Should I paint this room myself or hire someone?
When it does or doesn’t make sense to DIY
Before we look at a couple of reasons to DIY( do it yourself) or not DIY, I’d like to give a little background about myself and my feelings about DIY projects. First off, I am a big believer in DIY. When you pick the right types of projects, have some skills/are willing to learn, and if you’re lucky a tool or two to get started, DIY home improvement projects can be rewarding. They might save you a few dollars as well. I, personally, have done many home improvement projects including painting, woodworking, plumbing, and some electrical.
In terms of projects that people look to take on, painting is often an easy target. Painting typically has a low threshold of cost, ease of accessibility to acquire materials, and honestly – it doesn’t look that hard. We’ve all looked at various parts of our home and said – I can paint that. To be honest, that can be true. Let’s look at a few situations where DIY painting makes sense.
It’s A Bedroom
This is a great example of something you can DIY. Bedrooms often make sense for the following reasons:
You are typically painting only walls – no trim or doors.
The ceiling heights are usually lower. 8-9’ is very common.
Basic re-coats or color changes can probably be completed in a day from start to finish.
Bedrooms are great example of low cost, low safety risk, and low amounts of time to complete.
A bonus room would have similar attributes and benefits of doing it yourself.
Bedrooms and bonus rooms: Yeah. I can paint this room myself.
Bathrooms
Bathrooms can be rewarding to complete DIY style, as well. A new color goes a long way to update and refresh these spaces! The main difference between bathrooms and bedrooms is the amount of prep work and cutting required. Bathroom will typically have tile, cabinets, showers, etc. edges that will need to be cut around with a brush. Cutting around these edges also requires an increased amount of prep time. One caveat, to this example, is a powder room which is typically smaller and has no tile/minimal fixtures. Bathrooms may take a little more time than bedrooms depending on size and layout.
Rooms With Low Ceiling Heights
These could be a variety of areas. In general rooms that have 8’ ceilings are easier to prep and paint. Secondary hallways, laundry rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, and mudrooms are some common rooms that this situation could apply to.
What About Outside?
Two good places to explore DIY painting projects outside are decks and fences.
Low level decks with stairs and railings are a really good opportunity to DIY. You will need to consider/ask yourself the following:
- Has the deck been stained or sealed previously?
- Will I need to use a chemical stripper and/or sand the surface prior to applying the new finish?
- Do I have the equipment to power wash prior to staining?
- Do I want a transparent, semi-transparent, or solid stain? – Visit your local Sherwin Williams store for recommendations on prepping and staining your deck.
Fences require the same basic thoughts and questions to consider. Both decks and fences can be sprayed, brushed, or rolled. These can be somewhat time consuming depending on size, preparation, and weather – so keep that in mind!
Paint This Room Myself If I’m Not Sure?
There are a variety of reasons that you might be unsure about painting on your own. Typical concerns are safety (high areas/no equipment), expertise, desired final appearance, ROI on your personal time (time away from family, multiple weekends/nights to complete, poor cost trade off depending on how you value your time), and protecting the value of your home (Am I going to mess this up and have to pay a professional to come in and fix it?).
What Do I Do Next?
Decide if you are comfortable with the size, complexity, and your abilities to handle the project. If you are, go shopping and get started! If you’re not, please call a professional painting company and have an honest conversation – listen, be upfront about your concerns, ask about the company, and see how they treat you as a potential client.
When it comes to hiring a painting company, comfort is important. If you feel comfortable with them, schedule an estimate and move the process forward. If you are not comfortable, repeat the process with a different company until you find someone that you feel you can trust.
DIY painting can be a great option when applied to the correct situations and circumstances.
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