If you’ve never painted the exterior of a home, you may think it would be as simple as putting paint on a surface. And if that’s the case, how hard could it be? Couldn’t you just go to a hardware store, buy the materials, and do the whole thing yourself? Or, if you don’t have time for that, just hire a painting company – if all they’re doing is painting, then it wouldn’t matter which one you picked, right? As you might have guessed, there’s more to it than that. Painting a home’s exterior properly requires planning, equipment, and knowledge about paints and materials. Whoever paints your home – either you or a home painting professional – is going to need to have the technique necessary to do a lasting paint job, as well as the organization required to do the job efficiently. But with this in mind, how will you know if you’re ready to take on the job yourself? Or if you decide that you’re not, how do you know that you’re picking a company that is? Let’s try and answer some of these questions so that you can make an informed decision about whether or not to hire a professional painting company, and if you do, how to select the one that’s right for you.
Should I Paint My Home’s Exterior Myself or Hire a Professional?
Once you’ve made the decision to paint the exterior of your home, one of the first things you need to decide is who is going to be doing the actual painting. Are you going to hire a professional painting company, or are you going to take on the project yourself? It’s a tough question, and Encore Painting even has a blog dedicated entirely to this subject, so if you want to go into more detail about the pros and cons of hiring a professional painting company, be sure to check out Should you hire a pro to paint your home’s exterior? To sum it up, there are two main things you should consider before deciding whether you should paint your home’s exterior yourself: what exterior painters do (thus what you would need to do if you take on the project yourself) and how much money you would save by not hiring a professional painting company. The first thing you need to know is that professional painters do more than simply put paint on a surface. They provide the knowledge, skill, and equipment necessary for the job. You can learn a lot about how to paint your home from the internet, but nothing can replace first hand experience. Having painted literally thousands of homes, the professional painters at Encore Painting know exactly what it takes to do a job right.
This is why the main thing that professional painters do is just that: provide professional quality. We know how to prepare a home’s exterior, scraping old paint and cleaning surfaces to maximize a paint’s hold. We know that every material is different, and the different paints and techniques required to apply an even, lasting coat. We have the equipment necessary for the toughest painting jobs that the average homeowner might not have, or might not feel comfortable using. For example, if your home is two stories, even if you own a ladder tall enough to reach that, would you be comfortable and confident that you could stand on the top for the time needed to apply an even coat of paint? For the professionals at Encore, the answer is yes! Finally, an often overlooked area that can get a lot of inexperienced painters in trouble is time management, and understanding what it takes to get a job done. This especially is something that can only be learned from years of experience. If you’ve never painted the exterior of a home, it can be easy to seriously underestimate how long a project of this scale can take. Delays caused by inefficient planning, lack of equipment, underestimating drying times, these can all add up, making a project that you thought would take a weekend end up taking two weeks, which can seriously disrupt a home. That’s why Encore Painting begins each project with a thorough evaluation of a space, giving the homeowner a projected timeline, so they will know exactly what to expect.
This brings us to the second point: how much money will you save if you do decide to paint your home’s exterior yourself? As we just talked about, Encore Painting begins each project with an evaluation of the space. As a result, we do not offer a flat rate for exterior home painting. Each project is just too different. With each home having its own challenges, and each homeowner having their own unique vision, we can’t estimate a cost without seeing the area first. That said, you will almost certainly save money by doing the project yourself. However, if you decide to paint your home yourself, here are a few things to keep in mind that you might not have thought of.
First of all, in addition to buying all the standard things you’ll need like the paint, brushes, rollers, and drop cloths, there are some unexpected expenses to be aware of. We spoke about cleaning a surface before painting it. This involves cleaning the area with a pressure washer and filling any cracks or joints with a caulking gun. In addition to needing to know how to use these, if you don’t already own them, you will need to rent them. As well, we mentioned painting hard to reach areas high up on a home. Many homeowners might not own a ladder big enough to do this, which is something else you will need to rent. And unless you have a vehicle equipped to carry it, this will involve paying for delivery too. However, with all this in mind, you will still save money painting your home yourself. Buying materials and renting equipment can be expensive, but realistically won’t exceed what it would cost to hire a professional crew.
But that said, the most important question you need to ask yourself is this: Will the money I save by doing this project myself be worth the time, effort, hassle, and peace of mind I would save by hiring a professional? This is something you will need to decide for yourself, but a good way to think about it is like this: If you are a handy person who is confident in their painting abilities, don’t mind doing some research about different types of paints and materials, knows how to use all necessary equipment and don’t mind renting what you don’t already own, and are fine with a project taking longer than expected, then painting your home yourself could be a great way to save some money! On the other hand, if you want professional quality that you aren’t sure you can provide, are uncomfortable working with equipment like pressure washers and high ladders, are unsure what paints to use in different situations, and want a project completed in the most efficient time, then go with the pros!
How Do I Know if Any Exterior Painter is Good?
Now that we’ve covered just how challenging and involved painting a home’s exterior is, many homeowners will be understandably concerned about how to choose the right painting company. How do you know that you are getting a professional paint job if you don’t know much about painting? How do you ensure you’re getting a good price and not being taken advantage of? We understand that entrusting somebody with your home is an enormous decision, and we take that responsibility seriously. Whatever company you chose to work with, the painters are both workers as well as guests in your home, so it is essential to make sure that you feel comfortable and confident that you made the right choice. That’s why at Encore Painting, we pride ourselves in not only providing quality work, but in working openly and transparently with our clients, no matter the job. That said, regardless of who you choose to work with, here are some things to keep in mind to help you make the right decision and give you the confidence that you’ve put your home in the hands of professionals.
First of all, make sure that the estimate is free. This is standard practice, and if a company is confident in their brand, then they won’t expect you to pay for this service. If they do, then it’s a red flag right from the start. Next, once you are consulting with the representative, be as clear as you can about what your vision is and what you expect from their service. Of course a representative should try and help guide you through some technical decisions and use their experience to give suggestions, but at the end of the day, the job of a painting company is to help bring your vision to life. Is the rep attentive and helpful, understanding what you want for your home? Or are they upselling you, trying to get you to commit to have work done that you don’t want or need?
Finally, make sure you know exactly what is in the estimate once it is given to you. What is the timeline for the project? Is this estimate before or after taxes? Are the cost of materials included in this, or are they seperate? Again, pay attention. If the representative is vague or evasive, maybe this isn’t the right company for you. This is your home and it will be your money, so make sure that all of your questions are answered before you commit to a company. And if the company is worth hiring, then they will be happy to answer any and all of them!
Now you may be thinking to yourself, sure, this is all important, but the most important thing to me is the result. Of course this will be the case for any homeowner. That’s why it’s important to read reviews and see photos of a company’s work, so you can hear about other people’s experience with the company. But let’s say you have a chance to see a company’s work first hand. If you’re not familiar with professional quality painting, how do you know what to look for? To an untrained eye, an exterior paint job may seem great, but there are some telltale signs that a painter is inexperienced or has been cutting corners that you can watch out for.
First of all, watch out for air holes in the paint – small holes in the coat that expose the surface below. The most common reason for this is that the painter did note apply a sufficient number of coats. A professional painting company will know how quality paint will react to any surface and know how many coats it will take to leave a lasting paint job. Air holes are a clear sign that the painter was either inexperienced or was trying to save some time and money by giving a poor quality paint job.
Another thing to pay attention to is if the paint is cracked or peeling. Even the most professional paint job will need touching up eventually, but if it is only a month or two old and is already peeling, then watch out. This could be because the paint is cut with water so it doesn’t adhere properly to a surface. It may save the painter money, but the result is a poor quality paint job on your home. If you see cracked, peeling paint, be sure to find out when it was painted, so you can know if it was applied poorly.
Finally, watch out for blisters in the paint. Noticeable bubbles that can pop and expose the surface below. Unlike air pockets, blisters generally come from the quality of the paint used. If a paint has been contaminated with something like oil or dust, this can cause it to create blisters on the surface. As well, this can happen if the painter is using old paint. Make sure that you are using new, clean paint in order to avoid this. Blisters can begin appearing as early as the day after application, so if you see this on a fresh coat of paint, be advised that the painter might be trying to cut costs by using old paint.
Professional Exterior House Painters Near Me
Now that you know what exterior house painters do, how to tell if an exterior painter does high quality work, and what it would take for you to take on the project yourself, it’s time for you to decide if you are going to hire a professional painting company. And for those who decide to put their home in the hands of professionals, this can be a little daunting. With so many painting companies out there, it can sometimes feel difficult to make the right choice. That’s why at Encore Painting, we are happy to let our reputation speak for itself. With nearly a decade and a half of experience serving the Greater Toronto Area, our quality work and dedication to customer service have made Encore Painting Ltd. one of Canada’s Top Painting and Decorating Companies three years in a row, as voted by Home Stars.
We work with our clients to understand their vision and make it a reality, from the moment we evaluate the space until the last drop of paint. Our professional painters have the skill and equipment to handle any job, from difficult to work with materials like stucco and concrete, to hard to reach trim like gutters and window frames at any height. Check out our full list of services. If you feel up to the challenge of painting your home’s exterior yourself, then great! Hopefully this made you a bit more prepared for what to expect if you take on the project. But if you want to guarantee professional quality and efficiency, then put your mind at ease and contact Encore Painting Ltd. today. Get your free estimate from us today.