If your home does contain lead paint, your painting contractors legally need to take precautions when removing it. These containment procedures may include sealing off the rest of the home, wearing respirators to avoid inhaling the lead, disposing of the clothes worn while removing the lead paint, and using special filtration systems and post-removal cleaning procedures to remove all lead particles. A: Most homes that were built before 1978 were painted using lead paint. A simple lab test can prove if your paint contains lead. Some painting contractors in Sonoma County will test for lead paint, and lead paint tests are available at most hardware stores. A: As with may home improvement projects, it is possible to paint your home yourself. If the area you want to paint is small or you have experience painting, you may be up for tackling the job yourself. However, painting can be time-intensive, messy work. And depending on the size of your project, you may be wise to hire a professional to do the job. Professional painters already have the knowledge, skill and the tools to do the job right. Most will also guarantee their work, so you’ll be more assured of getting a quality paint job that lasts. A: With paint, the old saying usually holds true: You get what you pay for. Top-quality paints are more expensive, but they often have better ingredients that allow them to go on smoother, be more durable and last longer than cheap paint. Over the long run, you’ll have to repaint less frequently and your home will look better between painting, meaning you may save more money by spending a little more at the outset. A: Exterior and interior paint is labeled according to its sheen and gloss. The higher the sheen, the more light reflects off of the paint and the glossier, or shinier, it appears. Your choice of paint will depend on the area and surface you’re painting, the color of paint you’ve chosen and the need to clean the painted surface and hide imperfections. Matte and flat paints have very little to no sheen. They are generally used on walls and ceilings and are best for hiding imperfections in the surface. Eggshell finish has a slight sheen and has a lustrous appearance. It is often used on interior walls. Satin and silk finish paints have a finish that is in between that of eggshell and semigloss. They are easier to clean than flat paint. Semi-gloss finish is a shinier, glossier paint. It is easy to clean and resists staining. However, the glossier a finish is, the more likely it is that imperfections in the paint will be obvious. A: Painting contractors base their prices on a number of factors—the cost of labor, the time needed for surface preparation and needed repairs, the quality of paint applied and the number of coats needed. Cheaper bids may reflect a lower quality of work or less experienced painters. However, it’s smart to question the contractors when one bid is much lower or much higher than the other bids you’ve received to make sure the painting company is bidding on the same work.
Professionals spend years mastering their craft. They’re highly skilled in their art, and it shows in the finished product.
