13 November 2018
They say “change is as good as a holiday” and giving your place a fresh lick of paint can be as refreshing as a costlier structural renovation. But if you’re new to home painting, you might be surprised to find it more complex than first imagined.
In this blog, you’ll learn to keep an eye on and avoid some common first-time pitfalls and mistakes.
Skimping on materials
Mixing good paint is quite a complex chemistry. Buying the cheapest quality only wastes your money in the long run. Higher quality paints are longer-lasting, require fewer coats for full coverage and are made of better quality pigments than their cheaper counterparts. For the best results, choose paints that don’t skimp on the quality of their resins (the binders) and pigments. Also look for ones that minimise their use of solvents, which can dilute the paint unnecessarily. Some brands offer both a high and low-quality range, so keep your eyes peeled. If you’re in any doubt, reach out to a registered master painter — many, like those at Barker Whittle, would be happy to advise you based on their own experience.
Tackling a Too-Difficult DIY
Even with proper planning and quality materials, you can find yourself biting off more than you can chew. It happens to the best of us — maybe work gets a little too intense, or a child unexpectedly falls ill, or that DIY show you watched made it look too easy. Take painting aluminium window frames, for instance. It looks simple enough to do, but aluminium painting takes a lot of time and patience, and the true cost of waiting up to 8-hours for the primer to dry can be more than you bargained for! Consider calling in contractors for the trickier jobs — it might cost a little, but you’ll save yourself heaps of frustration.
Working with “the cheapest”, rather than the trustworthy
You get what you pay for, and it serves to err on the side of caution when aiming for value-for-money. As a first-time painter on a budget, you might be tempted to cut corners on materials and outside help. Spending well on good quality materials, and getting contractors in to help with aspects of the job ensure that you reach your goal with the guarantee that the workmanship stands the test of time.
Working with premium painters saves you time and money, and you’ll know the work is done right the first time. Request a quote from Barker Whittle — you’ll be surprised how comparable the cost of contracting out to experts is when taking into account the full challenge of a DIY in your spare time.
