Author Topic: Paint the house or hire it out?  (Read 4524 times)

FoCoFriend

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Paint the house or hire it out?
« on: May 20, 2018, 09:09:36 PM »
Hey folks, I'm considering paying someone else (3500) to paint the exterior of my home.  I figure I could do it myself for about 1200 and 5 or so days of labor.  I've done some painting before, including a little spraying.  Any opinions on this?  It is hard to fork over that 2000+ but I am a little nervous about taking on this size project on my own.  Thanks!

PNW Lady

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2018, 11:12:21 PM »
I just paid $4,500 for an exterior house paint (approx. 2400 sq.ft. & 2 stories) and back deck refinish (power wash, clean, sand, paint/seal) and it took a professional team (3 guys) four 12-hour days. I couldn't even manage testing out different paint colors by myself without dripping everywhere, and I was being super careful. I would have happily taken on the deck by myself but the painters threw it in at almost no additional cost (I hadn't even included the deck in my inquiry).

Here are my questions to you: 1) do you have the time?, 2) do you have someone to help you with ladder placement/spotting?, 3) do you have the tools?, 4) are you comfortable being on a ladder while managing painting equipment/tools?, 5) can you afford to fall or strain a muscle due to the unfamiliar nature of the work? Not me, my friend. I will always use professionals for exterior house painting. In fact, I will always use professionals for interior painting as well since I have proven to be horrible at it (just don't have the precision).

Of course you could probably do it, but don't underestimate the skill and efficiency that comes with years (or at least a full season) of any given profession.

elliha

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2018, 11:45:41 PM »
I would add, is the house the type that is easily painted? Is it large or have hard to reach areas? If so you may have to rent equipment just to reach these areas to paint and this costs money too. If you can reach all areas of the house with a ladder or a simple home made scaffolding I would go for painting it myself if all of the questions above are positive.

lthenderson

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2018, 07:45:00 AM »
The nice thing about painting is that there really aren't any hard time constraints. If all you have is a couple hours one week to paint the house, you can paint on it for those couple hours and start again the following week. I painted my last house over the course of a month picking and choosing the best weekends days when the weather was great to do so. Probably the biggest fail I see home owners who paint their own house do is inadequate prep work in removing old loose paint and dirt. Judging whether or not to paint your house by yourself shouldn't be decided by if you can paint it or not. You should make the decision based upon whether you can do the proper prep work before you start painting.

FoCoFriend

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #4 on: May 21, 2018, 11:09:38 AM »
Thanks for the feedback!  To answer the concerns/questions...

1) do you have the time?  I can make the time.  No kids working a 9-5.
2) do you have someone to help you with ladder placement/spotting? Not really.  If I had someone to help with the project I would definitely take it on.
3) do you have the tools? I would rent the tools.  My estimates are that the job would cost me 1000-1200, while I would be paying someone 3500
4) are you comfortable being on a ladder while managing painting equipment/tools? I would take my time, but I don't have much experience here.  I do have a lot of interior/exterior painting experience.
5) can you afford to fall or strain a muscle due to the unfamiliar nature of the work? Not really.

As of right now I'm still undecided, it is hard to understand the scope of the work and that is where my concern lies. 

Fishindude

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2018, 11:46:46 AM »
Hire it out.
You'll wind up with a partially painted house several weeks from now and be sick and tired of painting.
Lot's of these do it yourself jobs never get finished.

FoCoFriend

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2018, 11:50:15 AM »
Thanks for the advice.  I think the nature of the job is such that although I definitely tend towards DIY, I might pay the money this time.

toganet

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #7 on: May 21, 2018, 11:53:44 AM »
I'm pondering the same thing right now, for the house I bought for my parents to rent.  It badly needs paint, and there will be a lot of surface prep that needs to be done prior to that.  On top of that the house is very tall, and the tallest side has an embankment that would make scaffolding difficult. 

That being said, the (possibly imaginary) cost savings makes me want to do it myself. The more I get into the details of what I would need to do, the more paying a professional sounds like the reasonable thing to do.  I may pursue a "hybrid" where I pay the pros to do the hard (read, up high) parts, and I do the lower parts.  Then, years from now when someone asks, "Why is the paint peeling down low, but not up high?" I can say, "I saved money!!1!!"

FoCoFriend

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #8 on: May 21, 2018, 12:05:18 PM »
hey toganet, yeah sounds like we are in the exact same mindset.  When I think about all the nitty gritty details of the work I think I better hire someone...when I think about the 2500 to be saved I think I better do this myself.  I plan on negotiating to get the best possible paint, which is warrantied for 6 years and should last 10.  So really 2500 / 10 years = 250 per year, probably worth it.

Sibley

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #9 on: May 21, 2018, 02:33:48 PM »
Perspective: I will be painting my garage this summer. I have all the equipment, just need to borrow a particular ladder from my parents. 1 story. Simple. I have plenty of experience. I'm ok on the ladder (for that height at least).

I also need to paint my exterior windows. 2 story house. I have the ladder, but I can't move said ladder. Also not ok that high up - the fire department will be called to get me down if I try. I may do the lowest windows myself. Many of the 1st floor windows are at least partially over my height limit. But will be hiring out whatever I can't manage, just working on figuring out what my limits are and paint color.

In your case, if you have the money, I'd hire it out.

FoCoFriend

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #10 on: May 21, 2018, 02:56:09 PM »
Thanks Sibley, after talking with my lady friend we agreed that would probably be the best option.  I'm comforted by the fact that I shopped around, feel like I'm paying a fair price, and I'm protecting an appreciating asset. 

Gone Fishing

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #11 on: May 24, 2018, 04:39:02 AM »
My wife any I painted the siding (not the trim) on a one story, 1400 sq ft house in 2 weekends.  Never mind the two weekends were several weeks apart!  I can't remember, exactly what we spent but I'm pretty sure it was under $200.  We made a pretty drastic color change and used a Valspar paint advertised to cover with one coat.  To my surprise, it actually did.  The amount of paint was also surprisingly little, maybe 3 or 4 gallons.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #12 on: May 24, 2018, 07:15:18 AM »
We always paint the exterior of our house ourselves.

If you do it yourself, I wouldn't hire the equipment, but buy it. You can use it again next time. Apart from a scaffold.
We own a ladder, an S-shaped hook for hanging the bucket on the ladder, brushes of all kinds, an extendable stick and brushes for that. What more tools would you need to hire? If you need a sander, it is also good to have one.

DH has started using a paintbrush on an extendable stick. This works well for the most part. He only needs to go onto the ladder for the difficult corners right under the roof. I also have colleagues who rented a lift-truck to paint their house and they think it was a very good investment. But this costs a lot compared to standing on a ladder.

We paint one or two walls at the time (our house has many walls), and the whole project might take a month, including the cleaning of the walls with a brush. We haven't had to scrape off old paint. We always put some anti-fungi fluid (don't know what brand) into the paint.
« Last Edit: May 29, 2018, 01:31:31 AM by Linda_Norway »

Gone Fishing

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #13 on: May 24, 2018, 11:27:44 AM »
If you don't mind a bit of "texture" on your siding, a wire wheel on an angle grinder makes quick work of old, peeling paint.  Just be sure to check for lead paint.

phred

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #14 on: May 24, 2018, 11:31:45 AM »
If it's a one story house, I would do the painting myself.  Don't think of the entire house all at once; just think of one wall at a time.  Plan the job so you're not painting in sunlight -- either the sun has passed or hasn't reached that exterior wall yet.

The only difference from interior painting is to wire brush off any loose paint.  And, of course, to use an exterior grade.  It will be hard to see any mistakes from far away -- such as curbside

Patrick584

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #15 on: May 28, 2018, 09:56:53 AM »
This forum is about finding ways to spend very little money, and I’m amazed by the support and creative reasons the commenters are giving for spending a large amount of money. 2500 does not equal 250/year for 10 years. If your going to post on MMM at least use his crude accounting that adjusts for market opportunity costs. Hiring someone to paint is lifestyle inflation and a really bad way Financial decision. Painting is something you can figure out and do yourself. If you don’t feel ok on a ladder you should address this rather than avoiding it. Not sure where 1200$ comes from. You should definitely use brushes and rollers. These supplies plus paint are only a few hundred dollars. Find a ladder on Craigslist. The MMM mentality is  to do things yourself on the cheap and this gives you an amazing sense of ownership.

FINate

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #16 on: May 28, 2018, 10:29:25 AM »
This forum is about finding ways to spend very little money, and I’m amazed by the support and creative reasons the commenters are giving for spending a large amount of money. 2500 does not equal 250/year for 10 years. If your going to post on MMM at least use his crude accounting that adjusts for market opportunity costs. Hiring someone to paint is lifestyle inflation and a really bad way Financial decision. Painting is something you can figure out and do yourself. If you don’t feel ok on a ladder you should address this rather than avoiding it. Not sure where 1200$ comes from. You should definitely use brushes and rollers. These supplies plus paint are only a few hundred dollars. Find a ladder on Craigslist. The MMM mentality is  to do things yourself on the cheap and this gives you an amazing sense of ownership.

I respectfully disagree. If someone isn't comfortable on ladders then they shouldn't be up painting a second story. Even if you do feel confident on a ladder, check your ego, are you really really sure about it? A family friend fell off a ladder and landed on his head on the cement - he's no longer with us. The pros know what they're doing and even so, they still get hurt. Don't be "penny wise and pound foolish."

That said, if it's a single story then sure, go for it. Do it right. Pressure wash and clean, repair damage, caulk, prime (if necessary), tape/wrap, then paint. No point in putting in all the work just to do it again in a couple years. And buy the right tools for the job. As much as I like tools, this is part of the reason I've started hiring out certain jobs. Tools are expensive and then you have to store them. A house is painted, what, every 10-15 years or so? I don't have the space to store a bunch of tools I use infrequently. Renting solves the storage problem, but rental costs add up quickly if you drag a project out over a week or more. At some point I just factor maintenance (such as painting the exterior) into the costs of homeownership.
« Last Edit: May 28, 2018, 10:34:39 AM by FINate »

Sibley

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #17 on: May 28, 2018, 10:43:29 AM »
Patrick, I understand what you're saying. I'll be painting my garage myself. I'm going to tackle the windows that I can. And I'll hire someone to do the windows I can't. Saving money is good. Being realistic is better. MMM himself does a ton of stuff. He's also young, ablebodied, and in good physical condition. Change those conditions and the calculations change. I encourage OP, and everyone else, to do what they can. Sometimes outsourcing is smarter.

TrMama

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #18 on: May 28, 2018, 11:50:05 AM »
I'm in the midst of painting my 2-3 story, 3500 sq ft house. It's a big complicated job, but it's not exactly rocket science. I'm working almost entirely alone since my DH is both partially disabled and a terribly messy painter. My kids aren't quite old enough to be useful for more than an hour.

The house is a daylight basement, craftsman style. So it's got tons of bump outs, decorative gables, and a million miles of decorative trim. The second story is setback 10ft from the first on two sides which makes using a ladder impossible. When we had the job quoted 2 years ago, the quote came back at $6800, and that was with a mediocre brand of paint. After speaking with others in my area, that quote was probably several thousand too low.

All in, it's only going to cost me $3000 to DIY. That's with using a very high end paint (so it lasts as long as possible) and with renting a 40ft lift (cherry picker) to reach the upper sections on the 2 setback sides. I'll also need to rent narrow scaffolding to reach the 2nd story on one side since the house is built very close to the one next door and there was no way to fit a lift in there. There's also no way to safely use a ladder on that side. Oh, and I also paid our gutter guy to wash the house before I started.

Here's what I've learned:

1. Take photos and measurements of your house to the local rental equipment place. Ask them what tools/scaffolding/lifts/etc might make the job safer, easier and faster. These guys have awesome advice. Ladders are for suckers.

2. Make a spreadsheet of all the steps and supplies you'll need. This makes it easier to break the project down into reasonable chunks and ensures you'll actually save money.

3. There's a million great painting videos on YouTube. I'm a pretty experienced homeowner painter and I still learned a ton of useful things there.

toganet

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #19 on: May 29, 2018, 07:38:31 AM »
I'm in the midst of painting my 2-3 story, 3500 sq ft house. It's a big complicated job, but it's not exactly rocket science. I'm working almost entirely alone since my DH is both partially disabled and a terribly messy painter. My kids aren't quite old enough to be useful for more than an hour.

The house is a daylight basement, craftsman style. So it's got tons of bump outs, decorative gables, and a million miles of decorative trim. The second story is setback 10ft from the first on two sides which makes using a ladder impossible. When we had the job quoted 2 years ago, the quote came back at $6800, and that was with a mediocre brand of paint. After speaking with others in my area, that quote was probably several thousand too low.

All in, it's only going to cost me $3000 to DIY. That's with using a very high end paint (so it lasts as long as possible) and with renting a 40ft lift (cherry picker) to reach the upper sections on the 2 setback sides. I'll also need to rent narrow scaffolding to reach the 2nd story on one side since the house is built very close to the one next door and there was no way to fit a lift in there. There's also no way to safely use a ladder on that side. Oh, and I also paid our gutter guy to wash the house before I started.

Here's what I've learned:

1. Take photos and measurements of your house to the local rental equipment place. Ask them what tools/scaffolding/lifts/etc might make the job safer, easier and faster. These guys have awesome advice. Ladders are for suckers.

2. Make a spreadsheet of all the steps and supplies you'll need. This makes it easier to break the project down into reasonable chunks and ensures you'll actually save money.

3. There's a million great painting videos on YouTube. I'm a pretty experienced homeowner painter and I still learned a ton of useful things there.

Thanks -- the more I read of this thread the more I am motivated to DIY.  Renting the cherry picker is probably the best solution, as it would solve for the side of the house where scaffolding won't work, and would also work on the other "high" side, so I could avoid scaffolding altogether.

TrMama

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #20 on: May 29, 2018, 09:37:37 AM »
I'm in the midst of painting my 2-3 story, 3500 sq ft house. It's a big complicated job, but it's not exactly rocket science. I'm working almost entirely alone since my DH is both partially disabled and a terribly messy painter. My kids aren't quite old enough to be useful for more than an hour.

The house is a daylight basement, craftsman style. So it's got tons of bump outs, decorative gables, and a million miles of decorative trim. The second story is setback 10ft from the first on two sides which makes using a ladder impossible. When we had the job quoted 2 years ago, the quote came back at $6800, and that was with a mediocre brand of paint. After speaking with others in my area, that quote was probably several thousand too low.

All in, it's only going to cost me $3000 to DIY. That's with using a very high end paint (so it lasts as long as possible) and with renting a 40ft lift (cherry picker) to reach the upper sections on the 2 setback sides. I'll also need to rent narrow scaffolding to reach the 2nd story on one side since the house is built very close to the one next door and there was no way to fit a lift in there. There's also no way to safely use a ladder on that side. Oh, and I also paid our gutter guy to wash the house before I started.

Here's what I've learned:

1. Take photos and measurements of your house to the local rental equipment place. Ask them what tools/scaffolding/lifts/etc might make the job safer, easier and faster. These guys have awesome advice. Ladders are for suckers.

2. Make a spreadsheet of all the steps and supplies you'll need. This makes it easier to break the project down into reasonable chunks and ensures you'll actually save money.

3. There's a million great painting videos on YouTube. I'm a pretty experienced homeowner painter and I still learned a ton of useful things there.

Thanks -- the more I read of this thread the more I am motivated to DIY.  Renting the cherry picker is probably the best solution, as it would solve for the side of the house where scaffolding won't work, and would also work on the other "high" side, so I could avoid scaffolding altogether.

Yeah, the cherry picker was great. It basically takes no time to setup/teardown, so you can just get to work. You can also load the bucket up with all your tools and supplies so there's no going up and down to fetch things. The only tricky parts were maneuvering the massive base around our tiny lot and making sure I didn't smash any part of it into the house.

When you're renting one, if you have a choice, get one that's less articulated (has fewer adjustable joints in the extension arm). It's counter intuitive, because you'd think that more joints would make it easier to get the bucket exactly where you need it to be, but in practice I found more joints just made maneuvering it more confusing (and therefore more likely I'd move it the wrong way and smash it into the house). The downside of a less articulated arm is that it will require more space.

After working from the lift for 2.5 days, going up, and down, and back, and forth, and over, and back, I felt like I'd been on a carnival ride. I was even a little unsteady on my feet in the house in the evenings. I have kind of a weak stomach though. YMMV.

One more tip is to get on the email list for whichever brand of paint you choose. I went with Sherwin Williams Emerald paint (which retails for $80/ga here). However, SW runs 30-40% off sales quite regularly. So I was able to get really nice paint for the same price as the hardware store stuff.

Swish

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #21 on: June 28, 2018, 12:06:32 PM »

Here's what I've learned:

1. Take photos and measurements of your house to the local rental equipment place. Ask them what tools/scaffolding/lifts/etc might make the job safer, easier and faster. These guys have awesome advice. Ladders are for suckers.


I disagree. Ladders are not for suckers. :)

A ladder used properly is often much safer than a lift or scaffold. Scaffolds collapse and tip, lifts can have solenoids/hydraulics fail, lifts also can blow over in the wind (this happened to the window cleaners at my office 2 years ago, both permanently disabled). I used to own a painting company and would only let the guys with 1-2 seasons use lifts/scaffold after they had to be certified before using and supervised for 24 manhours prior to working on their own. The problem with more complex equipment is it provides a false sense of ability and confidence. Ladders often make people queezy but if they know how to use it properly will serve them perfectly well. Generally if you are physically fit I recommend DYI for painting. If not the risk of injury/damage is quite high on a two storey project so just hire it out.

Congrats on your project though. Sounds like it turned out quite well!


BudgetSlasher

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #22 on: June 30, 2018, 06:45:33 PM »
I HATE painting prep work for painting. But, I never hire it out the cost savings for me are just too high. That being said I just spend more hours than I care to admit sanding walls and ceilings of the kitchen, dining room, and associated halls.  Of course they are full or poor repairs, paint inclusions, dog damage, and the like . . . And I do not wish that on anyone.

Once the prep work is done, I love painting. Things are happening the color is going on (usually for me the color is changing) I find it somewhat relaxing especially when it is large expanses. I are somewhat horrible at cutting in and usually frog tape (and wet) the bejesus out of the edges.

When it comes to exterior painting, I hate the prep work just as much if not more.

BobTheBuilder

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #23 on: July 02, 2018, 03:07:13 PM »
This forum is about finding ways to spend very little money, and I’m amazed by the support and creative reasons the commenters are giving for spending a large amount of money. 2500 does not equal 250/year for 10 years. If your going to post on MMM at least use his crude accounting that adjusts for market opportunity costs. Hiring someone to paint is lifestyle inflation and a really bad way Financial decision. Painting is something you can figure out and do yourself. If you don’t feel ok on a ladder you should address this rather than avoiding it. Not sure where 1200$ comes from. You should definitely use brushes and rollers. These supplies plus paint are only a few hundred dollars. Find a ladder on Craigslist. The MMM mentality is  to do things yourself on the cheap and this gives you an amazing sense of ownership.

100% yes. If you really cannot get on a ladder, don't get on a ladder. In all other cases - DIY. This is about in-sourcing instead of out-sourcing. You lose that money for investing, and you require more for investing later as getting your house painted by someone else is now on your spending list.

Everytime I do something myself, I might learn something and feel good about it. Still proud of the last DIY on my car.

Raymond Reddington

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #24 on: July 13, 2018, 12:50:45 PM »
Painting a house is not hard, depending on the house.
-Before you paint, test for lead. If you have lead, you will probably want to get a pro unless you have experience working with lead (and you'll have to check local laws - in some areas, this may be illegal...and if you have lead and decide to tackle it yourself DO NOT SAND!!!).
-In that vein, make sure you do not have an asbestos shingle house. If this is the case, consider abatement, but at minimum hire a pro who is licensed in working with asbestos.
-What kind of paint is there already? Are you sure it's paint? Many homes have solid stain in place (stain won't peel and soaks into the wood, although some solid stains an be "scratched out" of the surface). If there is high gloss paint on the home, or you are trying to paint with a semi-transparent stain, hire a pro. Seriously. If you DIY these wrong, it will cost you many more thousands to correct. You cannot paint a lower gloss paint over a higher gloss paint, and many primers will not bond properly to the sheen of a high gloss paint underneath.

If it's a standard two story home with clapboard siding, that's a fairly easy job. Assuming you have above ground power lines, you need a 24 foot fiberglass extension ladder and a 6 foot fiberglass stepladder. The fiberglass is non conductive when working around power lines (don't get aluminum) and these ladders are both extremely useful. The main advantage of aluminum is low cost & light weight, but if you're trying to keep equipment purchases to a minimum, just get these two ladders. Be careful when working around power lines - many local utilities you can call them and they will wrap your power lines for free as a safety precaution if you tell them you are painting. If you have a half basement, you will need a 32 foot fiberglass extension ladder to reach the upper levels and eaves of the home from the side of the home where the basement is above ground level. Taller houses, you may need a 40 foot ladder, this stretches the limits of what one person can do by themselves as these ladders are extremely heavy.

Always put ladders at as close to a 4 to 1 ratio as you can (4 feet up for every 1 foot the bottom of the ladder is away from the home), on level footing. There are devices you can buy to level a ladder, do not rely on rocks or other random things to stabilize a ladder. It's best to raise an extension ladder with two people, but it can be done with one fairly easily, and not unsafely...just choose a good spot to do it (hint: on level ground near your home, but far away from power lines).

It's a good idea to gently wash the home with a mixture of bleach and TSP substitute (unless you live in a state where you can still get actual TSP). A hand pump sprayer is cheap and will do the job for this one, just be sure to rinse it out with water afterwards as the bleach is corrosive to the typically copper lines these sprayers use. This will kill any mold or mildew before you really start working. Rinse with water to clean the surface and let it dry for a couple days. Then scrape any loose or peeling paint and sand if the prep spot is now uneven (unless you have lead paint). Spot prime with a good latex primer. The paint store can tint your primer to be similar to your finish coat (avoid exact match, as it will make it hard to eyeball what has and has not been finish coated). Take down and label any downspouts or shutters, so you have access to everything on the outside of the home.

When you purchase paint, make sure you purchase primers and finish coats for the same purpose from the same company. These products will be specially formulated to bond with each other, and the paint store rep can advise you on the best combinations of products to use based on the material. You will have to use different products on different substrates, so if you are painting any masonry (basement foundations, stucco, etc.) you will need a different paint for this part than for your siding and eaves. The paint store color matching can ensure the colors of both products match each other (if that's the look you're going for)

For recommended sheens:
-For siding or foundations get flat or eggshell
-For trim use satin
-For entry doors use semi gloss or high gloss, depending on the look you want. Entry doors are the absolute hardest to paint, and if you're not comfortable doing this, you can hire a painter, and reduce your cost significantly by doing the rest of the house yourself. The key with entry doors is avoiding brush marks and paint drips, which isn't always easy.

If you have a deck, and it has not been previously painted, stain it. Seriously. Painting decks, sucks. The paint always peels off. Use a stain specifically formulated for a deck. However, if it was painted last time, you're stuck painting unless you want to pay to have everything removed. If your deck is new and the wood was pressure treated, wait at least a year to stain it until the wood has gone through a winter.

While you paint, also make sure you fix any substrate defects you may encounter - recaulk failing bead around windows and doors to close gaps, and if you have wooden windows, fix the glazing if it's falling apart between the mullions on the exterior, or along the edge of the window sash where it meets the glass. You'll need window glazing, and a small putty knife for this, and a caulk gun and some caulk. If you want to paint the caulk, make sure you get a paintable caulk (not silicone). Silicone is more durable, but you can't paint it, so be aware of this if your trim color is vastly different from the caulk color (typically silicone is a semitransparent cloudy white).

Once that's done, you're ready to finish coat. Fair word of warning though - if you are changing color, it will typically take two coats to cover. The cost of a sprayer is not typically worth it, as the paint adheres best when you brush and roll to "get it in there" so if you're DIYing it, just brush and roll. Make sure you get all surfaces, including the bottoms of clapboards/shingles. Brush with the grain of the wood - shingles, brush up and down, clapboard - side to side. IMO, it's easiest to do the trim first, then go back and get the siding. Work left to right on each wall, top to bottom, and try not to stop with a wall partially complete - maintaining a "wet edge" (meaning you are applying new paint adjacent to an area where the paint is not yet dry) as you go.

Buy a brush cleaner (spinning tool with a handle) - these things are worth their money because they will allow you to properly clean your brushes for many, many more uses than would be possible otherwise and rinse in a five gallon bucket. Getting the most out of your brushes will save you a lot of trouble.

When you're done, put your downspouts and shutters back, and you're good to go. Recommend you get a friend to help with putting shutters back, as this can be tricky with one person. Latex paint can be disposed of down any non-storm water drain (meaning it goes to somewhere it is treated). Toilets are good for this. And since it's already diluted in water, it won't clog your pipes.

Equipment:
-Drop cloth(s) - don't get poly sheeting unless you have lead and are DIYing (in which case you also need a respirator and vacuum with HEPA filter, among other things), otherwise, cloth is good
-Brushes - size depends on what kind of siding you have, but a 2" and a 4" brush are typically must haves
-5 gallon buckets. At least 2 of them
-5-in-1 tool. Can be used as a scraper, also to open paint cans easily
-Rubber mallet. To close paint cans
-Ergonomic Hand scraper - thank me later. Just don't use uneven hand pressure (ie favor one edge over the other) or you'll gouge your wood
-Small hand pump sprayer
-Bleach
-TSP or TSP substitute
-Primer and finish coat
-Caulk
-Caulk gun
-Window glaze and putty knife (if needed)
-Brush cleaner
-24 foot fiberglass extension ladder
-6 foot fiberglass stepladder
-Screwdrivers (for removing and putting back downspouts/shutters...it's easiest with an electric)
-Small paint cans, ladder hooks if you want to go hands free from buckets when working up there.
-Deck stain (if needed)
« Last Edit: July 13, 2018, 04:47:57 PM by Raymond Reddington »

Sibley

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #25 on: July 13, 2018, 01:58:47 PM »
@Raymond Reddington - incidentally, I have seen paintable silicone caulk. At least I think it was silicone. So that may be an option now. They do have siliconized acrylic for sure, which I've seen in paintable.

Raymond Reddington

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Re: Paint the house or hire it out?
« Reply #26 on: July 13, 2018, 02:27:47 PM »
@Raymond Reddington - incidentally, I have seen paintable silicone caulk. At least I think it was silicone. So that may be an option now. They do have siliconized acrylic for sure, which I've seen in paintable.

I've seen it too, and heard some good things, and some nightmare stories. In my own opinion, being somewhat conservative with things like that, if I need the superior performance of silicone, I'm OK with not needing to paint a bead of caulk. It rarely makes a significant difference in the appearance of the final product, especially on the exterior of a home. For an interior setting, I'd favor silicone in areas that won't be seen, and I'd favor latex/acrylic in areas that will, and paint it.

I have heard people claim there paintable silicone caulk didn't take paint, I've heard that it shrunk badly and left gaps, and I've also heard that it yellowed significantly over time.
« Last Edit: July 13, 2018, 02:55:55 PM by Raymond Reddington »

 

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