Do You Really Think It's A Good Idea To Do Your Own Painting? DIY-vs-Professional House Painter

So you want to do some house painting?  Perhaps you saw some exterior painters down the street and thought to yourself that it wasn't a big deal. Maybe you spoke to some friends who decided to become interior painters for however long it took them to paint the inside of their home.  Now you are looking at home painting as a DIY project that you can handle just as well as a professional painting company but for less money. 

Before you head down to the store to buy the paint you might want to consider the following important aspects of home painting.

TIME

Professional painting contractors can get the job done much faster.

A do-it-yourself project that may take a homeowner 7 days can be done typically in half that time by a painting contractor.

The last thing you want when dealing with paint is to have a project drag out.  You may have good intentions to dedicating time to your exterior painting project in Overland Park but life happens and things will come up to delay you.  How about that help you are supposed to get?  Can you really count on it?  

Painting companies have crews with each person dedicated to a particular task.  They work together in concert to get the job done in a timely manner without sacrificing quality.  They show up prepared with all the best materials and equipment. 

MONEY

You will end up spending close to what you would be paying a professional house painter.

What is your time worth?  Whether you are employed or stay at home, your time is worth something.  Let's see an example....7 days x 7 hours per day is 49 hours. At $40 per hour (plug in your hourly rate at your job/business) = $1,960 and that doesn't include materials.   If you don't work for a salary (moms of the world) then you are giving up time that you can be spending doing something fun or worthwhile. 

Do you have the necessary tools? Exterior and interior professional painters already have every tool that would be needed for any paint project.  If they don't have it, they are the ones responsible for buying to complete their work.  Why spend money on tools you will probably never use again (most people find the experience of painting their own homes not worth it). Here are some of the most common tools you would need:  high and low ladders, tape measure, multiple brushes, blue tape, masking tape, rollers, roller covers, extension poles, paint tray, tray liner, drop clothes, tarps, plastic, carpet protector, scrapers, sandpaper, putty, caulking gun, and spackle paste to name a few.

How about the paint?  High quality exterior house paint is not cheap.  The same thing can be said of interior house paint. There are paints out in the market that cost over $100 per gallon.  There are some paints that are under $20 per gallon.  There are paints with glossy finishes and paints with flat finishes.  There are oil based primers and paints .  There are latex based primers and paints. As a DIY painter you will always pay more for your paint and supplies.  At Home Pros Painting we always pass our paint cost savings to our customers. In addition to paint costs, you have to know how much to buy.  Buy too much and you are stuck with paint that will never be used. Plus you wasted money.  Professional painters know how much to buy especially when dealing with multiple coats.

WORKMANSHIP

Painting contractors are masters of their craft.

A coat of paint is a coat of paint.  Correct?  Not so fast. There's actually a skill to applying paint on interior walls vs painting exterior stucco vs painting kitchen cabinets.  You get the idea. Not only that but imagine painting a wall up to the area where it meets the ceilings.  How do you not get paint on the ceilings?  How do you not get paint on a wall if you are painting a ceiling?

A DIY painter will start out very motivated but as the project drags on there's a tendency to get worn down with the details of protecting areas not being painted (clothes, floors, furniture, etc.), prepping, sanding, painting, waiting, painting, touching up, caulking, and cleanup.  It isn't surprising that once in a while a DIY painter will start a project and then hire out a company like Home Pros Painting to fix mistakes and finish up the project.

Professional painting companies do this kind of work every day so it isn't mentally exhausting as it would be to a DIY painter.  They have the skills and manpower to get things done right the first time. They know the proper way to lay down paint so it doesn't drip or looks sloppy.  If they do make a mistake, they can easily correct it.  Do you want to put yourself through all of the headaches of having your family tell that your workmanship is terrible but because you did it then it's acceptable?  

WARRANTY

Get peace of mind that only a house painting company can provide.

You decided to paint your home yourself instead of hiring a painting contractor.  The house looks good to you considering you did it yourself and saved a little money.  Three months later you start noticing that the paint is beginning to peel from the bathroom walls.  You also notice that the paint is peeling from living room baseboards, crown moldings, and window casings.  By now you are burnt out on painting and have to muster up the motivation to fix these areas.  Why did it happen?  How do I fix?  Did I use the wrong paint?  Is it going to happen to other areas in the future? 

By hiring a professional painting company you will receive the peace-of-mind that if anything goes wrong related to workmanship, your paint project will be fixed. This is probably one of the most important reasons to hire a painting company.  Obviously the longer the warranty period the better for you. You want to get something in writing.  Most reputable companies will have a standard form that you can request to see even before you hire them to ensure what is covered will meet your expectations.

STRESS

Leave all the worries to the painting contractors.

No matter if you are painting one wall in a bedroom or doing a full exterior paint project, there's a lot that goes into any painting project in the Kansas City area.

You have to make sure you mask off and/or protect hardwood floors, carpets, tile, ceilings, furniture, and any other item that is not supposed to have paint on it.

You have to make sure you have the proper tools and equipment to apply the paint correctly.  Even before you do that you have to make sure the surface is prepped correctly to receive paint.

You have to be prepared to climb extension ladders that go up 32ft and higher.

You have to be able to reach the highest part of the wall on interior home with 20ft high ceilings.

You have to be prepared to get paint all over your clothes, shoes, hair, and area you would least expect to find it.

So before you go thinking that DIY is the way to go, give the above serious consideration and at least get a free estimate so that you have an idea.  You may be surprised that the cost of hiring a professional painting contractor may not be as much as you think.