The interior of any home or business is its most lived in. That’s why when hiring an interior painter is often a cumbersome decision. The end goal is to have the interior of your house or commercial building look amazing, but a lot of factors go into that process need to go as quick and smoothly as possible. Here are some considerations everyone should have when hiring an interior painter:
Was your home or commercial building built before 1978? Owning a home or business that was built pre-1978 brings one major issue with its classical style: lead. Even if the home has undergone major renovations, there may be layers of lead-based paint on the walls, trim and other surfaces. Have the building tested for lead before hiring an interior painter.
Interior painters will have to take extra precautions when it comes to painting a surface that may contain lead. In addition to paint buckets and plastic sheeting, paint crews will require extra time to scrape and sand the lead-based paint, followed by vacuuming it with a HEPA filter.
To get the paint job you’re looking for, you’ll have to play your part as well. Make any necessary repairs to the walls, like patching and sanding drywall holes. Clean the surfaces you intend on having painted. Dirt, soap scum and kitchen grease will affect the quality of the new paint and paint color. Pay special attention to areas like baseboard trim, the alcove behind the stove, and bathroom trim. Otherwise, even with the best interior painters you may end up with a cracked, peeling or chipped paint job.
Clean and repair all paint surfaces in the days leading up to the paint job. This will leave plenty of time for all the surfaces to dry.
No one paint job is identical to another. You may know which rooms and surfaces will be painted, but that’s not enough direction. Draft a checklist of items that will need to be moved. Some painters charge extra for moving heavy pieces of furniture.
When you’ve contacted an interior painter, be upfront about the real brunt of the work. Walls over 8 feet high and crown molding require more work, and frankly more paint. The last thing you want is to be short handed on supplies and painters.
It should go without saying before hiring any contractor: do your research. Yes, it’s always important to have some estimates from a few contractors. But, you can pay a higher cost when looking to save a few pennies. Call and speak to one of the contractors, and then look online for reviews from past customers. When you’ve begun drafting a contract ask whether it covers all of the services and products used.