Is Cutting the Cost of a Painting Project a Good Idea? We Don't Think So.

Painting the interior or exterior of your house with a fresh coat of paint will do wonders. Not only will you feel more "at home" and be proud of where you live, but if you are ever planning to sell your house, it will positively impact the price of your house or condo. Painting your house or condo doesn't need to break the bank. The secret is to know what to spend more on and what to not allocate money on. The goal is to spend money on things that will improve the quality and durability of your overall paint job. Supplies, methods, and even paint that cuts the overall time of your job, can actually be a cost-reducer even if you go for the more expensive brand. Doing a low quality job will force you into a do-over of the job, ultimately costing you much much more.

Use a Primer?

A primer is needed if you are painting on raw drywall, rough surfaces, raw wood, or stained surfaces. If you are making a dramatic change in the wall paint color, using primer will help prevent bleed-through of previous colors and the need for more paint. Having said that, do not try saving money by not using a primer coat before painting. One coat of primer before painting is less expensive than applying additional coats of paint. But is it a good idea to just go with one coat of primer and one coat of paint? It is better to just go with two coats of paint, even if it is just a tad bit more expensive.

Use High-Quality Paint. No Exceptions!
At Pro Painters Toronto, we only provide our workmanship guarantee if we are providing the paint. The reason for this, is that we know the paint we provide is the absolute best for your paint job and situation. We are not cheap when it comes to paint. For a job to turn out professional, to be durable, and to be the best that it can be, the paint has to be of the highest quality. One of the things you do not want to do to cut costs is to buy a poor quality type of paint. Think about it, you are spending all of this money to apply paint on your walls. What is the point of this if you are going to apply low-quality paint that will come off within the next couple of years. You will have to spend all this money again in the next couple of years. It is better to spend more money now and not have to redo the job so often! Of course, you can cut costs by watching for paint sales on the best paint. But purchasing high-quality paint is very important for the following reasons:

• High-quality paint will do an excellent job of covering the walls with fewer coats; this saves time as well as money.
• High-quality paint has greater durability.
• The paint on the walls won’t fade or scuff easily. Thus, preventing the need for any do-overs.

Preparation is Critical

Do not cut costs by failing to properly prepare the surface. No matter how high-quality your paint is, it won’t look good on a wall that is dented, uneven, and in any other way marred. Preparation is the most important part of a paint job. It needs to be done properly, even if it means allocating additional time, and costs, to it. 

Have a look at our Pro Process for interior and exterior residential paint jobs to see how much importance we place on preparation. Below is the mandatory fixes which we undertake during the preparation phase of our paint jobs.

• This is the most important job in your painting project. We take it very seriously. This differentiates our pro painting company with the competition. Prep is what makes the finished job look professional.

• All holes and cracks in any to-be-painted area are filled and sanded

• Walls are checked for smoothness. If they are not smooth, they are sanded.

• Imperfections on walls are fixed to ensure that a professional job is complete 

• Repaired areas are primed if necessary

• Any other requests from the client (that are written on the contract) are completed

Having Too Many Paint Colours is a Bad Idea
Before we look at the cost of painting, having too many paint colours is a bad idea. It makes your living space look messy and uncoordinated. In fact, if you are planning to sell your house or condo, having too many colours can really damage the price it goes for in the market. But another reason for it being a bad idea to have too many paint colours is that it costs more money. Do use fewer paint colors, which can save you both money and time. You’ll save on paint because there will be less left over. You can also possibly buy in bulk; a 5-gallon bucket of paint typically costs the same as four one-gallon buckets, which is like getting a free bucket of paint. You’ll save time because it will be quicker and easier to produce clean lines, and you’ll have less cleanup time of rollers and brushes.

Rather than changing the colors, simply refresh the previous paint colors. Only one coat of paint is typically needed, if you go this route.

When Applying the Paint
Do not try to save money by squeezing out the paint on the roller each time you get more paint. This does not actually save money or produce optimal results. You can do what professionals do; roll on thick layers of paint with a lighter touch. This method has proven to use less paint and at the same time produce much better and professional-looking results.

Here’s a tip that can help you save a lot of time, if it is taking you more than a day to complete the painting. Rather than rinsing out brushes and rollers, when there is more painting to be done, tightly wrap the brushes and rollers in plastic bags and secure the wrapping with string or a rubber band. The next day all you need to do is unwrap them and resume painting.If you are on a serious budget, you can give your home a nice upgrade by painting an accent wall instead of an entire room. This is a great way to change the color scheme. Another economical way to give a room a nice lift is to just paint the ceiling, choosing a color that is just a bit lighter than the color on the walls.

Email Emerald Professional Painters today for a free quote in Toronto and across the GTA (Scarborough, Pickering, Ajax, Whitby, Clarington, Markham, Mississauga)