When you start planning a painting project, you’ll have a number of elements to consider and decisions to make. One of your first decisions should be the quality of the result you’re after. Not every paint job has to be remarkable and eye-catching. Conversely, certain projects need a professional touch.
If you’ve ever done interior or exterior painting, you know how many mistakes can be made during the process. This is the reason people hire professional painters – to avoid mistakes that can be time-consuming and expensive to rectify. Let’s look at five of the most common painting mistakes that can be avoided by hiring professionals.
1. Wrong tools for the project
Having the right tools for the job is absolutely critical, as any tradesperson (not just painters) will tell you. Most painting projects require a large selection of tools and equipment in order to produce the desired results. Take a look in the back of a professional painter’s truck, and your first response likely will be, “Wow – that’s a lot of tools.” Homeowners usually don’t have all these tools and often use implements not intended for a specific task, which always produces less-than-acceptable results.
2. Poor paint choices
The only thing paints have in common is the word “paint” on the label of the can. Other than that, each blend and brand can differ greatly. Latex, acrylic, oil-based, smudge-resistant, paint-and-primer – there are many kinds of paints, but usually only one that will be the correct application for your specific project. On top of that, there is a quality range within each paint product. You have your top-of-the-line acrylics and your bargain acrylics, and price isn’t always the key to which is best. Professional painters know how to choose the right paint for the job.
3. Faulty preparation
This may be the biggest mistake made by non-pro painters. Experienced painters know that it’s not uncommon to spend 80 percent of the time on a paint project doing prep work and 20 percent doing the actual painting. Surface preparation is an art unto itself, and if it’s not done properly, all the worst-case scenarios are possible from peeling and chipping to fading and non-uniform coverage.
4. Bad technique
It takes years of practice to develop an exceptional brush technique – it doesn’t happen overnight; nor does skill in using rollers and sprayers. Most homeowners possess enough ability to use paint application tools to produce a decent job. But the mark of professionalism shows in a finished product performed by people who paint for a living.
5. Making messes
Paint can be messy, and as any novice painter will tell you, paint can and will end up anywhere – not just on the walls. Professional painters have a time-tested system for protecting everything in a room or area that isn’t supposed to be painted. When a pro is finished painting, there’s little or nothing left to do. When a novice finishes, often that’s when the cleanup begins.
If you want the best possible results with your next interior or exterior painting job, call the pros at Franklin Painting of Farmington, Conn. We’ll avoid all the mistakes and amaze you with the finished product. Call (877) 646-7774 to talk about your project.
Frank Campanelli, the esteemed founder of Franklin Painting LLC, has been leading the company since 1986. He takes immense pride in the stellar reputation his dedicated team has built by consistently delivering top-notch service to each customer.
