Top 10 House Painters in Middletown, PA
Frequently asked questions about house painters
There is nothing like a fresh coat of paint in a new home. You can transform rooms with a change of color, and fresh paint breathes new life into an older home. Costs for painting homes vary. It depends on the rate of labor and on the type of paint you use. Most of the cost comes from the size of the home. The more square footage you need painted, the more expensive the job will be.
The average cost for painter services in a home is estimated at $3,500. On the low side, you can expect to pay $1,200 and $6,500 on the high side. These estimates assume you have a one-story home with around 1,000 square feet of wall to paint. More stories will mean higher costs.
The price is usually divided up into materials and labor. Labor tends to make up 85% of a job, but this can vary depending on the contractor. Most contractors charge between $2 - $6 / square foot. This calculates interior painting jobs with two coats of paint. For more specific paint jobs, such as doors or cabinets, you can expect to be charged $50 - $100 / door or drawer face.
Some contractors have different models of payment, which you may discover when looking up “painting companies near me” or “house painters near me.” You can be charged per room, which averages around $800 - $1,200 for a bedroom, and as high as $3,000 for a living room or similar large space. Some painters may choose to bill hourly, which can range from $20 - $50 / hour for basic painting, and $100 / hour or higher for specialty painting. A skilled painter should be able to cover between 150 – 350 square feet/hour but don’t forget to factor in prep time, clean up, and both coats of paint needed.
The cost of painting a home's exterior is far more variable, depending on your siding. Some sidings (like stucco) can cost up to $3,000 / 1,000 square feet, and that cost can rise if there are multiple stories. Weather can also play a major factor, which is why local painters are in high demand during the summer months. Vinyl siding expands and contracts depending on weather, so you’ll want a latex-based paint that is durable to these changes. For wood siding, latex is always a good option for allowing wood to breathe. Beware acrylic or oil-based paints, as these can create moisture stains. If you have stucco siding, you can go with latex, but it’s not your best option if the walls are damaged. Elastomeric paint will cover those imperfections while still being breathable. This paint is thick and time-consuming to apply. If you have brick siding, you’ll want a porous stain or paint so water doesn’t get trapped inside.
Siding is the biggest factor to cost, as prep and materials needed to do the job correctly can raise the price. Brick and stucco are the most expensive, while metal, wood, vinyl, and concrete tend to be on the lower end. Extra stories mean extra work for the painter, as safety measures and ladders need to be implemented. Painting a second or third story of a home takes longer than painting a single story based on logistics. It’s not just the walls, either. You may want to paint the garage, the shutters, the eaves and downspouts, and the siding and trim.
Your brand of paint can alter costs, as well as the cost of your finish. Flat paint tends to be the cheapest, but is also the least durable. Mid-range finishes, including eggshell and satin, can be good choices, depending on what you’re looking for. Semi-gloss finish will showcase imperfections and dents but is also resistant to cleaning. High-gloss is the most expensive type of finish and is recommended for small areas, such as trim, windows, and doors. While it is possible to DIY your home’s exterior, a professional comes with all the needed materials and is knowledgeable about what will work best and how to stay safe on the job. They are worth serious consideration.
Yes, you can paint vinyl siding. Years ago, this answer was no because paint continued to slide off the siding. We’ve come a long way since then. The best paint for vinyl is latex urethane paint, as it can cope with the constant contracting and expanding of the siding. Many paint companies create paint specifically designed for siding.
Painting vinyl is similar to painting other exteriors. You’ll want to coat it with primer (something designed for vinyl) and use a brush for the tricky spots. Otherwise, you can use a roller and cover a lot of ground. Once you have the primer, add the topcoat. Vinyl has one more caveat that you should be aware of. Dark colors tend to trap a lot of heat. Most vinyl paints will be light colors as a result, so it reflects heat rather than absorbs it. Weather can be a factor in painting vinyl, and the best weather is overcast, comfortable conditions. Sun, humidity, direct heat, and wind are not your friends when it comes to painting vinyl. You’ll want to ensure that painting your siding doesn’t void its warranty before you begin.
As with any painting, you’ll want to ensure you clean the area thoroughly first. For vinyl, a pressure washer is the best choice. You’ll want to find a recipe that tackles mold and mildew or buy a TSP solution. Mold and mildew tend to get between the paint and the siding, so it’s imperative you deal with them before you paint.
The quick answer is 350 – 400 square feet. This is generally true of wall, ceiling, and trim paint. Primer tends to go less, giving you 250 square feet on average. If you’re painting a dark room with a light color, you may need more primer coats, so keep that in mind. Be aware that fresh drywall is extremely porous and may absorb more paint than expected. Most drywall tends to arrive pre-primed, but be ready if it isn’t. If you have a textured wall (think popcorn ceilings, for example), you should use 20% more paint. If you need to paint 100 square feet of ceiling, it’s recommended you buy enough paint to cover 120 square feet to make up for the texture. You can stretch your paint with the correct tools. A nine-inch roller usually gives the best results for a coat of paint. For textured walls, consider a 1/2-inch nap over a 3/8-inch nap.
Let’s dive into the math. You know how much paint you need per square foot, but how do you calculate that square footage? First, measure the height of every wall, and add it together. Then, do the same for the length of each wall. Multiply those two numbers together, and you have the square footage. If you divide that number by 400 (how much a gallon of paint should cover), you know how many gallons you need to buy. This works for trim and doors as well. Multiply the total lengths and widths together, and divide it by 400. It’s never a bad idea to round up or ensure you have extra paint left over. You may need it for touch-ups or if a specific section requires more paint than you anticipated. It’s better to have too much than too little and have the hardware store mix you more paint. What if the color is off by even a slight bit? That’s a frustration you can easily avoid.
No, you can’t use exterior paint inside. Exterior paint is designed to hold up against weather extremes and, as such, contains more VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). These compounds were not designed for enclosed spaces; they can smell funky and release toxins that might make you or your pets sick. Exterior paint doesn’t settle in a short amount of time. In cold weather, exterior paint could continually release those toxins for a month or more. In warmer weather, this timeframe may be reduced to weeks. The process of releasing these toxins is called curing. Most professionals will wear masks when painting outside for this reason.
Exterior paint is softer by nature. It needs to be able to breathe and contract or expand with the home. It doesn’t stand up as well to the wear and tear that interior paint deals with on a daily basis. While all paint contains mildewcides and fungicides, the ingredients in exterior and interior paint are very different. The VOCs are needed in both paints to hold the pigment in. If you use exterior paint on indoor surfaces, ventilation is your first concern. This becomes a greater concern when spraying paint instead of rolling it, as spraying it makes it airborne that much quicker.
VOCs can cause lightheadedness, headaches, nausea, irritated eyes and throat, and respiratory issues. This can be an even greater hazard for those with compromised immune systems. Exterior and interior paints are vastly different, so you shouldn’t combine them. It compromises the quality of both paints. Plus, exterior paint isn’t designed to look good inside. Both varieties of paint are highly specialized, and you’ll likely regret using them where they are not intended.
The average cost to paint a 12x12 room is $650, with $400 being on the low end and $900 on the high end. Several factors can change these costs or cause them to rise. If you need drywall or plaster repaired before the job, that will cost time and effort. The higher your walls rise, the more time or paint it might take to finish the job. If you want to use designer paints, you may spend more on the materials. Your cost will also change based on the finish you choose.
Square footage is the most important consideration when factoring the price of a room. A large room, such as a living room, will cost more than a small bedroom or bathroom. Kitchens tend to cost the most since the painting is specific. They require far more attention to detail when you consider backsplashes, cabinets, and trims. Textured walls can add to that cost since it eats up more materials. Different types of paint can change the cost as well. On average, eggshell, satin, and flat are the cheapest paints. Matte, semi-gloss, latex, and oil are mid-range and all competitively priced. High-gloss paint is expensive and best used on small surfaces like trims.
You have the option to do the work yourself, of course. Be aware that it’s never as simple as splashing paint on the walls. You’ll need to purchase all the required materials, such as brushes, painter’s tape, rollers, trays, and plastic to prevent spillage. You’ll need to clean the walls and remove outlet covers and switch plates. Once that’s done, you can use painter’s tape on all the edges and then start. The big question you will need to ask yourself is whether you have the time. Painters are efficient, have all the tools, and do the job constantly. They will know immediately the best way to handle it.
Now that you know the scope of your project in terms of cost and effort, you can start dreaming in color.
Recent reviews for Middletown Painters
Hired this contractor to paint our oak cabinets the week of July 9th 2018. Here we are August 21st 2018 and I'm still picking up the pieces. Absolutely horrible experience from start to finish. Here is a breakdown: Timeliness: Job was to start Monday,...
We are so happy with Just Add Paint! They just finished painting our entire basement, and we couldn't be more pleased. The crew did a professional job from start to finish. Great clean up, too. We recommend Just Add Paint to anyone looking for qual...
We were extremely pleased with the job that Curtis of "Just Add Paint" did on our new wall of built-in bookcases, cabinets and fireplace. He was meticulous, neat, prompt and very reasonably priced! We will definitely have him back and highly recommend h...
This crew is the best I've seen. I live alone and worry about people having access to my home. Curtis and the crew are pleasant and professional. They have completed two jobs for me and I have referred them to my friends. They have the equipment to c...
Just Add Paint are really great at what they do. They have a strong attention to detail, are very thorough, use quality paints, and have very fair prices. I used them for all my painting needs at my rental properties!
We love the work that Just Add Paint with Curtis and his team. Timely, professional, neat and the job was outstanding. Very satisfied, exceeded our expectations!
We contracted Just Add Paint to paint our cabinets, trim, ceilings, walls, and doors for our townhouse. Curtis and his crew did a fantastic job; they were clean, courteous, timely, trustworthy, and overall, very friendly. We are very impressed with the q...
These guys are fabulous! I have used them at both my townhouses and again recently at my Mom's older home. Talk about challenging! We had old wall paper backing on the walls, old shiny flowered walls in the bathrooms. They always have a solution for the ...
Excellent experience. They were very professional and explained everything very clearly. We had 2 rooms painted and one had stubborn wallpaper that they dealt with very well. Everything looks wonderful, better than expected. Excellent customer service, co...
We've hired Just Add Paint three times in the past couple of years - most recently to paint every room in our new home. My wife and I can't say enough good things about the quality of their work and the overall experience of working with their experienced...
I have an old house and wanted two rooms painted so I called Just Add Paint because of their excellent reviews. They are very professional and knowledgeable and I was impressed when Curtis showed up with the company van with a nice looking logo and his i...
Everything You Need to Know About Middletown House Painters
I have Painting Services work that I need done in Middletown. What should my budget be?
Our data on recent painter projects in Middletown shows that larger painting services projects in city are often upwards of $0.00. However, this price depends on a number of factors. Cost can increase or decrease based on any/all of the following:
- Location: painters travel time may factor into the budget.
- Cost of materials. This is an important factor of your painting services project budget. You can purchase materials yourself, but remember that your painter professional maybe be able to leverage relationships with other companies to save on material costs.
- Company ratings: Highly-rated painters tend to be more expensive. Decide what balance between ratings and cost is right for you.
As always, every project is different and you should contact multiple painters throughout Middletown to ensure your project is done right.
My Painting Services project in Middletown is really small. How much should I expect to spend?
The lowest price we could find for painting services work in Middletown is about $0.00. You should expect to pay at least this much depending on the scope of your project.
Painter work at this level can sometimes involve several steps or phases. Cost for every project will differ depending on the quality of Painter you hire, the type of materials required and the timeframe that you want to finish within.
What should I check for once my Painter in Middletown has finished working?
Every painting services project is going to have different results, but here are a few things to check for once any painting services company has told you they've finished the job:
- Obviously you want to do a visual inspection. Even if you're unfamiliar with painting services work, this gives you the opportunity to ask questions (even basic ones like, what did you do?).
- Ask the painter to describe what they did. Whether your painting services project was a repair job or a building job, have them run you through what was done.
- Compare the description provided on your painting services project estimate to the work completed. Did the professional do what was promised?
- Request that the painter do a follow-up visit to check on the work. Most professionals are willing to do this, especially if you ask them.
All House Painters in Middletown, PA
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Outside
Deck, patio or porch
Deck, Ramp
300-500 sq. ft.
Wood
Yes
No, and I want the pro to recommend