Top Interior Painting Services in Alexandria, VA

The cost for having a home’s interior will vary widely depending on a number of factors. If it’s a DIY job, the cost will include the price of spackle and spatula, drop cloths, the brushes, rollers, paint tray, the painters tape, and the price of the paint itself. The cost of the paint will vary depending on how many coats the walls require. Of course, the type of paint chosen for the job will affect the cost as well. If you prefer to call in a pro, they will come to the site and offer an estimate. The estimate will take into consideration a number of variables. The biggest variably is the size of the area that needs to be painted. Whether or not the ceiling, trims, doors, and window frames need to be painted is also part of the equation. A painting pro will assess the difficulty of the painting itself, noting whether there is intricate woodwork to be painted, and how many coats the job will take. The cost of hiring a painter per hour will also change depending on where you live, and the availability of contractors in your area.

When selecting a painter, ask for proof of their license. There are painters out there who do not have licenses, but there are many advantages to going with a licensed painter. First, it’s not simple to get a license. The painter has to prove they have a certain number of years of experience. Painters have to carry liability insurance to protect themselves from lawsuits, and to protect your property from inadvertent damage. Licensed painters must also be bonded, giving you a guarantee that if the job does not work out, you are still covered. If the painter fails to do the job, he or she may have their license revoked or suspended. Then money from the bond would be taken out to pay a painter who will get the job done. Licensing requirements vary by state.

First, collect all the tools you’ll need to paint your room. Gather spackle and spatula, drop cloths, the brushes, rollers, paint tray, sandpaper, TSP cleaner, painters tape and paint. For the paint, choose either oil- or water-based paint. Water-based paint is quick drying and fume free. However, if your walls were previously painted with oil-based paint the water-based type might not stick. Get one gallon of paint for every 400 square feet. But you can use an online paint calculator to get a more exact estimate. Then clear the room or cover all the areas that should not have paint splatters. Remove the plates from the electrical outlets. Wash the walls with TSP and a sponge, and remove anything from the walls you don’t want to paint over. Put strips of painters’ tape around outlets, trim or casings. Open the doors and windows to ventilate the room. If the walls have a high-gloss finish, sand them lightly. Apply one or two layers of primer and allow it to dry. Then sand them lightly to make the next layer of paint stick. Then use brushes and a roller to apply the paint to the walls and ceiling.

When painting a room, start at the highest place first. So, start with the ceiling because paint will drip down and can be covered over later. As for painting the trim or walls next there is a bit of debate. Many pros recommend starting by painting the trim. But others suggest that for a DYI job, it’s easier to paint the walls first, because you can allow some splatters to hit the trim which will be painted over later. So, whether you start with the walls or the trim is a matter of preference.

The length of time required to paint a room varies according to a number factors. First, how much prep does the room require? Assess how much spackling and sanding the walls will require, and how much area will need to be covered with painter’s tape. Measure the square footage that requires painting. Determine whether you will be painting with a sprayer or a roller. If a ladder is required, the job will take longer. The quality of paint being used is key to determining how long the task will take. The drying time required for the primer and paint significantly affect the time it will take to paint a room. Humidity can affect drying time. Finally, the time required will be affected by the person or people doing the painting. A lone, inexperienced painter will be slower than a pro. So, there are a number of factors to take into consideration when calculating how long it will take to paint a room. A pro can offer a time estimate along with the cost estimate with ease.

There are two types of paint for interior walls: water-based and oil based paint. Water-based paint is very flexible, dries quickly, and is fairly fume free. However, it will not stick if it is applied to an area previously painted with oil-based paint. The type of sheen the paint will offer varies, and will affect the overall look and ambiance of a room. The most common interior paint finishes (paint sheen) are flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss, and high-gloss. If the walls have lots of imperfections, choose a flat or matte paint. The downside of this type of paint is that it isn’t easy to clean, so you have to use it in areas where the walls aren’t likely to get spatters and fingerprints over time. As for wall color, paints are available in many different hues of many different colors. Even white is available with various color percentages. You can buy small samples of paint and brush it on the walls to see how the paint will look at various times of day. It is also possible to request a custom mixture of colors for your walls. The paint store will do the mixing. Paint used for ceilings is often more reflective than wall paint. The color of your home’s walls will contribute in a big way to the overall style and feel of your house.