It’s mid-March, the sun is currently shining across the state, and fingers crossed we’re past the cloudy and cold Michigan winter days, at least for 6 months. Michigan residents are starting to leave their homes without winter jackets and many have grand home renovation plans, including interior and exterior home painting projects.
There is a huge amount to consider when planning a painting project, so CorkCRM provided some tips to help make the most of your 2016 painting project. They provide software programs for painting contractors.
Do your research
First if your home was built before 1978 your home may be at risk for lead poisoning. Even if your walls have been repainted since 1978 there could be paint in the older layers. Lead testing has become much better over the years, so if you suspect that your home has lead paint in its walls, call a painter or an environmental professional to see what kind of testing may be necessary before your painting project gets started.
One of the most important pieces of your project that you need to figure out right away is whether or not you want to plan your painting project on your own or hire the help of a professional. Of course much of this depends on your experience and eagerness to take on the project yourself. You should also consider your willingness to deal with bumps along the road and the opportunity cost of time that you could devote to other home renovation projects, your friends and family, or even your full time job.
One of the biggest reasons individuals choose to DIY their painting project is the overall cost. Particularly if the overall project is small and straightforward and you’re okay with risking a few small errors in your painting job along the way, a significant amount of money can be saved by educating yourself on painting and trying it out for yourself.
On the flip side, people hire painting contractors to help get a professional opinion and have a professional looking living room or home exterior. Painters can get a sense of what you’re looking for in each of your rooms or home exterior and can provide recommendations and insight that can dramatically improve the finished look.
Plan a budget
With every home renovation project things can get quickly out of hand if you do not organize your expenses and plan a budget. There are plenty of online tools available for DIY painting projects including Google doc templates, lists of costs for a typical project and estimated time completion for a given project.
Pick a Color
There’s a ton to be said about painting colors, but generally darker colors make rooms smaller while lighter colors open up spaces and bring attention to objects in a room. Darker colors can sometimes be used on accent walls though to help make a room look larger.
If you’re stuck on two different colors you can typically get small samples of both colors, apply both colors to the wall, wait for them to dry and see which you like best. Keep in mind that daylight and artificial lighting will both have subtle changes on the way each color looks.
Pick a Finish Based on your Lifestyle
Do your walls see a great deal of wear and tear around the year? Or are you looking for something that just looks nice? Generally a finish with higher sheen will last much longer against wear and tear and frequent cleaning. Some people prefer walls with a high sheen, so if that is your preference understand the added benefit of more durable walls.
Hire a Painting Pro
Sometimes the most cost effective solution to get what you want is to hire a professional painter. Most Michigan communities have plenty of good painters that can come to their location. Call them up and compare prices for their projects. Understand any added costs that may be associated with moving around heavy furniture, dealing with extra baseboards or abnormally high walls.
Many have a list of testimonials or previous customers that you can reach out to. You can also find online reviews of painters, however it is important to take all online reviews with a grain of salt.