Movies and TV shows often show couples painting their own homes. It’s usually a montage of actors using paint rollers interrupted only by fun paint fights and pizza breaks. Well, that’s how they paint homes in fairyland.
Back in the real world, painting a home’s exterior is a significant project that takes skill and a team of professionals to do correctly. It is not that people cannot paint their own homes, they can, and they do. However, these seasoned DIYers are usually well aware of the job at hand and they are prepared to put in that time and effort to see the project through.
For people who know what they are getting into, painting their own homes can be a rewarding project. Everyone else should just get an exterior painting estimate from a local contractor and get the job done by professionals. Here are 6 reasons why.
You Can Get Hurt
Painting a home’s exterior needs a lot of ladder work. Unless you know how to securely place a ladder and habituated to work on it, it’s a risk best not taken. Painting also involves working with toxic solvents and chemicals. Professional house painters are well aware of the dangers and they take precautionary steps to keep themselves safe.
The Enjoyment is Short Lived
For most people, the enjoyment of painting a home doesn’t last that long. Painting is not just about using paint rollers. You need to prepare surfaces by cleaning them and sanding them. You need to chip away old paint and wrap surfaces with plastic. These chores are boring and can suck the fun out of the project.
Again, if you know what’s in store, you can mentally prepare for it. However, for most people, the chore of painting their home’s exterior gets boring and exhausting pretty fast.
You Might Not Be Happy with the Finish
The finish and quality of the paint depend a lot on the skill set of the painter. These are not skills that can be learned by watching a video or reading an article. An experienced painter has the muscle memory to know how much paint is required for a particular section or how much pressure he or she needs to apply.
If you are flying on your own, you may not be entirely happy with the results.
It Can Easily Stress You and Your Family Out
If it’s a solo project, it’s likely to take a lot more time compared to the time it takes for a professional team to finish the job. The extra time you spend trying to get the job done may stress you or your family out.
There is a Good Chance You Would Have to Call in a Professional
Let’s face it, if you are a first-time painter, you might give up on the project halfway. You might also not be satisfied with the results. If any of these things happen, you would have no choice but to contact a local painting company for help.
You End Up Wasting Time
To complete the project, you might be forced to take time off work or put in extra hours after you come home. Right from preparing the exterior surfaces to painting multiple coats of paint, it can easily take months to finish the project. These are lost hours you could have enjoyed with the family or spent on earning money.
