over $100, depending on quality and brand. Ask your painter if they charge per hour or per square foot, and how much you can save by doing prep work (moving furniture, etc.) yourself.


Once work begins, hold brief daily meetings to discuss the job and schedule and quash any misunderstandings. If there are surprises, seek middle ground. No contract can anticipate every possibility. Materials may be unavailable. Large chunks of rotten siding may crumble along with the old paint. Exterior jobs may be stopped cold by a week of steady rain. But know that you'll pay extra if you change your mind about a color after the trim is already painted or otherwise add tasks to the project. http://youtube.com/watch?feature=youtube_gdata&v=b6_WEt9k_Hw
First, if you need it, we have it — all the paint for your home — every color you can imagine, in the finish you need for every surface. Second, we’ can help narrow down your choices until you decide on the right paint for your project. Plus, you can reap the benefits of Behr Marquee paint, a Home Depot exclusive. It dries in one hour, only takes one coat. It’s easy to clean and resists dirt and mildew. Of course, our paint associates at your local store can help pick our paint for your home. Pick up some paint swatches or order paint samples online so you can picture what it will look like.
For particularly heavy deposits of paint, heat may be more effective than muscle. One way to apply heat is with an electric paint remover, which is a device with a platelike heating element that "cooks" the paint and has a built-in scraper to pull it off. Wearing heavy gloves, hold the heating element against the surface until the paint sizzles. Pull the remover firmly over the surface. The attached scraper will pull off the cooked paint as you go.
Repaint — exteriors especially — before visible signs of wear appear, Bancroft says. Don’t wait until you see peeling or flaking paint. “If I have to spend 40 hours preparing the surface before we can paint, that time is going to result in a lot of extra costs. But if I can spend 10 hours preparing the surfaces to be painted, you’re going to save money,” Freeman says.

Once you’ve picked the perfect color, you still have to decide on what type of paint you want for the space. Whether you’re looking for an elegant, refined finish or a material that will wipe clean after an impromptu mural from your little one, there are paint types to suite every situation. When it comes to selecting interior paints, several popular options include:
Typically, materials account for 15% of the cost charged by painters. Buying the painting supplies yourself may help you save a lot of money down the road. Be prepared to buy 2-3 gallons for painting the interior walls of an average-sized room. In addition to paints and primers 3, you will need paint brushes, rollers, face masks, rubber gloves, painter’s tape, drop cloths, sandpaper etc. While you can pick up disposable painting brushes for under a dollar from home improvement stores, reusable higher-end brushes can cost as much as $20. A standard roll of 0.98 inches painter’s tape (180 feet) will cost around $5. Equipments such as ladders or scaffolding 4 can be rented for a small cost. An interior scaffold with adjustable platform heights from 2’ to 12’ in 2” increments can be rented for around $8 per hour.
Some contractors work on time and material others on a firm contract. I would never hire the former and am leary of the latter. A contractor may low-ball a bid to get the job planning to make a killing on change orders. If you say good morning to them, they charge you extra for that. If the contract is not very, very specific and extensively fleshed out or if they display their change order schedule prominently on top, show them the door.

A true professional understands that it is his or her responsibility to provide a quality job for the homeowner. Professionals also know that attention to detail is a part of the job. While a homeowner might leave a bit of paint on the window pane, a dedicated interior painter for hire will make sure that these small details are handled properly, because a perfect job is the best calling card.

house Color Combination


PSA: Color psychology is a thing. The right soothing hue can work wonders for your mind and soul. You might think that only works for pale blues, but the contrast of a light and dark color — or, in this case, off-white walls with chocolate brown and deep blue accents — has a powerful effect. "The darker color grounds the room, and then the lighter runs right up to the ceiling and makes it feel higher. It creates this serene atmosphere," designer Laura Bohn told us.
If you are going to hire a contractor (professional painter) give a room by room punch list of the fixing of holes small or big, have it identified for the painter to tell you if you need a drywall finisher or if he does this type of work good. Wall repairs can be 3-5 steps to do repairs ( one per day for good drying of patching material and a good sanding) this is what gives you a good paint job only using high quality paint.

wall Painting Ideas For Home


Lap marks are those ugly stripes caused by uneven layers of paint buildup. They occur when you roll over paint that’s already partly dry. (In warm, dry conditions, latex paint can begin to stiffen in less than a minute!) The key to avoiding lap marks  when doing DIY wall painting is to maintain a “wet edge,” so each stroke of your roller overlaps the previous stroke before the paint can begin to dry.

house Interior Design


Pressure washing, scraping, stripping, sanding–it’s dirty, hard work. In fact, greater than fifty percent of the time spent working on a home’s exterior finish should be devoted to surface preparation. This kind of preparation is particularly important here in New England where we experience such a wide range of weather. Historic homes (100-400 years old) are especially vulnerable because their thicker layers of paint become impermeable and too brittle to flex with seasonal changes of humidity and temperature.
I am getting quotes to paint the exterior of a 2,500 sq ft split levei home that just had all new windows and pre-primed Hardiplank installed 3 months ago. the quotes are up to $2,500 different ranging from power wash,prime again 3 coats of paint to no powerwash needed so soon and one coat of paint.. All quotes include trim. One includes complete replacement of 80 feet facia boards another just 40 feet.
Third: The contractor buys the materials. We get them at a better rate and customers really don't know what they are getting into by being a material racer. Once again, I'm not referring to the guys that paint a bedroom or 2 a week. Tell the homeowner to go grab 50 gallons of paint, $300.00 worth of sundries and related job cost items and I'd be interested to see how it works for them....IT WILL NOT. And if were talking about people getting taken advantage of here, the paint suppliers with no relationship to a homeowner will 100% GOUGE the customer and completely take advantage of them with pricing. Contractors will pay nearly half the price and will still save the customers money marking up paint 10-15%.
I agree with JHs. If there is no new color on it at all, just talk to the painter about it, if it was an honest mistake (which can happen very easily while painting) your painter should have no problem fixing it. However, in my years of experience, it is not unusual for 2 coats of door paint (good quality) not to cover very well at all. I once painted a red door 7 times, plus a tinted prime coat before I found the door to be a solid color.

Being in the business for 25+ years I have had the privilege of working with thousands of clients. Although they all came from different circumstances and backgrounds they all had one common goal in mind. Every one of them wanted to be respected, receive top value for their money, and get the best possible paint job for their most prized possession, their house!


It is one of our core values to ensure our clients’ dreams for their home comes true. So often, clients come to us for a new coat of paint or a repair but what they really want is so much more. We understand your house is your home and that when it is time for change or for a repair, you want a crew that will take care to make your home look its best. 

house Colors 2018


My wife and I began having our custom home built in the fall of 2002. We were able to subcontract many phases of the build process & we did all the painting. A highlight of the building experience was choosing precast concrete basement walls (produced in a controlled environment) and installed with great results by one of the TOH partners (Superior Walls). We got that idea based on watching a TOH episode on PBS a few years prior. It was quite the sight for our neighbors and us as the oversize flat bed truck arrived with an overhead crane and began the process of wall installation. It was kind of scary as the the wall sections were put in place. But without the TOH episode and the TOH seal of approval giving us confidence for the precast walls we would have chosen having the concrete walls poured on site. We have uncertain weather conditions here in Western NY during the late fall season. Who knows how pouring the walls on site would have gone. Thank you TOH for the precast wall episodes.
With that said, here's the reality of that particular scenario. Painters do put water in the paint, but not for reasons you would think. Some materials need to have their viscosity manipulated in order to slow drying time, allowing gravity to 'smooth' out the product for a better finish. It also prevents 'drags' and 'sausages'. I personally try not to do it too often, but from time to time I have to. I want my client to have a proper finish.
Labor costs for painting vary widely, depending on region, season, type of painting project, and experience level. On an average, you can expect to pay around $50 per hour for house painting projects. However, highly experienced painters can charge up to $70 per hour for specialty projects like murals. A 2,300 sq.ft. single-story home will require around three to five painters to paint the entire house and will take a minimum of five days to complete for a total cost of $2,400-$7,000.
With that said, here's the reality of that particular scenario. Painters do put water in the paint, but not for reasons you would think. Some materials need to have their viscosity manipulated in order to slow drying time, allowing gravity to 'smooth' out the product for a better finish. It also prevents 'drags' and 'sausages'. I personally try not to do it too often, but from time to time I have to. I want my client to have a proper finish.
As a former professional painter, something that drives me crazy is when I see painters cut in around wall plates. First of all, the amount of time that it takes to cut in is usually much longer than the amount of time that it takes to simply remove the wall plate. Secondly it does not look nearly as clean as it does when the wall plate is removed and thirdly it can invariably leave paint on the wall plate itself which also looks sloppy. Make sure the painter takes them off and then reinstalls them. It's less time.

I totally agree with this as well. I think every time I have read Angie's List reports, they are inaccurate and not researched enough. I had COMPLETE faith in Angie but lately I am hesitate on reports. I would check your local hardware store or even your neighbors to get a recommendation for painters. If you liked what you saw, you can be stress free with your results. I live in Texas and I have borrowed my hardware store opinion bc that seems to be the place most of the contractors or painters come to buy stuff for the jobs. If your neighbors painters, contractors, electricians and plumbers have shown good results, stress free you. I have been stress free with results, glad I asked for other opinions.Don't forget, the Hardware Store knows if that person is trustworthy and honest, their accounts would be shut down.
NOTE: Member service professional information confirmed as described above may change or expire over time; while HomeAdvisor attempts to maintain accurate and up-to-date information, and confirms changes when notified, we cannot guarantee that profile and screening information is accurate. Therefore, we recommend that before working with a service professional you verify that information presented is still current and/or acceptable to you. https://m.youtu.be/b6_WEt9k_Hw

Not all people live where they can hire a painting contractor, like you describe. People who live in small towns can only hire painters who have a very small business, and do two or three paint jobs per week. In this case, you do have to be very careful, when you hire a painter, as we have several, in our area, who are out to make a fast buck anyway they can.
Hi Richard, Thanks for reaching out. Please visit our website to browse pro reviews in those areas or submit a service request http://www.homeadvisor.com/c.html. If you would like to speak w/ a rep about your project and get assistance finding the right pro in these areas please send your contact info to [email protected] and someone will reach out. -HASupport
To remove a bad piece of siding, you have to pull out two rows of nails: the ones in the bad board itself, and those in the board directly above. Siding is thin and splits easily, so the tricky part of this job is pulling nails without damaging surrounding boards. A cat’s paw is the best tool for digging out nails if damage to the surrounding wood doesn’t matter (Photo 1).

As you scrape, you may find that the wood has turned gray or black in some areas. Check for rot by probing these areas with a nail. Spots that are discolored but firm are simply weathered. Weathered wood doesn’t hold paint very well, so sand away the gray surface. If you find soft areas, you’ve got rot. Small, shallow soft spots can be dug out and repaired with a two-part filler such as Minwax High Performance Wood Filler. But when rot is deep and widespread, it’s best to replace the entire piece of wood.

The obvious trick here is for unaffiliated contractors to use the BBB, PDCA, Chamber or other organizations’ logos without being a member. Other tricks include claiming membership when that membership has expired or even make up fake organizations that sound good.  The BBB continuously goes after unscrupulous companies that attempt to trick customers into thinking they are members.  Nearly every organization has a web page these days; if you suspect something, do a little searching to find out the truth.
To paint a large section without leaving lap marks, roll the nearly dry roller in different directions along the dry edge, feathering out the paint as you go. After completing the entire length of the wall or ceiling, move to the next section and paint over the feathered edges. For the second coat, apply the paint in the opposite direction. This crisscrossing paint application sharply reduces (if not eliminates) lap marks.

If you are going to hire a contractor (professional painter) give a room by room punch list of the fixing of holes small or big, have it identified for the painter to tell you if you need a drywall finisher or if he does this type of work good. Wall repairs can be 3-5 steps to do repairs ( one per day for good drying of patching material and a good sanding) this is what gives you a good paint job only using high quality paint.

interior And Exterior Painting Services Near Me


Alamo took almost 7 hours (with a 3 hour break) and then when they came back they had no instillation (as in our proposal) for the ceiling I had repaired and found out after, that the insurance company never fixed the roof. So for the last three years wet installation removed as much as possible it was covered in plastic with no instillation. Finally....3 Years later We called Alamo Paint contractors and were pleased with the head Forman and took the proposal ( drywall, paint, new instillation, texturing, plus banister repair). Needless today what normally took a three hour job ( from our last experience), took from 9am-4pm. The banister we also had repaired by his assistant was only a 30-40 min job and that was perfectly done. The texture on the ceiling was so-so only because you can see the drywall tape under the paint. I?m having a new painter fix this so it can at least look better then drywall tape showing. Alamo are very nice, good people skills but poor workmanship considering all that happened.
Before the scrubdown, protect nearby plants by misting their leaves and saturating the surrounding soil with water, pulling them away from the house, and shrouding them in fabric drop cloths. (Plants will cook under plastic.) Lay more drop cloths along the base of the walls to collect any falling paint debris. Walls should be wet down before getting scrubbed, then washed with a gallon of water mixed with 1 cup chlorine bleach and 1 cup of either a concentrated, phosphate-free cleaner, such as a trisodium phosphate (TSP) substitute, or Jomax House Cleaner. Working in sections, from the bottom to the top, will avoid streaks. Be sure to rinse walls well before the solution dries. Wood siding and trim should be ready to paint after a day or two of dry weather. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6_WEt9k_Hw&feature=youtu.be
When painting the trim, you don’t have to be neat. Just concentrate on getting a smooth finish on the wood. Don’t worry if the trim paint gets onto the walls. You’ll cover it later when painting the walls. Once the trim is completely painted and dry (at least 24 hours), tape it off (using an “easy release” painter’s tape), then paint the ceiling, then the walls. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6_WEt9k_Hw&hc_location=ufi
I do not mean to come off with an edge, however, this is an article for people hiring low bid, uninsured, one man band painters out to "hustle" a buck. Hire reputable, established companies or hire someone you know or have a strong referral from. If you are arguing over watered down paint, ticky, tacky deposits, buying your own supplies, you have hired the wrong guy.

Second coats on similar colors are almost never recogicnized as being needed until the coat is applied and has dried. ONLY THEN WILL YOU SEE WHETHER IT NEEDS A SECOND COAT or not. Yes, painters can use a cheaper paint then what you paid for. That is solved by getting your own which, I would charge extra for because I will always have to go get more, or add second coat because home owner tried to skimp on paint, or they got the wrong color etc...

interior House Painters


Hi Donnie, Thanks for your comment! We would be happy to help you connect with a fencing pro to give you an estimate on your project. You can submit a request to our pros here: www.homeadvisor.com, browse a list of local pros here: http://www.homeadvisor.com/c.html, or send your info to [email protected] and a project advisor will reach out to assist you. –HASupport

Thanks, all, for your time & efforts adding to the article & comments, especially Dave urging requesting both General Liability AND Worker Compensation insurance certificates to protect from real & fraudulent liability--from my experience especially in California, where insurance fraud is a popular income thief, even causing car collisions to collect.
Using an airless sprayer to place paint on the wall (using low pressure) will speed up the process because your not having to dip your brush or roller. spray about 3 or 4 sq. ft. and then back brush or roll spreading and evening the paint. Because your using low pressure, mask and cover is at a minimum once you are accustomed to handling the spray gun and the type of surface being painted. Overspray will be larger droplets they tend to fall, than float around.

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