Who doesn’t love picking up a paint roller and going to town on their interior walls?
Well, turns out, not everyone.
Painting can be a time-consuming and risky project when you consider all of the following steps:
Wall preparation – All holes, cracks and other imperfections need to be filled in and sanded down before painting. Your wall also needs to be thoroughly cleaned, free from any dirt, dust or debris.
Primer – A primer coat is usually necessary to get the walls ready for painting and ensure the paint bonds adhere long-term. If not, your paint will slowly but surely blister, bubble or peel.
Paint application – Strokes, overlaps, consistency, pattern – all these have to be taken into account when you’re applying the paint. If done wrong, it can lead to an untidy finish.
When considering these factors, many homeowners are on the fence on hiring a professional vs DIY. In this article, we’ll go through the pros and cons of hiring a professional painter, giving you more insight for your next move.
Hiring a Professional Pros
They Provide a Work Warranty
One of the primary differences between your handyman neighbor and a professional is that the latter will provide a work warranty.
Painting jobs, like anything, aren’t always smooth sailing. Whether it’d be poor wall preparation, the wrong color scheme or bad application, it happens more often than you think. After all, even the best of us make mistakes from time to time.
A professional painter should offer a satisfaction guarantee that covers any rework and/or replacement costs, if necessary. However, they will only cover mistakes that are made by their workers, not the clients. So, this won’t include any wear or tear like scuff marks or scratches, which are inevitable overtime.
They Have the Equipment
You see those really hard to reach places like your high ceilings or second storey exterior windows? Those are a nightmare to paint if you’re DYing and don’t have the right equipment. It’s dangerous too, since you’d need to use a ladder or scaffold.
This is where professional painters come in handy. A painter will gather and bring the right tools and materials to complete the job safely. These may include pole extenders which are attached to their rollers, and scissor-lifts for the exterior.
Minimum Delays
DIYers generally take longer because they’re juggling between work, family and other home improvement projects. If you’re a jack of all trades, chances are that you’ll end up spending too much time on several jobs instead of focusing on one. This causes delays, which may lead to a snowball effect that affects other areas of the painting job.
A professional painter will have a clear timeline and strategy for your job. As they’re solely being paid for painting, they will focus all of their attention on the job and strive for minimal downtime.
And even without distractions, professionals are far more efficient at their jobs. This includes anticipating and working around any unforeseen issues that may arise.
Boosts Home Value
Did you know that a paint job can add another $4,000 to your property’s value? This is because potential buyers love an immaculate interior and exterior. Painting helps to spruce up your home by making it look well-maintained.
Painting also instantly updates your home if it’s severely behind the times. Homebuyers are always looking for these qualities.
Latstely, if your wall is full of imperfections i.e cracks, dirt and bumps, a professional painter can patch it up before painting. With a good cleaning, your property should be show-ready!
Cons
Can be Expensive
Painting is like any service; you get what you pay for. Higher-end professional painters will cost more, but the results will more than make up for it. However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t search the marketplace. There are plenty of budget-friendly professional painters that are still capable of delivering good work.
It’s a good idea to get quotes from at least three different contractors and compare the results. In general, basic painting should cost between $20-$50 hourly and speciality painting jobs i.e murals up to $100 hourly.
Despite a paint job probably setting you back a few thousand dollars, remember one thing: It’s still cheaper than if you messed it up and needed to call the professionals to fix it. If you’re not confident in your abilities, opt for a professional.
Less Satisfaction
After a long hard day of DIY, you pop a beer open and admire your work. And what a feeling it is. You saved a tonne of money and single-handedly transformed your vision into reality.
The same can’t be said for when you hire a professional painter. You’re now at the mercy of someone else and it’s on them to achieve the kind of results you’re looking for. Ofcourse, there will always be satisfaction in a perfect finish, but there’s few things that give you a feeling of accomplishment like doing it yourself.
You have to Work Around Them
Interior painting can be messy, with drop cloths, paint cans and equipment left scattered around your home. This can be inconvenient and disruptive to normal activities. With professional painters, this is unavoidable.
If you have a big family, you’re going to have to work around the painter and their schedule. This may mean you have to find alternatives for family members to stay for a few days or doing your regular activities in different rooms. If you have pets, it’s even more troublesome as they may have to be removed from the house while the painting takes place.
Conclusion – DIY or Hire a Professional
While there isn’t a conclusive answer to the DIY or hire a professional question, it really depends on your situation and budget. If you have some painting experience, plenty of time and the right equipment, go for it.
However, if your prowess with the paint brush is limited, you’re short of time or don’t feel comfortable tackling the job, hire a professional. It’s more expensive initially, but you’d be surprised how much time and effort and money you’d save. And if your DIY efforts did go south, you’d still be down a lot more cash.
The choice is yours, but weigh the pros and cons carefully before committing to either one. Happy painting!
