Is DIY Home Painting for Me?

DIY Home Painting

At first thought, professional painting is more expensive than doing it by yourself. This is why people try to engage in DIY home painting. But DIY home painting is not a task as easy as you think it is, not for everyone to say the least, because you may end up ruining the aesthetics of your walls instead of converting your home into a piece of art if you do not have the knack for house painting.

Painting your home, especially the interiors, is an important aspect of house maintenance. Make sure to do it right if you really are keen on doing it yourself.

Here are some of the best DIY home painting tips that could help:

Choose Your Paint Color

Before starting painting, you should have decided the color you wanted to use for the walls. Indecisiveness will lead to regret and a waste of money if you realize that you didn’t like the result when the painting was done.

Be Ready with Your Materials and Tools

To get started with painting your house, you should have the necessary tools and materials ready. Some of the things you need are paint, a paint roller, a paintbrush, sandpaper, painter’s tape, and canvas drop cloth not to mention ladders, scraping tools, working clothes, and more.

Buy Extra Paint Buckets

The paints must be thoroughly mixed, and the buckets will serve as mixing containers. Get one or two for this purpose. You can also use it to store leftover paints.

Cover Furniture 

Doing the house painting by yourself can be messy. So, make sure to protect every piece of furniture you have from a spill or even drops of paints. You may use cloth as cover or newspapers. A disposable plastic sheet can also be helpful but cloth is more recommendable.

Remove Switch Plates

Suppose you want your painting session to have good finishing results. In that case, you should take off the electric plates before applying any paint. The easiest way to remove them is to use a screw.

Remove Peeling Paint

To achieve a smooth paint finish, scrape off old paint that is already flaking. The most traditional way to remove peeling paint is by using a paint scraper.

Prepare the Walls

Before applying anything, clean the wall. Messy walls tainted with grease and other dirt won’t make the new paint adhere effectively. Remove all dirt and peeled old paints. Clean surfaces form a strong bond between the wall and the paint.

Use Primer

Primers keep the paint long-lasting. This means years of protection and beauty. When your walls have primers applied to them, you don’t have to repaint them more often.

Use Canvas Drop Cloth

Drop cloths are needed to protect the floor and other surfaces from getting stained with paint while you work.

Box Paint

Box paint is applicable if you are to paint a more extensive surface. This is for you to thoroughly mix paints and get a balanced color of combining 2 or 3 shades.

Paint from Top to Bottom

When applying paint to the wall, start from the top. This technique is the easiest and most proper way. You will have the best coverage by doing this because the paint is spread quickly on the wall.

Avoid Lap Marks

Aside from applying a primer before starting painting, it would help if you kept a wet edge to avoid lap marks. Use quality paints and consistent application techniques.

Apply a Second Coat

You should do this step after the first coat is already dry after 2–4 hours. Applying a second coat will result in a more durable and long-lasting surface.

Finish One Wall Before Starting Another

If you plan on painting the entire room, make sure to paint the ceiling first before painting the walls. Applying this technique will help you see and correct any runs or leaks.

Ventilation

To finish your DIY home painting, you have to make sure that there is enough ventilation to avoid breathing difficulty. Chemically packed paint fumes are harmful to your health.

Hiring Professional Painters vs. DIY Home Painting

Hiring Professional Painters vs. DIY Home Painting

Many homeowners prefer DIY home painting because they believe it is cheaper than hiring an experienced painter. However, professional painting service ensures quality results and durability.

Are you having second thoughts about doing DIY home painting or hiring a professional? Here are some factors that you might consider before having a final decision. Take a look at these residential painting tips to know about your next step.

Scale

Make an assessment and check the actual physical size of the surface that you plan to paint. If you think you can do it, then you may start your preparation. However, if the job is too big for you, seek professional painters’ help and discuss your desired output and expected time frame with them.

The Current State of Paint

Repainting an old home will take much preparation, including scraping and sanding walls. The preparation alone can be time-consuming and daunting. But you don’t have to stress yourself over these things. You can always hire professionals that do a 21-step preparation process.

Interior

How often should you paint your house interior? Homeowners use their best judgment in determining whether it is about time to repaint or change the color. Painting all parts of your house, including the living room, kitchen, and dining area, can be fulfilling, but it can also be very tiring. If you trust professional painters to do it for you, all you need to do is provide instruction and wait for it to be done.

Exterior

The task of painting your house’s exterior is more overwhelming than painting the interior. The outer part is more exposed to sunlight and changing weather. There could be accumulated dirt or insect housing in the edges or corners of the surfaces, which makes the preparation even more tedious.

Professional painters do it perfectly. The preparation can be very detailed. They barely miss a spot as their years of experience on the residential painting will dictate which part needs more attention.

Paint Type

To develop a successful DIY home painting, you have to be familiar with the type of paint. Different surfaces require special paint.

For instance, your house roof needs roof paints. This paint is formulated to withstand extreme weather. There are also other types with special functions like latex or oil-based paint.

If you are concerned about how long are paint fumes harmful to your health, then you would need safer indoor paints.

Knowledge of all these paint types would help when you opt for DIY painting. Professional painters know all these paints by heart.

They can quickly identify which one is best for every surface in your house.

When to DIY Home Painting

couple painting a wall

DIY home painting can be possible if you can manage to do it from start to finish. Do a quick check and assess. If the job is manageable for you to do on your own, then you can grab your leftover paints and start brushing them to the surface. 

When you have the suitable materials and equipment, it is easy to do the home painting by yourself. Buckets, brushes, and even paints will be your ally to revive the once dull wall.

When to Hire Professional Painters

Painting your whole house is a challenging task. To save you time and take the stress away, hiring experienced painter contractors is your best and only option.

Professional painters have expertise in this job, and they will guarantee a quality finish to your home. They can also do an excellent painting job for intricate wall designs or if your walls require repair.

You might want to consider hiring expert painters for the best results.

If you are on a budget, they can provide you with a reasonable quotation with the overall cost to paint a house.

Choosing the Right Professional Painter

elgato painter painting a house

DIY home painting is an enjoyable activity, especially if you do it with friends or loved ones. It is also relatively more affordable if you are only going to repaint small spots. But without the right equipment and time, it is better to hire a professional painter.

Companies that offer painting services like EL Gato Painting will be your help. 

El Gato Painting offers full-service interior and exterior house painting in several locations. They even follow their own 21-preparation process before painting. You can trust a quality output that is worthy of your money.

Check out more house painter services offered by El Gato Paintings. Find out more by visiting residential-painting.

Comments

  1. Phyllis said:
    May 25, 2022 at 4:29 am

    What do you say about spray painting rooms.??

  2. Anderson perez said:
    July 19, 2022 at 7:32 pm

    Buenas tardes busco trabajo soy pintor

  3. Dominic said:
    October 2, 2022 at 9:05 am

    What to do ? Have rooms in old house with virtual 1×12 pine what’s finished originally with clear lead base varethane
    , then painted over with water passed interior enamel , over the years it has peeled off how do I prepare this to paint again

  4. Yobany Prado said:
    November 14, 2022 at 1:25 pm

    Hola estoy buscando trabajo de pintura soy de San Francisco ca

  5. Jesus Horacio López Molina said:
    December 9, 2022 at 9:38 pm

    Estoy buscando trabajo

  6. Oscar said:
    February 8, 2023 at 8:00 pm

    Busco trabajo espero tener respuesta

Request a Quote/Appointment

"*" indicates required fields

or Call us 408-446-1171
Name*
Type of Job*
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.