People start exterior and interior home painting projects for many reasons – to beautify and extend lives of their houses, to improve curb appeal, or to raise value of a house in order to sell it faster.

But whatever the reason, the following home painting tips will help you save money on your next home improvement painting project.

Repaint your home more often

This may sound counter-intuitive, but with regular maintenance painting you can keep the surfaces protected and avoid costly repairs.

A lot of homeowners wait too long before scheduling exterior home painting, thinking they are saving some money, but instead they end up with failing/peeling paint, cracks, dryrot, mold/mildew and water damage – conditions that are very expensive to fix. It’s like being penny wise and dollar dumb.

Besides, if you take into account that the biggest costs of any housepainting job come from labor, you will realize that the longer you wait, the more you’ll end up paying because of all the scraping, sanding,priming and repairs that your house will need.

It’s much cheaper to keep your house and your budget under control by being proactive – a properly and regularly maintained house usually needs just one fresh coat of paint and minimum surface preparation – your savings will reach into thousands.

Choose the best

“I am not rich enough to buy cheap things” – this saying holds true for so many things in life, but especially for house painting.

The primary purpose of quality paint is to protect your home from the elements, and its decorative value is just a nice bonus. So when you buy cheap paint, you are not saving any money, just the opposite – you are wasting it, because the thing you bought does not do what you bought it to do.

The same goes for getting quotes for painting – low bidders cut corners on surface preparation, and without proper surface prep the paint will not hold well – you may have to pay someone else to redo the job. You can avoid paying more and paying twice if you choose a reputable house painting contractor who will do the job right the first time.

Some people spread their exterior and interior home painting projects throughout the year – they hire a house painter just for painting a room, then a couple months later they call him back to paint something else in the house and so on.

But if you group your exterior and interior home painting projects together to be done at the same time, you can usually get a “volume” discount from your house painting contractor – he will save  on setting up and wrapping up and will pass those savings on to you.

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Painting is one of the top home improvements, which is also recommended since it enhances the value of your home. In painting, there is more that is involved. A sealer, or sometimes called primer, is a vital aspect to consider when painting the wall. Sealer is essential when you are painting the interior walls of your home. Regardless of the brand or quality of paint, a sealer coat helps a lot. And it is quite a priority to consider when you are painting the interior walls.

Why should you use a sealer coat on your wall?

When painting the interior walls, it is advised to apply the sealer coat, before you can use the paint that you prefer. So, why is the sealer coat such a vital layer to consider when you are painting your interior walls?

• Perfect bonding layer
The sealer is known to have natural bonding agents. These bonding agents allow the sealer to stick to the surface of the wall. Even when the wall is old or new, the sealer will stick to it and make it to bond on tightly to the wall. When you apply the sealer to the wall, it will allow the paint to stick to it. With this, the paint will not peel off, like it would when applied directly to the wall. Some paints will not stick to the walls, especially with the old walls. Old walls can have a rough surface that is ruined by the oxygen in the air. Nonetheless, the sealer helps to make the bond and not peel off as it dries off.

• It preserves the quality of the paint
Another advantage of applying the sealer is that it helps to maintain the original quality of the paint. Some paints will lose the original quality when they are used on an old wall. When the wall is old, it will be chalky, damp, and it might react with the paint. The paint contains some chemicals, which might react with the content of the old wall. If the wall was initially painted, the paint could be absorbed, along with water inside the wall. As the new paint is applied, without the sealer, it can end up reacting with the wall.

The chemicals in the new paint can react with the old wall, and a new color will start forming on the wall. Other than a different color forming, the paint can start to crack when it is dry. This might be as a result of the reaction between the new paint and the old wall.

• It helps to seal off the cracks and holes on the wall
Regular paint might not be able to cover and seal the cracks that are on the walls. Nonetheless, the sealer helps to cover these cracks and holes when it is applied before the paint. That is why it is recommended to apply the sealer before painting the wall. When the cracks are covered, the paint will look and feel smooth when it is applied after the sealer.

When Do You Need The Sealer?

The sealer should be used in many situations, but it is not applicable in all the walls. Some walls need the sealer before applying the paints. Alternatively, other walls will need the sealer before you apply the paint. So when do you need to use the sealer on the walls?

• If the wall has a lot of stains
The sealer plays the role of covering the stain that is on the wall you intend to paint. With this, you will have a clean surface that you can then apply your preferred paint.

• If the wall has cracks or holes
If the wall is old and porous or has some cracks on it, it will need to be covered before applying the paint. The sealer helps to cover every hole or crack that is on the wall, thereby giving you a soft surface to apply your paint. So if the wall is porous, or if there are some cracks in it, you will need to apply the sealer before you start painting it.

• If the wall has flaked off in some areas
Suppose the wall has peeled off in some areas, leaving it to be unlevelled, it will mean that the paint will take the same surface. In the long run, the paint will appear to have some recessed areas, which might not be pleasant to the eye. The sealer will help to level the flaked off areas and make the final paint look leveled.

• If the wall is chalky
Most of the chalky walls tend to be slippery when you apply paint to them. The powdery surface will mean that the paint will not bond or stick to the wall. That is why some paint will peel off as they are drying on the wall. The sealer acts as an intermediary between the paint and the wall. So with the chalky surface, the sealer will create a sticky surface that you can then apply your paint. When the paint is applied, it will not peel off, even when it dries off.

• If you need to paint a dark colored wall paint
If the wall that you intend to paint has a dark color, the best solution should be to apply the sealer, which will then create a surface to apply the new paint. This also helps you to save money in the long run. A sealer tends to be less costly than a regular paint. So instead of applying more paint to cover the dark paint on the wall, you can apply the sealer to cover the wall. The sealer is also thick enough, and you might only need a single coat then you apply the regular paint. If you were to apply the regular paint in the dark color, you might need almost four coats to cover the color completely. This can be too expensive.

With the sealer coat, it helps you to save money. Also, it will make your wall look elegant. Always choose a high-quality sealer to enhance the final surface of the wall.

When we are asked to go out to do a quote on a proposed painting job…we are very aware that we are are often competing against other painting contractors.

We can  explain to our customer WHY we are the most reputable and honest painters in town, but we understand that there is more the Customer needs to take into consideration, than just a “PRICE” Presentation and showing up on time doing a quote can certainly set the standard for the upcoming potential relationship that there is soon to be had.

Some of the time, Price is always the first on the customers mind and sometimes budget is a very big consideration for yourself and also for us here at Paintway. So we are always try to  meet your budget with the quality of work that we provide 🙂

There is a huge difference in painters’ ability, skill level, knowledge and professionalism. Often times people remark that painter “X” is expensive while painter “Y” is cheap.  Many times there is a reason for the prices painters charge; often the more expensive painter is the better painter. Inexpensive painters often don’t know how to adequately factor in all their costs and usually price the job too low. When this happens, the customers pays the price because the painter has to rush off the job, will use low quality materials and/or will not return your phone calls or return to the job if there is a problem.

Call 3 competent painters:

Don’t call out ten different painters and get estimates from each one, that wastes everyone’s time.  Know what type of painter you want before you call people out to your house.  If you want an inexpensive paint job, and you are willing to compromise on quality, tell the painters that.  If you want a high quality job and are willing to pay a fair price for it, tell the painters that also. Know what you want and be direct with the painters. This saves everyone’s time.

Call the painters and interview them by phone first.  Listen as they speak to you.  If the painter doesn’t sound right, don’t invite him over for an estimate. Phone estimates are your first phase of information gathering.  Invite the painters who sound competent to your house for an on-site estimate.  Ask the painter to speak to a few of their past customers.  If they cannot supply these names for you, consider that.

Ask for a painter recommendation from your local paint store:

A great place to ask for painter recommendations is your local paint store. Paint store managers know their painters.  They know about the painter’s professionalism, skill and quality level.  They see the quality products the painter buys and whether or not they pay their bills, if they show up at the store drunk or sober, if they are responsible, and if they know the painting trade.

Beware of using low-end paint from cheap painters:

Often, cheap painters use low-grade paints and products in people’s homes and the customer has no way to check on this. This is unfortunate because the cost difference to the customer between the best and worst paints is about 30% in material costs.  A small price difference, but the difference in quality and how well it will last in your home is significant. Expect the cheap painter who low balls your bid to buy the cheapest paint.

Homeowners should have the painter specify the specific paint product they will be using. It is not enough for them to just specify the paint manufacturer. Every major paint brand makes several grades of paint ranging in quality from low to high.  Expensive paint costs more money but is worth it.

Just because your friend/neighbour got a “good” job , doesn’t mean the painter is good:

Using a reference from a friend is the most common way of finding a painter. And while sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Your friend may not have had any problems or may not know of any problems they do have. It is fine to consider their recommendation, but make sure you check additional references and use your instincts.  Know the type of job you need.  Friends and neighbours think they know a good painter from an unskilled painter.  My experience has shown me that they don’t a good painter from a bad one.  They form their opinion on one being a good painter based on if he was cheap and if the house looked clean when the painter finished. That isn’t the way to determine quality house painting.

Important questions to ask your house painter: 

1.  How many men will work at the house and for how many days?
2.  Is the painter licensed and insured?
3.  How long has his painters been working with him?
4.  What brand of paint will be used?  What specific grade level of paint will be used?  All manufacturers have many grades of paint.  They run from high quality/expensive to low quality/inexpensive
5.  Will you be priming the surfaces before you paint?
6.  How many coats will you be applying?
7.  Have you included everything in your estimate or could there be additional charges for work?
8.  How will you dispose of the trash and old paint?
9.  What type of paint is currently on my house?  Will the new paint stick to it?
10.  How will you clean the house prior to painting?
11.  What are the payment arrangements?
12.  Is there anything else I haven’t asked that you should tell me?

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Here at Paintway we often get approached by quite a few clients to explain the difference between rolling and spraying when applying paint systems. Therefore, we would like to take this opportunity to outline the pros and cons for each application method and dismiss the numerous myths.

Below are the pros and cons of both systems:

Rolling on paint,

Invented in 1940 by Canadian Norman Breakey, the paint roller is the traditional method for painting large surfaces such as walls and ceilings in order to achieve a smooth and uniform finish without the visible brush stokes.

Rolling on paint requires minimal preparation and clean up time and allows an easy flow of workmanship. Rolling on paint allows a painter to apply thick, and lightly textured coats of paint.

Spraying on paint,

The spray gun stems from the invention of the first airbrush which was patented in 1876 by American Francis Edgar Stanley. As such, most people may not be aware, that the first spray gun machine was developed in 1887, predating the roller by almost 53 years.

Spraying on paint requires large amounts of preparation time to ensure all areas not to be painted; i.e. windows, architraves and floors, are taped, marked or covered before application begins. Once spraying has begun, application is faster, can cover larger areas with a uniform and smoother in finish.

Most good painters will then “back roll” their spray work, especially on ceilings and walls to push the paint into the surface pores. This will also give a lighter, textured finish, while ensuring any cracks or joins are also filled in. The finished result of “back rolling” also ensures surfaces are easier to “touch up” in years to come.

In conclusion

Rolling

(+) Less preparation time

(-) More preparation time

(-) More application time

(+) Less application time

(-) Difficult to paint tight areas

Spraying

(+) Easy to paint tight areas/detail

(+) Even usage of paint quantity

(+) Even usage of paint quantity

(+) Less clean up time

(-) More clean up time

Neither spraying nor rolling on paint is much quicker than each other when taking into account the relevant preparation and application times. Also, neither method may use more paint the other, with modern day spray machines involving computerised measurements.

While spraying is a great way to paint harder to reach areas, such as cupboards and shelves or uniformly paint detailed items such as lattice, both methods are used depending on the requirements of the paint project.