You have just moved into a new home but you would like to change the paint colors in a few rooms to make your home fit your personal style. Take my advice, don’t lift a paint brush without proper preparation first. Otherwise, your hard work and paint job won’t last more than a year.
Tip 1: Before you start painting, prepare your surfaces. Prep work takes time and effort, but it makes painting easier and the results are longer lasting, so prepping is definitely worth it.
Tip 2: Clean surfaces. Paint doesn’t adhere well to dirt. Dust and vacuum all surfaces to be painted. For crown molding, tops of windows, or door casings, use a stepladder or small ladder to reach up there.
Helpful Hint:
Give even brand new trim a good, once-over cleaning just to be sure that the piece you’re painting is fully prepped and ready to go. The cleaner your surfaces, the better the finished job will be.
Use a sponge dipped in phosphate-free cleaner and warm water to clean all of the woodwork. Use a soft brush for crevices and, if necessary, an abrasive cleaning pad for tough stains. Rinse the surfaces well and dry thoroughly with an absorbent towel.
Tip 3: Repair dents, nicks and scratches on surfaces before you paint. Sanding works well to remove shallow dents or scratches. Wood filler is best for areas with more severe damage. First, rough up the surface with coarse sandpaper to ensure a good bond. Then apply wood filler with a putty knife. When it’s hard and dry, sand it level.
Tip 4: Protect your floors and carpet by using plastic or canvas drop cloths from any paint that might drip or splatter. If your room is carpeted, and you’re painting base molding, mask its edges with blue painter’s tape. Most molding has a gap under the lower edge to leave room for the carpet; if yours doesn’t, push the tape down with a putty knife as far as you can between the carpet and the molding.
Painter’s tape should also be used to protect the edges of walls and ceilings that are adjacent to the trim and molding. Last but not least, if any hardware is attached to the trim, remove what you can and tape up the rest.
Helpful Hint:
Remove all painter’s tape before the paint dries completely to make sure you don’t accidentally peel off any paint.
Painting can be a very rewarding, though time consuming, activity. One way to make the experience even better is to avoid errant paint marks and paint drips. As common as this problem is, there are a few ways to ensure your paint only goes where it’s meant to be.
First, move or cover furniture and floor space. Move furniture away from areas you would like to paint. If moving furniture is not an option, consider covering your furniture with a paint cloth or tarp. Also cover any exposed floor space.
Second, Tape!Painter’s tape is your friend, so use it early and often. Cover any areas where the wall you’re painting meets trim or ceiling.
Third, patience with the edges. Take your time when painting around the edges of trim or joints where a wall meets the ceiling. Being patient when painting these specific areas will lead to less mistakes and a more professional look.
Finally, use rollers for large spaces. Use rollers to paint a large wall. Make sure you don’t overload your roller, as this will lead to a splotchy, uneven paint job. Technique is also important. Be sure to zig zag when painting a large wall with a roller. Painting vertically up and down can lead to unwanted paint marks on your wall.
If you have never painted a wall with a roller before, first try painting a room in your home with less foot traffic. Do your best to perfect these steps before painting a living room or dining room.
If you have a painting project involving multiple rooms with trim and wall space, it may be best to contact a paint contractor. Here at Turner's Painting, we’re happy to offer you advice and schedule free Painting estimate if needed.
I’ve been thinking about marketing lately so today’s blog is 7 tips for marketing your painting business. I find marketing extremely interesting, creative marketing really inspires me and I love to come up with ideas based on other marketing concepts, there are always so many creative ways to find new business or get your name out there. I wouldn’t call these tips break-through by any means but I hope some of you get your creative juices flowing. At very least I hope they can provide you with inspiration or stir up some new ideas on how to approach marketing your painting business.
1. Posters
This is a classic. Print up a bunch of posters and stick them up in areas that have your demographic. There are lots of ways to market your painting business with posters. Black and white, full colour, tear off tabs, QR codes, etc. I’ve had success with a basic black & white poster I made in a graphics program; I printed it out and photocopied it then put it up on utility poles using packing tape. Using posters this way can be extremely inexpensive and you can definitely find some quality leads this way. You could expand on this idea by hiring some local kids to put up your posters.
2. Contact local contractors
Contacting your local general contractors and letting them know you’re looking for business is also a good idea for marketing your painting business. If you develop a good relationship with a busy general contractor you will end up with a lot of work! However, you’ll want to have some good referrals and experience under your belt though before you take this route. Screwing up on a job from a reputable GC can be bad for your reputation. Find a few good contractors that use your services and you’re set.
3. Mail outs
This is a pretty straight-forward idea. Write a letter or create a brochure detailing your company and your services offered then mail it out to potential clients. Potential clients are anybody who can use a painter, for instance; designers, stagers, real estate agents, building supervisors/managers, building management companies, general contractors, etc. Since it can be a little more costly using mail outs it can be a good idea to send them to these businesses that could potentially develop into lasting business relationships such as those listed above. The Yellow Pages can be a good source of information such as addresses or businesses to contact, mix it with Google Places and you’re set.
4. Website
Don’t have a website? You are definitely missing out if you are trying to market your painting business without a website. There are a lot of tutorials on how to get a site up and a lot of hosts now also provide web design services or very easy to use snap-together web sites you could develop yourself. If this seems daunting paying a web designer is a good idea. Want to do it on the cheap? Check Craigslist for a web designer and get it made using the WordPress platform. Make sure you see their previous work. This platform is pretty easy to setup and look nice so it’s a better bet you’ll end up with some good results.
5. Online classifieds
Make sure you’re marketing your painting business on Kijiji and Craigslist. The leads from these services are of lesser quality because they are mostly people looking to get work completed on the cheap. So you might have to weed out some of these leads but they do occasionally pay off quite well. Make sure you present yourself professionally here to set yourself apart from the less than professional painting ‘businesses’.
6. Leave something behind
Whenever you do a job make sure you leave behind to be remembered by. One idea is a post-job review form detailing how to take care of their new paint job, some basic information you can grab from the manufacturers website and common knowledge, title it something like “How to care for your new paint job!” and this page is almost always be read. Include your painting businesses contact info on the form or use letter head. The idea here is that when your customers’ friends ask about the new paintjob they have easy access to your information in the case that their friends are also looking for painters. Some other ideas of stuff to leave behind include business cards, magnets, thank you letter, coupons, brochure, folder, etc. Had some super nice customers? Leave them behind a gift card to Starbucks and they’re sure to remember you!
7. Give your customers referrals a discount
This idea ties into the last, you can offer your customers referrals a discount. So if they refer a friend to you that friend will receive for instance a 5-10% discount (maximum $120 discount) deal. Of course everyone loves more business and customers love to refer great work to their friends especially if it’s an inside deal to get an awesome paint job cheaper. Concerned about your bottom line? Consider it this way, normally you have to pay out of pocket for leads, so when they refer someone to you it reduces your expenses associated with that job as it hasn’t directly impacted your marketing budget. Giving a coupon or special card would be an easy to process system.
So here’s some ideas I had kicking around in my head and some I’ve done myself, I hope this’ll help you when it comes to marketing your painting business as we can all use some more work!
Finding local painters isn’t always an easy task. Where to begin is a confusing step for the majority of home owners, this is especially the case because it’s not easy to find out how painters operate until after you’ve hired them. That’s why it’s best to take a thorough approach when hunting for a painting contractor, failure to do so can result in lost money, lost time, and in some cases a horrific experience. Let’s take a look at some tips for finding and selecting from the myriad of local painters available in your area.
The best place to begin looking for local painters is online, this may seem contrary to common belief but if you consider that the majority of painters who have websites also have thriving business or a keen business sense – this is a no-brainer. Typical fly-by-night painters will not have the resources to take this step. It’s also a good place to learn more about the painting contractor, as often you can find galleries or testimonials.
You can use an easy web-based service like this one, or you can do a search for “cityname painters”. Typically a search like this will reveal a number of results and is a good start to connecting with a great local painter. When you begin browsing sites it’s a good idea to jot down the websites of the companies you found the most impressive. Once you have found 3 or 4 that look impressive go back to their websites and either call them or use the form on their site to submit your request for an estimate.
Before calling local painters for bids it’s a good idea to prepare a small itemized list of all the aspects you want painted. This will include what rooms you want painted, any specific details you want the painters to address such as holes, cracks or other imperfections. Also an important thing to do is consider paint choices, if you’re interested in using a specific brand of paint it will be important for the painting contractor to know this since it will affect the cost of the paint job.
Having this information together can really help to sort through the local painters because it allows them to give you a much better, more detailed estimate. This will then allow you to sort through your painters to see based upon cost which you would consider hiring. This leads us to the next stage in your search for local painters …
When selecting a local painter the lowest bid is not the best bid
This may seem obvious to some people, but there are definitely a few of you out there who are keen on saving the most for your money. I can really understand this attitude as times have been tough lately and we all could use a little more cash in our pockets, plus it’s just painting after all, right? It may seem like simple task but you are risking more than just your paint job, you’re risking your home and even your safety. An inexpensive painter may be priced so low because they’re inexperienced and don’t fully understand the job they’re about to take on.
When selecting from your local painters based on price – drop the lowest bidder if it is considerably lower than the others. This’ll guarantee you’re not dealing with someone who is either inexperienced or expecting to do a less than fantastic job painting your home. Hopefully, at this point you have 2 or 3 bids from professional, reputable local painters.
Which of your local painters should you give the job to?
So by now you should have a few painting bids lined up; they should clearly detailing the work that will be completed, state terms of the job (such as start date, completion date, hours of work), and cover all aspects of your agreement between the painting contractor and yourself. Now you should ask yourself which of the local painters made the best impression. A few questions you can ask yourself:
Who seemed to know what they’re talking about?
Who did you feel the most comfortable talking with?
Who was the most courteous in your home?
Which painter gave you the most detailed explanation to your questions?
These are a few general questions which will help you when considering what painter to hire. Remember, these painters and their employees are going to be working in your home for as long as it takes for the job to be completed. Often painters have to move your furniture and move any items you have lying around that may be in the way of the paint job, so you’ll feel more comfortable with this process if you hire a painting contractor that you get along well with. I hope these guidelines will help you in your search for local painters!
A place is someone's best investment; for this, giving correct care and upkeep is essential. When it comes to proper house maintenance, it must include trivial repairs as well as painting. It's essential to make a place attractive to be certain its value won't lessen.
Painting a place is not that complicated, as long as house owners will follow proper procedures, and technique. For affluent folks who have got the money to pay for professional house painters, then painting a home is now not a difficulty. But for normal office worker, it's going to be too dear to hire professional painting services. Doing the job all alone will help them save a large amount of cash.
All it requires for house owners to paint their own house is to spend longer time to finish the job, not to mention the risks of a hideous outcome. Owners can stop these risks by asking help from an expert. Paint store may also be the prime source of helpful house painting ideas. Read on for extra house painting tips.
First thing, homeowners need to do before painting their own house, is to choose which part they will paint first. Choosing the right paint colour must come next. Homeowners need to know that choosing the correct colour is indeed vital when it comes to painting; since color wants to counterpoint with other home furniture and fabrics within or outside of the house.
Thenext thing householders have to do is to prepare all painting supplies and tools. Double-checking of the supplies, tools, and hardware is important to avoid delay. Next step is to get rid of all furniture from the painting area to stop paint smears. Surfaces must be clear from dust and other obstructions to ensure a glossy and smooth painting result. To achieve this, power cleaning is necessary.
When all of the surfaces are clear, homeowners must place drop cloths on the danger sector as well as furniture, which are too heavy to move. Placing masking tapes on the trappings is also necessary. This is going to help protect the trimmings such as window trimmings, doorknobs, electrical switches, junction boxes, and other lighting fixtures.
It is not enough to place masking tapes on the trappings. Householders need to place adequate quantity of masking tapes to guarantee there is not any paint bleed marks left after painting. In placing the tape, it is essential to cover the whole danger zone where paint has the possibility to bleed.
When it comes to house painting, house owners can save a lot if they will just paint their own house. For homeowners who do not know the way to paint, this piece with its handy tips, will help them in their DIY house painting.
Painting your house on your own can be a tiring and nerve-wrangling tribulation. If you live in Toronto then you are much better off hiring house painting NY professionals. You'll save time, get a great job done and get to enjoy your just painted home faster. Get a painting contractor new york to get the job done.
With the right interior painting and sponging techniques, you can create fascinating patterns you could never achieve with the ordinary brush or roller. Learn the secrets of the painting sponge in this free video on interior painting tips. Expert: David Harris Bio: David Harris has owned his own Commercial/Residential painting business for more than 10 years. His daily duties include painting, priming and masking. Filmmaker: Dustin Rosemark Series Description: Make your home into a work of art with professional-quality house painting tips and techniques shown here. An interior painting professional explains and demonstrates in this free video series
Personal cleanliness is of major importance where house painting is concerned, and it would be wise to bear in mind this aspect. It is also important to remember in order to know how to paint a house properly to avoid any risk to the individual.
How to paint a house efficiently with as little fuss as possible is the basis of good house painting. Whilst little danger will develop, if reasonable care is used during painting work, it must be pointed out that some of the materials used are poisonous, and others, whilst not being extreme, can be irritating to the well being of the worker.
Here are a few hints which the user is well advised to carry out. This will help you learn how to paint a house.
After painting, always wash face and hands before eating or sleeping.
Unless absolutely necessary, never paint in rooms or enclosed spaces without proper ventilation. Fresh air will prevent any feeling of sickness which may occur through painting in confined spaces.
Never remove paint spots from the hands by washing them in turpentine, etc, as it will dissolve the paint and carry it into the pores of the skin. A damp rag in a thinner, according to the type of paint involved, used carefully to wipe off the paint, will be just as effective and less risky to the health.
Remove food stuffs which are likely to be contaminated by the fumes of the paint mixtures. Butter and milk are particularly liable to be affected.
Preparing and Organizing for Interior House Painting
Some preparation is necessary when you aren’t sure how to paint a house prior to attempting a painting job in the home. This point applies more specifically to interior house painting work, which inevitably upsets the general routine of the household, for the period of time covering the progress of the job. The upset can be minimized by the wise painter who plans ahead and prepares drop cloths, scaffolding, tools and materials, ready for the projected start.
The housewife will patiently learn how to paint a house and always be thrilled at the prospect of having a room redecorated will generally assume responsibility for the furnishings. Few women, however, condone untidiness or damage to surrounding surfaces during the progress of the job. The wise decorator will consider this aspect at all times, and avoid causing any irritation from this source.
Interior House Painting – Removing Furniture
Most rooms have an abundance of furniture, etc, which would be in the way during the painting operation. For this reason it is advisable to store in other sections of the house as much of the furniture as may be moved comfortably, leaving greater space and more freedom for working. Floor coverings, ornaments, curtains, blinds and light fittings are better out of the way.
Drop Cloths
Certain classes of work, such as cleaning down paintwork, washing off kalsomine, stopping and repairing cracks in plaster, necessarily entail some dirt and splashing. In order to avoid damage to anything in the room, and to make the job of cleaning up easier, old newspapers, sacking, etc, should be spread over the floor in good thickness, and a canvas drop cloth laid down over this. Furniture and other items remaining in the room should be covered with a drop cloth or an old sheet to prevent damage.
Painting Exterior of House – Outside Work
Outside work like exterior house painting is so often carried out without very much care, will be more effectively finished if old papers and cloths are used to cover cement paths and verandah floors. Shrubs and trees will not be in danger of becoming variegated specimens, if lightly covered with drop cloths. Light canvas duck can be purchased from a local fabric shop at a relatively low cost, and these are particularly suitable for wrappers to cover painting jobs.
Scaffolding for Painting
There are many different types of scaffolding, which have particular uses in general trade work, however, for home decoration the requirements are relatively simple.
Step Ladders- Painting exterior of house is usually carried out with the aid of two step ladders and a plank. For the average height room, 6 ft. steps will be found most satisfactory. Probably the most important aspect is the general standard and condition of your scaffolding. Good scaffolding, placed with care, will provide a solid foundation for working. When purchasing, care should be taken to select step ladders which are sturdy, and made strong enough to withstand reasonable wear. When set for use, the steps should be opened out well, and they will require a stout cord support tied from the front steps to the back retaining legs. This is necessary to guard against the steps sliding on smooth surfaces. The four legs should be made to stand evenly, and this point should be checked before attempting to mount the steps.
Painting Planks
A plank, 1 ½ in. to 2 in. thick and 9 in to 12 in. wide, made either from selected Oregon or hardwood, will make a satisfactory working platform for reaching the top portions of a room. The length of the planks will vary, but should be about three feet shorter than the room measurement, in order to allow comfortable handling of the scaffold, without risk of damage to the walls. Owing to the varying size rooms in the home, two planks are generally required – one long and one short. The ends of the plank should be protected with a piece of galvanized iron strapping, nailed or screwed on.
I hope that these steps and guides on how to paint a house will help you and you will understand how to do it. So keep reading and have a nice day!!! Exterior House Painting
