Checking If a Painting Job Is Done Well

Obviously, a team of professional painters needs to have a specific set of skills to pass a thorough inspection effortlessly. Teamwork, attention to every minute detail and the presence of a supervisor on the painting site are factors that help ensure quality work. But being a client, how can you be sure that the paint job is done well? How can you carry out an efficient inspection of your house painting job? Following are some useful tips:

Does the Paint Adhere Well?

Painting contractors don’t always use primer before painting—various paint qualities on the market today (100% acrylic paints) are a lot more adherent than before. Professional painters already know that exterior walls need to be painted at the proper temperature, still, as a homeowner you should check it twice that no painting job is being done under the sun rays on the exterior walls. If you see bubbles on the surface ask for a re-do as this paint job will not last a couple of weeks and peel off easily.

What Areas to Inspect?

As a homeowner you need to inspect the areas newly painted as closely as you can. Start by looking at edging lines and make sure they are straight. Check if the original color is covered properly with the new coat or a few spots are still visible. Ask the contractor to apply another coat of paint to hide those patches. Specifically inspect door frames, window frames, and interior wardrobe walls; these are the places most often forgotten by professional painters. Also, don’t pay the contractor until confirming the following things:

  • No signs of drips – if found, ask them to sand down and retouch.
  • Trim joints are caulked and there is no visible gap where the trim meets drywall.
  • Also, ask the painting contractor to spackle the gap between the drywall and switch plate.
  • If trim is being sprayed, make sure that windows are scraped clean of overspray.
  • Finally, check if faux finishes are consistently distributed in color and texture.

Inspecting a painting job seems like common sense, right? However, a homeowner needs to check it carefully both in daylight as well as in artificial light, as what looks just perfect at first glance may not look that great once you’ve paid the contractor for the job, or you take a closer look later.  Take enough time and do your own personal quality control before paying to the contractor.