Sometimes, saving a buck or two with a little DIY pays off, but sometimes it doesn’t. For instance, painting, which is one of the most common DIY projects around the home and even in the office, can turn out to be a disaster. As a readily available product, painting is often misunderstood as a grab and go process. However, as one can quickly find out, spending the extra money to hire a team of professional office painters is generally worth the price. Here, we’re looking at a few common DIY mistakes that can leave your walls looking the opposite of what you intended.
The cheaper option may be tempting, but …
Often, when tackling a home or office project on your own, the goal is to save money. So, when heading to the local hardware store to purchase paint, opting for the cheapest option can be tempting. However, this is an instance that you’ll want to remember the saying, “you get what you pay for.” Regardless of the room you are painting, using high-quality paint is a must. While several options provide immediate visual appeal, over time, the product’s performance will become apparent. This is especially important to keep in mind when painting high-traffic areas like offices, kitchens, and bathrooms.
You went with the wrong finish
Another area that DIYers tend to steer in the wrong direction is with gloss selection. While the gloss affects the overall appearance, it also plays a crucial role in how well your walls will hold up against cleaning. Let’s go back to those high-traffic areas for a moment. Choosing a high or semi-gloss paint provides a surface that is easier to clean and holds up well to frequent cleaning. However, if you opted for a matte or flat look, you will find routine cleanings damage the surface tone. When it comes to selecting the proper type of finish, understanding the requirements of the area at hand is critical. If you are painting a kitchen, bathroom, or high-traffic environment, stick with high or semi-gloss to ensure your walls stay looking as fresh as the day they were painted!
No, skipping wall preparation isn’t an option
Finally, and possibly the most common area of DIY goofs comes with preparing the walls. Often overlooked, painting involves more than covering furniture, floors, and taping. In fact, the preparation process is key to achieving the results you seek. From cleaning and dusting the existing surface to filling holes and applying primer, every detail matters during preparation. Without these steps, your freshly painted wall could look worse than the original surface! Whether you’re looking to repaint your home or your business, hiring a team of professionals is always the way to go! At Metrowest Painting, we’re not only the region’s top office painters, but we are also the go-to for residential projects! For more information on how we can give your space the fresh new look you desire, contact our team today at (508) 393-0000.
