Paint: to Do it Or Not to Do It

You’ve chosen the cabinets, the appliances, and the fixtures. The countertops are on and the floors have just been put in. All that’s left now is to tackle the (arguably) most frustrating part of any remodeling project: paint. Yes, paint, the one substance that anyone can put on yet no one actually wants to do so. Given the choice between painting and being punched in the face, I’d probably take a good right hook.

This is exemplified during the remodeling process, and it just steadily gets worse; things aren’t finished, trim has yet to be installed, there’s dust and dirt everyone, and somehow, under all of that gunk, you’re supposed to paint? Please- I can’t even imagine a more frustrating (or stressful) experience.

If you insist on painting yourself to save a few bucks, here are some ways that you can make your life much easier:

1. Thoroughly clean your work area.

Ever tried to get anything done among a mess of garbage, construction supplies, paint, dust, and family members? You’ll have a better time waiting in line at your local DMV than you would trying to paint amid a mess like that.

Take an hour or so and really clean where you’re going to be working. Make sure that you get all of the dust and dirt off of the surfaces that you’re going to be painting, and definitely don’t forget to clear any obvious obstructions that may get in your way.

2. Prepare properly.

This is critical, especially if you’ve just spent a ton of money on renovations and new hardware for your kitchen. Mask everything that you don’t want to accidentally paint, cover windows and moldings, and do not forget to protect countertops and floors. There is absolutely nothing more frustrating than getting paint splatter on your brand new hardwood floors.

Ideally you will want to prime before all of your new hardware (countertops, appliances, etc.) have been put in as it will save you time, but if that is not the case be especially careful to cover all surfaces that may get even a hint of splash back from the paint.

3. Move your appliances.

Do areas behind your appliances first. Move your fridge, oven, microwave, etc. and paint behind them so that you can put them back and keep the functionality as your painting project drags on. Of course, you could always paint during the actual renovation to avoid this problem, but that’s only really feasible if you can do it without getting in the way of the contractors.

Depending on the paint you may need to put on multiple coats, so don’t expect this to be a one day job. Budget at least three days, as painting itself will take two days and you always want to allot extra time in the event of a mistake or accident. Of course, you could always simply pay your contactor to have it done for you and avoid the whole problem. I never thought I’d ever do that, but with my last renovation I decided to let them do it and I found it to be much less stressful.