The 7 Common Mistakes People Make When Hiring A Roswell House Painter

"Expert Dave" of DTC Online Marketplace discusses 7 common mistakes people make when hiring a Roswell house painter, and how you can avoid them.

Mistake #1

The first mistake many people make when hiring a house painter is not getting a written quote from the painter up front. In that estimate, the painter needs to go into detail what services he will be performing. Such as, in the process of painting, someone may nick or bump the walls. You need to make sure you are going to get at least two free touch-ups. This should be part of the warranty, which also should be included in the estimate.

Mistake #2

The second mistake made by a homeowner is failing to specify the quality of material the house painter will be using. Always make a point to determine the quality of paint you would like to use before looking for a painter. Different paints have different pigments. Some manufacturers of paint use a lesser quality of pigments-materials-in their paint. For example, they use less pigment and more filler. A good pigment in a paint and a good paint coat will allow you to wash off hand prints, finger prints, crayon or pencil marks, etc. A lower quality of paint would not allow you to do this. If you wiped the wall with the lesser quality, the paint would come off!

Mistake #3

If you are on a schedule or have one that needs to be met, you need to find a house painter that will be sensitive to that schedule and committed to meet it. A horrible mistake would be, for example, if you have your mother-in-law coming in town to visit, and you need the job done in a certain amount of days. And the house painter has no regard for your time-line and is still painting as your guest arrives. It's best to hold off the paint job if your house painter cannot meet your schedule.

You should also be aware of the actual process involved in painting. You paint the ceilings first. Get a coat on your trim and then cut the wall paint into the underside of the trim. It's a whole lot easier to cut a wall into a ceiling rather than a ceiling into the wall. If your hand is not steady enough, some people paint the walls, let it dry and then mask it off. Then they paint the trim so as to not get a penetration from one color into another. A good steady hand will reveal a skilled painter, as an artist even, who can cut in with paint in places that most people could not!

Mistake #4

One of the major mistakes is not discussing the specifics of workmanship, such as the scheduling of how things are actually performed. You need to ask such questions as, "Where are you going to paint first in my house?" If you know the scheduling in advance in what will be painted first, you won't allow a painter to make a horrific mistakes that can be costly adding up to "extra's" on your bill. In addition, you would want to know the specific details of the actual painting such as, not being able to put eggshell paint over semi-gloss.... Knowing the details of painting can help you determine the proper painter, one who will work in a timely scheduled manner.

Mistake #5

The fifth mistake many people make when hiring a house painter is not discussing how things will be moved, relocated, and covered. When a painter comes in your house you want to make sure the painter lays down a plastic cover before he lays a drop cloth down. The drop cloth will not absorb the paint. If you have carpet and areas you don't want stained, if there was a spill or a large drop from a roller, you would want to be sure there is plastic underneath. The drop cloth will not absorb all the paint.

Mistake #6

One major mistake to avoid is the discussion of "glitches' or irregularities that may occur as they paint your home. For example, you hung a picture up and behind it were extra holes in the wall. So after everything is taking down the walls and ceilings discuss with the painter what needs to be repaired on the walls or ceilings in a timely matter before he begins painting. In addition, you'll want to know if drywall needs to be repaired. You would also want to know if they will be using sponges on your walls. And if they are going to use a sander, you want to know if they will use a vacuum with it so that's there's no dust particles flying through your house. Every day make sure your painter will clean up afterwards. If they are painting in a finished house, confirm with the painter that they will put everything back in its proper place so you can continue living in your house without moving furniture yourself all the time.

Mistake #7

The final mistake many make is NOT discussing throwing away items used in the actual cleaning procedure. It is illegal to throw paint or paint materials in sewers or landfills. They have to be disposed responsibly just like your vehicle's oil. When hiring a house painter you want to be sure he will be responsible. You want to ensure a green environment for our children's children. So make sure you hire a "green" painter who understands the importance of handling the clean up process.