Painting a house is a gargantuan task. However, if you're brave enough to tackle the job on your own, you can save a great deal of money. Painting materials are inexpensive, but it costs a great deal more to hire a painter. Up to 75 percent of the cost to hire a professional to paint your home goes toward labor costs. Labor costs alone can run several thousand dollars, depending on the size of your home. If you choose to paint your home, you will have to invest in or rent some equipment. Following are some of the essentials for a DIY paint job.
Sander and Prep Tools
An exterior paint job is only as good as the prep work. An improper prep job can lead to cracks, chips, and warping within just a few years. If you want your paint to last, you have to do the prep work. You will need a paint scraper, sander, wood putty, and putty knife. You must remove all chipped and peeling paint, sand down the surface until it's smooth, and fill in any holes and imperfections. Only then can you proceed with painting your home.
Tall Ladder and Scaffolding
Painting a house can be dangerous, especially if you rely on a single ladder that you have to keep moving constantly. While there are some ladders that make this safer and easier, you will always be better off if you have scaffolding. Scaffolding allows multiple people to work at once, which will cut down on the amount of time it takes to paint your home. What's more, you will all be able to work at a much faster pace. If you don't own scaffolding or don't have the materials to build it, you can rent it. Contact local equipment companies like Savage Scaffold & Equipment Co.
Paint Thinner and Pressure Washer
There will be some clean up work after you get finished painting your home. Use paint thinner to clean your brushes and to remove any spots and splatters. If you have debris and paint on your deck or patio, you may want to rent a power washer to clean up the mess.
As you can see, there are several things you will need to paint your home. While most of these items are fairly inexpensive, some of the larger pieces of equipment are costly. Fortunately, you can rent all of the equipment you will need.
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