March 23, 2021 David Bacchus

How to Find & Hire a Painting Contractor!

Painting is a skill and a profession built on experience. Use this guide to ensure your next interior or exterior painting project delivers the high quality outcome you desire.

4 TIPS TO FINDING A PAINTING CONTRACTOR

1. Do Your Homework – Check out social media handles, seek out trusted referrals, and ask friends and family. Give us a call at either location to see what recommendations we may have! (Our 299 Queen St. East phone number: 416 703 9846 & our 144 Park Lawn Rd: 416 901 9667)
2. Plan a Painting Project Consult – Assess personality, professionalism, and get painting product options.
3. Get Three Quotes – Estimates are usually free.
4. Get a Written Contract – Manage expectations (especially your own) and avoid surprises.

1. Do Your Homework
A simple online search including your ZIP code will yield painting contractors’ ratings, customer testimonials and websites. If you don’t see images of painting projects, email the painter directly for examples.

Explore social media to find painters’ Instagram and Facebook accounts featuring before and after photos, project videos, and even recorded customer testimonials. Local community Facebook pages and parenting blogs are also great resources.

In addition to searching online, reach out to colleagues, friends and family. If you know someone—anyone—who has had painting work done, be sure to ask them for referrals. Call or visit us at anytime to see what contacts we may know, as we only give out recommendations based on people we trust!

2. Plan a Painting Project Consult, and Ask for Options
Whether meeting a professional painting contractor online or in-person, look for a professional and polite demeanor. This person will likely be spending time around your home, so make sure you have a good rapport.

When describing your project during the consult, ask to receive more than one option tied to different products (primer, paint, and stain, for example). Ask the candidate to explain the differences; not only will it help you make an informed decision, it will help you get a strong sense of the painter’s professional knowledge of his or her craft.

3. Get Three Quotes
It’s a common question: How much does it cost to paint a room?

Not surprisingly, pricing varies depending on whether the job includes one room, an entire floor, the full exterior of your home or deck. Plan three consults, and get quotes for all three. Painting estimates are typically free.

Be sure to specify all the details of your painting project up front. If conducting the consult virtually, be prepared to provide photos and measurements.

If you are unclear on an estimate’s pricing, simply ask. Painting contractors are professionals, and they are prepared to explain the pricing in detail with you.

The following may contribute to the cost of a painting job:

Purchasing the paint
Cleaning (think grease on walls in a kitchen, for example)
Sanding
Prep & repair (including taping and f)
Priming
Caulking
Clean-up
Moving furniture—Pulling furniture out from walls and covering it in plastic to protect it

Money saving tip: Taking personal responsibility for pulling furniture out from against walls and covering it with sheets or plastic, as well as fixing small holes and cracks, can help you save money on your painting project.

Of course, investing in premium Benjamin Moore interior paint, exterior paint, or deck stain means your finished project will last longer, extending the time before having to repaint.

4. Get a Written Contract

After a side-by-side comparison of the estimates, and choosing the best one for you, request a written contract. A written contract is imperative and should include:

Details on surface preparation
What paint products will be applied
Timing/schedule
Payment terms

We don’t recommend paying in cash, but if you do, make sure you have an email chain verifying cash exchange. A lack of documentation may cause problems later.

Pro Tip:

Why Repair and Paint Your Walls?

If your walls are in poor condition, a high-quality paint job will be more expensive. Paying a professional to upgrade the surface of your walls or other substrates is worth it. Old or damaged walls will show imperfections, no matter what paint you use.

Flaking paint occurs when cracked paint begins peeling off its original substrate. In its early stages, the problem appears as hairline cracks in the paint, but will worsen over time if the problem is not fixed, causing larger pieces of coatings to chip off.

Paint cracking on walls, ceilings, and exterior surfaces happens due to a variety of causes, one of the most common being poor preparation of a surface prior to painting. Painting over cracked paint is a bad idea; it is important to remove any flakes from the surface before repainting.

Why Does Paint Crack and Flake?

Poor surface preparation, especially when the paint is applied to bare wood without priming, or to previously coated surfaces that show signs of cracking or flaking paint.
Using low-quality paint, as it may have inadequate adhesion and/or flexibility.
Spreading paint too thin during application.
Paint becoming brittle with age, failing to expand and contract with temperature and humidity changes.

Note: A more uncommon version of paint cracking is mud cracking, which is when paint cracks when drying due to too-thick application or extremely dry painting conditions.

How to Fix Cracked or Flaking Paint

If cracking does not go down to the substrate: Remove the loose or flaking paint with a scraper or wire brush, sand the area to feather the edges, prime any bare spots, and repaint the surface.
If cracking goes down to the substrate: Remove as much of the existing paint as possible. Methods for removal could include scraping, sanding, using a heat gun, abrasive blasting, etc. Once most of the paint is removed and surface is smooth and even, prime, and repaint with a quality latex paint.

How to Prevent Paint from Cracking or Flaking

Take care prepping surfaces before painting: Only apply paint to surfaces that have been properly sanded, cleaned, and primed.
Never paint over cracked paint.
Allow paint to dry thoroughly before adding another coat.

WARNING: If you scrape, sand or remove old paint, you may release lead dust. LEAD IS TOXIC. EXPOSURE TO LEAD DUST CAN CAUSE SERIOUS ILLNESS, SUCH AS BRAIN DAMAGE, ESPECIALLY IN CHILDREN. PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD ALSO AVOID EXPOSURE.

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