Does your house look dated? Do the walls appear discoloured and dirty? If you answered yes to the questions, then it is time to apply a fresh coat of paint on your home.
You see, repainting your house does not have to happen only when the paint starts cracking or peeling.
You can do it anytime you want, especially if you think that your house looks dingy already. A splash of paint on your walls is an economical way of making your house look fresh and new. In fact, this is a strategy highly recommended by painters and real estate agents to homeowners planning to sell their house.
Why?
Repainting key areas in the house before putting it out on the market can significantly improve its selling price.
But of course, to reap the benefits of this strategy, the paint job needs to be done correctly – right colours and flawless application.
So, if you intend to sell your house or simply want to give it a new look, repaint it!
When Is the Best Time to Paint Your House?
First, let’s identify the area you are going to work on. Is it indoors or outdoors?
If it is an interior painting project, then it can be done anytime. This is because you do not have to take into consideration the prevailing weather conditions to proceed with the task. You may even do this project during winter. But it won’t be easy.
For one, you would have to ensure that the room is well-ventilated for paint fumes to dissipate faster. Alternatively, you can open the windows for better air circulation.
However:
Doing this during winter can cause your electric bill to shoot up as you’d have to crank up the heat. This is to keep the house (and painters) warm and to ensure that wall temperature is within 15°C. This is the optimal temperature for paint to adhere and dry properly to the surface.
Meanwhile, for exterior painting, it is best to do it during spring or summer. Between the two, however, spring is the preferred season for exterior painting in Ireland.
You see:
Spring temperatures in Ireland average 8°C to 12°C. Latex paint, the paint type most commonly used for exterior walls, requires a temperature of not lower than 10°C for it to adhere well to the surface and dry properly. Hence, spring is said to be the ideal time for exterior painting.
“What about summer?” you may ask.
Well, you can still schedule outdoor painting projects during summer. However, please do not believe the notion that the warm heat of the sun during this time is good for your paint.
Take note:
When latex paint dries quickly, film formation can be compromised. To be more specific, cracks, blisters and discolorations may develop, thereby making the paint job unappealing and less durable.
Furthermore, the heat during summer can be unforgiving. It can make it unbearable for painters to work under the sun.
Simply put:
Just because it is hot and chance of rain is nil, it does not mean that summer is the best time for outdoor painting.
Again, this does not mean you can’t do exterior painting during summer. You still can but be sure to do it during the early days of the season when temperature and humidity are not too high.
Similarly, you have to check the weather forecasts before scheduling an outdoor painting project in spring. Make sure you have a stretch of days, probably three to four, wherein conditions are optimal for painting. Just like summer, the best time to paint in spring is during the start of the season.
Should You Hire Professional Painters or Do It Yourself?
One of the usual questions that homeowners mull over is whether to let professional painters do the job or to do it themselves.
Over the years, the DIY route became popular primarily because of the proliferation of materials on DIY house painting. On top of the blogs and other readable guides, there are also video tutorials on this topic.
Further adding to the appeal of the DIY route is the notion that this approach is easier on the pocket. Labour cost won’t be a concern since homeowners do the task. They only need to spend on materials like paint, brushes, rollers, tapes, etc.
The question is:
Should you go the DIY route for your house painting project? Well, it depends on how much time you have and your skill level.
Truth be told, this kind of project can be time-consuming, especially if the job includes working outdoors. It is not something you can accomplish in an hour or two since you have to do prep work and follow the indicated paint drying time.
Also, if you are working outdoors, you will be at the mercy of the weather. If it suddenly rains or become too windy, you’d have to stop what you are doing.
Suffice it to say, finishing a painting project may take days or even weeks depending on your speed and other variables. So, if you go the DIY route, make sure you have the time to see the project through.
What’s more?
You need to have essential painting know-how and skills to achieve a visually appealing and durable output.
Video tutorials may make painting look easy, but it is not. You cannot learn the required skills or techniques overnight. You’ll need tons of practice to get things right and come up with a professional-looking paint job.
If you really want to take on this task, do not proceed with it right after you watch the tutorials. Make sure you allot some practice time before you start working on your walls.
Remember:
When you end up with a lousy paint job, you’ll need to redo it sooner than later. This means spending again. Hence, instead of being economical, the DIY route may end up to be more expensive as compared to hiring professional painters.
Here’s the thing:
Unless you have the time and the skills necessary for this project to be accomplished smoothly, it is best to let professional painters paint your house.
These professionals possess the knowledge and skills needed to come up with an excellent-looking and long-lasting paint job. Furthermore, having been in the business for years, these painters have the experience necessary to accomplish the project right on schedule.
Ultimately, hiring professional painters is the smart choice, especially if the entire house needs to be painted. This is the best way to guarantee that you achieve the project’s goal – improve your home’s appearance. This option is also cost-effective in the long run since the paint job is durable. You won’t have to repaint after a month or a year!
Tips on Hiring Professional Residential Painters
Without a doubt, letting the pros paint your house has a lot of advantages. However, you can only reap these benefits if you work with the best painting contractor in Ireland.
Now:
Determining which amongst the numerous companies out there is the right one for the job can be a daunting task, especially if you are doing this for the first time. But for as long as you know what steps to take, you can successfully accomplish this task without any hassle.
The single most important thing you can do is to allot time for research.
Bear in mind:
You do not hire a painting contractor just because they are number one on the search results page. You need to do your due diligence to ensure that you are hiring the right company.
What are some of the things you need to consider in choosing a professional painting company?
Portfolio
One of the important things you need to check is the painting company’s portfolio. Photos of previous projects they have done can give you an idea of the quality of their work.
Moreover, the portfolio allows you to know if the contractor truly has experience working on residential properties as well as the type of house that you have.
Nowadays, professional painters post pictures of their previous painting projects on their website. So, all you need to do is go online and browse these photos.
In case the portfolio of the contractor you are eyeing is not available online, you can visit or call their office to request for it.
Insurance
Admittedly, many homeowners fail to ask if the painting company they are considering has insurance. This is because most think that an insurance is just a nice-to-have and not a necessity.
Please do not buy into this thinking!
A responsible and compliant painting contractor has a liability insurance. This insurance benefits not just the company but also clients like you.
Basically, it minimises your financial risks. It removes the worry of your contractor not being able to pay for damages to your property incurred during the course of the project. It also protects you from liability if any of the painters get injured or meet an accident while working on your property.
Reputation
Aside from the portfolio, do not forget to find out what the reputation of the company is.
Of course, you want a contractor with an impeccable reputation. Its name should be synonymous with high quality paint job and first-rate customer service.
It should be a company with a proven track record of finishing projects on time and delivering professional-looking outputs. Also, it should be known for rendering top-notch customer service all the time.
Keep in mind:
Depending on the duration of the project, you would have to deal with the painting contractor for weeks or even months. Naturally, you would want the transaction to proceed smoothly. Good customer service is the key to this.
Ideally, before the painters start working, the company should discuss with you pertinent information about the project – the timetable, the kind of materials, cost, etc. It should be able to promptly answer your queries, too.
If the project completion needs to be moved to another date, the contractor should proactively inform you when it is going to be. More importantly, it should be able to explain to you the reason behind the delay.
When your chosen painting company renders excellent customer service, you can minimise the chance of problems during the course of the project.
Painters
A painting company worth considering is one with experienced and trained painters.
Why?
As mentioned earlier, painting is a skill that is not learned overnight. It is something that is developed and honed through repeated practice.
Hence, it is important that the contractor invests on its people by ensuring they get some training before going to work. It also greatly helps if the company employs painters who have been doing this job for many years and have worked on several projects.
So, ask the company about its painters – their training, years on the job, number of projects they’ve done, etc.
In summary:
To ensure that you are hiring the right painting company in Ireland, you have to do the following:
- Check the company’s portfolio
- Know if it has a good reputation
- Find out if it carries a liability insurance
- Ask if it has trained and experience painters
How Much Is the Cost of Painting a House?
Now, we go to the most common question asked about painting a house – how much would it cost?
There are various factors which need to be considered to determine the cost of painting a house.
The size of the house or area/s to be painted is one of them. Of course, the bigger the area, the higher the painting expense will be.
The condition of the walls also come into play. If they are in bad condition and require extensive repair, then this can significantly increase the painting cost.
You are likewise going to spend more if you hire a painting company instead of you doing the job on your own. However, as mentioned earlier, letting professional painters spearhead this project is a good investment. It is more economical in the long run since you are guaranteed that the paint job is going to last long.
Admittedly, determining exactly how much you are going to spend to repaint your house is impossible when pertinent details like those mentioned above are missing.
Fortunately, there are applications or programs available these days which make this task easier. For example, on our website you’ll find a paint cost calculator which can provide an estimate of how much you’d spend repainting your house.
All you need to do is answer a few questions and in 24 to 48 hours you would receive a quote from us.
Are you painting your house? Work with Ireland’s trusted painting contractor – Painting Dublin! We guarantee high quality paint job finished right on schedule. Call us today at 086 608 1817 / 085 139 0233.
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Image by Monika Schröder from Pixabay
Image courtesy of Max Pixel
Image by Åsa K from Pixabay
Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay
