DIY Interior Painting or hire a Professional?

ps124

Hello....

So I have builders at my house working on my driveway, patio, fencing and other outdoor work. They have also provided me with a quote for the interior painting/decorating bits of my house. I only need my hallway and stairs section, plus two rooms to be painted. I found their quoted price to be very high indeed so im thinking to myself with xmas around the corner and seeing as I have plenty of annual leave still to take, why not save a few hundred quid and have a go myself.

Never painted before, always had a professional to do it but i looked at a few youtube videos and did some research and it seems perfectly possible. Yes its labour intensive but with time off, I could get it done.

Does anyone else paint their interiors themselves. I'd love to hear some advice on the considerations of DIY painting to hiring a professional....just so I haven't missed anything.

wallbash

Does anyone else paint their interiors themselves.

Have for past 45 years. Maybe the first few attempts where not wonderful , but just work out how much money I have saved over all those years.
You would get better over time.
Rooms are really easy, high halls/ stairs come with more of a challenge. Takes me nearly an hour to construct a working platform over stairwell to paint an area in about 10 mins.
Personally would rather wallpaper than paint , I get bored just painting .

Chunks

Pretty much mirror walbash's experience. I had no money (left) when I bought my first house (so it was DIY or nothing) and the internet (or indeed a computer) wasn't an option so it was a case of learning by doing! DIY efforts early doors were a bit hit and miss to be honest (but acceptable). Now, albeit I say so myself, I would classify my skill set to be as good as any painter and decorator especially if you have time, which is key. Keep it simple. Clean down repair any 'dings' and cracks. Cover stuff up that you don't want covered in paint. Mask up carpet edges, for example. I do the ceilings, walls and woodwork in that order. I enjoy painting personally speaking, so prefer it over wallpapering, which can be difficult if you walls aren't flat and square. Good luck.

Reece_

I think a lot of people tend to underestimate how hard decorating can be and the difference a pro can achieve over a diyer , however if it's a fairly straightforward job most people if given enough time will get reasonable results at least and if you're concerned about how well you'll do, why not start in the simplest, smallest room and have a go? At worst you'll waste the money you've spend on the paint ( presuming there's no wallpapering to do?)
If you end up finding you'd rather get a decorator in, get quotes elsewhere before going with the builders, personally I'd never take up a builder on a decorating job, jack of all master of none springs to mind, and if they're not doing it personally then they'll be subbing a decorator in and taking a cut themselves which will obviously be driving your quote up.

Horizon81

Surely painting is one of the easiest forms of DIY? I'd say be brave and give it a go!
I always used brushes/rollers/pads then thought I'd give a 'paint runner' a try - a device from Ideal World where you pour the paint inside the middle of the roller and the centrifugal force as you roll applies it to the wall. Great idea but I found it left too thin a coat of paint, so if the colour change is significant then stick to more traditional methods.

LEJC

Its a job which given time you can certainly achieve very good results.
I echo exactly what the others have said.
I'm no expert but I can paint...therefore spending something in the region of £125 per day on a decorator to me would seem a waste of resorces...on the other hand I cant plaster or I'm not an electrician so for me its better to save my money for the bits I cant do.


Tip wise...allow the paint to dry between coats well and prepare the surfaces well that way you are more likely to get a better even finish.


Good quality paint and dont rush the job


Good luck

trailingspouse

Painting is the easy bit. Getting the preparation right is what takes the time. If the prep is done right, then the painting will be a doddle.

Always read the instructions on the paint tin re drying times and brush cleaning (it's different depending on what type of paint you're using).

The few times that I've used a professional I've always been unhappy with the results. And they seem to think they can charge whatever they like!!

Yorkie1

I used a professional (actually there were 2 involved) to do my hall / landing (including all the gloss work around doors etc) because of the tall height of the ceiling above the stairs and I didn't have the tools to do it safely.

It cost about £300 if I remember rightly and I'm very pleased with the result.

wallbash

Yorkie1 wrote: »

I used a professional (actually there were 2 involved) to do my hall / landing (including all the gloss work around doors etc) because of the tall height of the ceiling above the stairs and I didn't have the tools to do it safely.

It cost about £300 if I remember rightly and I'm very pleased with the result.

Seems a fair price and you are happy, but how many times in your lifetime will you be paying out £300 plus .

DIY skills pay for themselves for years to come. Unfortunately there is a growing idea its ... best to get an expert in. Simple skills seem to be on the wane. Changing a plug, clearing a blocked drain and a little plumbing work etc.
Just this afternoon, packed out the faceplate to make a door close correctly and replaced a bead of mastic which had become discloured on a window. Next little job, change all the downlighters to Led's with converters. Thats 13 lights , best part of £150 but thats the full cost.

marvin

It is fairly easy to do painting interior and once tools have been bought properly looked after should last.

Remember when painting walls with a roller always cut in from the edge first with a brush as a roller should not be used up to the edge.

Cut in means paint with a brush using the paint for the wall around the edge of the wall. can be done as you go or all in one go I personally prefer the former.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lab-z1w7SII

Yorkie1

wallbash wrote: »

Seems a fair price and you are happy, but how many times in your lifetime will you be paying out £300 plus .

DIY skills pay for themselves for years to come. Unfortunately there is a growing idea its ... best to get an expert in. Simple skills seem to be on the wane. Changing a plug, clearing a blocked drain and a little plumbing work etc.
Just this afternoon, packed out the faceplate to make a door close correctly and replaced a bead of mastic which had become discloured on a window. Next little job, change all the downlighters to Led's with converters. Thats 13 lights , best part of £150 but thats the full cost.

Fair points. I can do basic DIY and also painting / decorating in the usual rooms. However, at 5'2" and living alone without the right ladders or platforms (and nowhere to store them anyway) to safely work at a height over the stairs of 15', I'm willing to pay for my own safety!

I'd love to learn some plumbing and more DIY skills; hopefully will be able to do so in the not too distant future when I have more time.