Should I paint or get a professional?

[Darth_Kitten]

seriously, how hard is painting? Or should I get an expert? :shrug:


I want to paint a room in my apartment. :)

[Nicole]

1. If it were me, I would do it myself.

I have painted every room in my house at least once. It's not hard.

[Auggie]

2. It's all in the prep

Painting is easy. It's the preparation that takes time.

[Dude_CalmDown]

3. Paint it yourself --- UNLESS...

You've got a good friend who's an artist and can paint a beautiful scene on the somewhat cheap (only pay them more than you agreed to if they give you a good price because it's just a nice thing to do).

[NC_Nurse]

4. One room won't be hard.

You can do it. :-)

[Whoa_Nelly]

5. You can do it!

Best tips:
Use the GREEN paint tape. It has a better release.
Pull the paint tape off as soon as you're done
Use a wide putty spatula/knife and either an angled brush or a straight edger that has the rolling edge to paint at the ceiling edge.
The putty knife makes for an easy to handle edge break to keep from getting paint on the ceiling.

Putty knife like this


If you have semi-rough finish to your walls, use a deep nap roller for better and more even coverage.

Choosing colot:
Get several samples of the same colors you are interested in.
Use a little painter's tape on the back and attach those colors to 2-3 of the room walls so you you can see what the color looks like in daylight, and nighttime lamp light.

Buy decent paint.
(Latex Satin is easy to work with and gives a nice finish)

Good brands:
Dutch biy
Sherwin-Williams
(Sears Easy Living is also Sherwin-Williams)
Behr

OK Paint:
Martha Sterwart

Not so good paint:
Glidden
Wal-Mart

[Darth_Kitten]

7. Dang, thanks!!!

any particular brushes I would need?

I'm just painting the room the same colour, off white. I think it needs a good coat. :)

[Whoa_Nelly]

Just a good roller, and edger, and an angle brush should do it!

And get a couple of tray liners for your paint tray....makes it easier for clean up.

Do you have to paint it the same off-white because it;s a rental?

[femmedem]

9. Benjamin Moore's my favorite.

One coat coverage, goes on easy, great colors.

[mentalsolstice]

6. Be careful with your professional!

We went pro, and it was a nightmare. Not only that, it was "a friend". It was my FiL's friend, and he would've been angry if we didn't go with him. However, the "friend" didn't do the actual painting, it was his 18 y.o. son and another employee. They were here, on and off, for 2-3 months. We never knew which days they were showing up on, and I was working unscheduled nights, so I couldn't prepare for them. They would do things like paint over our winter coats hanging in the foyer!

And we would get home and smell the distinct odor of gangja in our house (not that there's anything wrong with that, in your off hours).

Fortunately, we weren't charged for the entire job. But we're having to correct it ourselves as time and money allows.

It really depends how big your job is?

[Darth_Kitten]

10. a 12 " by 12" room.

:)

[1gobluedem]

8. Personally, I would get a pro

I thought painting should and would be easy. It wasn't. At least not for me and I followed all the rules.

[KG]

11. hire me. i'm an excellent house painter.

:hi:

[1gobluedem]

12. Are you in Michigan?

I'm going to need a painter later this spring.

[liberal renegade]

13. painting

the one trade everyone thinks they can bluff their way into... I've been a union painter for 20 plus years and tell all the newbies the same thing when told anyone can paint, your right, the hard part is getting them to pay you $50,000 a year plus bennies.

Some of these so called painters we get off the street, well, I wouldn't let them paint my wheelbarrow...

good painters, bad painters, fair painters and dabbers and globbers..