House painting near me is a cost-effective way to update and enhance the appearance of your home. But “cost-effective” doesn’t mean you are bound to accept cheap house painting services of inferior quality.

Of course, you want to look for nothing less than excellent work and service from the paint contractors you hire. But in case you’re under a tight budget, you can still employ top paint contractors in your town and enjoy a professionally done paint job without putting a big dent in your budget.

Skip paying for prep

So, how will you save money when hiring a professional contractor? By preparing your home for painting by yourself.

The primary job of a house painter is to apply paint on surfaces of houses and other residential properties, such as apartments and condominiums. 

When interviewing contractors, you may need to discuss this matter. Ask the contractor whether there are any ways you can help out to ensure that all the necessary prep work is completed before they arrive at your property. If the contractor is paid by the hour, you can save some money by cleaning and prepping yourself. 

Preparing the interiors for painting

It’s essential to provide the cleanest and safest place for your painting contractor to work in, whether he’s going to paint your house’s interior or exterior. It will also save the painter time when you have the space cleaned and cleared out, providing an open space for them to work quickly, efficiently, and safely. But let’s first start with the interior.

Curtains (and curtain rods), rugs, and decorative collectibles should be removed and temporarily relocated. Doing so will ensure that painters won’t step on something that might cause accidents while painting.

Remove framed photographs or artwork and other décor hanging on your walls and store them away safely while the painters do their job.

Remove light fixtures, light switch plates, doorknobs, curtain rod holders, and any other installation that may impede the painting. Store them temporarily in a safe place. 

To keep the space empty, move all pieces of furniture out of the room and relocate them to a safer place. But there are situations where moving furniture out is not feasible, especially if they’re too big or too heavy or bolted to the floor. In this case, you can bring the movable furniture to the center of the room and cover big, heavy, or bolted ones with canvas drop cloths to protect them from paint.

Next, clean the entire room – it’s always a great idea to thoroughly clean the space to see the optimum results. The cleaner the area is, the better the walls have to dry completely without extra dust particles or any lingering dirt. Otherwise, leftover dirt and dust particles can get caught and accumulate in the fresh paint, and you don’t want that.

Before the painters arrive, make sure you have already planned to vacate the space. If you are a family, make plans beforehand to stay away temporarily during the painting job. Not being at home will make things easier for the painters, helping them work more efficiently and complete the job sooner.

Preparing the exteriors for painting

The first important step is to clean the walls by actually washing them. This step will help the new paint to adhere better. You may rinse the walls with a regular house detergent, sponge, a bucket of water, or garden hose. You can also speed up the cleaning process by using a power washer, which you can purchase or rent. Better yet, hire a professional power washer, especially if you haven’t used one before or you don’t exactly know how to use it. After washing the walls, let them dry completely.

Next, inspect the walls closely for any damage or peeling paint. You may need to fill holes, caulk surfaces, and get rid of loose paint. To remove loose paint, you can scrape it away by hand or use a paint scraper, stiff wire metal brush, or a power sander with a paint-stripping attachment. Protect yourself with a dust mask and goggles while scraping loose paint.

After removing loose paint, sand the walls to ensure a better bond between coats of paint. You can use medium-grit sandpaper with a sanding disc attachment. Keep your goggles and dust mask on while sanding.

Applying primer is not required in all situations. But in this case, priming helps the new paint stick better to previously painted surfaces. Priming is also needed if you use latex paint over a surface previously painted with oil-based paint.

It would help if you primed the areas where the old paint has peeled off. But to get a more uniform paint job that looks great all over, it’s better to prime the entire space. Choose a light-colored primer or a primer that matches the paint color you’re going to use. Priming becomes a critical step when you apply light-colored paint over darker walls.

Make sure to clear the deck, pathway, or driveway out of any clutter. Cover the areas with drop cloths if the row of bushes or flower beds are planted close to the walls.

House painting near me requires a skill that only professionals can accomplish smoothly and efficiently, given their years of training and experience. On the other hand, preparing the areas for painting can be done by any homeowner, as it doesn’t require a particular skill. By doing the prep work by yourself before the pros paint your home, you will be able to save money while enjoying the benefits of having a professionally done paint job.