If you have decided now is the time to repaint your home and you’re thinking of using the next long weekend to start the job – setting aside 2 or 3 days may not be enough. Depending on the size and complexity of your painting project a weekend is doable, but more often than not, what you may think will take just a few DIY days, turns into several tedious weeks. Here’s a few reasons why this can happen.
How long it takes to paint your home depends on several factors and whether or not you are planning on hiring a painting contractor or doing it yourself.
If you plan on working with an experienced painting team then an average single story 3-4-bedroom home can take up to a week to paint and the only time you need to set aside is to choose a paint colour. They come in as a team and the process is methodical and efficient because they know exactly what they are doing.
Professional painters will plan the project and sequence the job making it an easy process. Often DIY projects take far longer to complete because of the amount of preparation it takes to achieve the same stunning results an experienced painting team can.
It’s hard to pin down exactly how long a painting job will take and depends on several factors such as
The size of the building
You can get a small 3-4-bedroom home and a large 3-4-bedroom home and some with varying degrees of complex features to paint. It’s obvious that the bigger the room the longer it will take to paint.
Do you need Multiple Coats of Paint or just a touch up?
If you’re just touching up a single wall with the same colour this is a fairly quick process and can take less than a day compared to a completely new colour change and the walls need to be covered with multiple coats of paint. You will also need to consider if you need to paint a primer first or just a topcoat.
The Condition of the surfaces
Preparation is key to achieving flawless results and if the surfaces are not cleaned and prepared correctly the surface imperfections are often revealed and obvious in the final coat of paint. Preparation takes time and it’s where most of the time is spent, filling cracks, sanding walls and wiping down any dirt or residue. In some cases, the walls will need to have wallpaper removed which will add a substantial amount of time to the whole job.
Painting Experience
Mechanics service a car in 20min but for someone who has never done it before you can expect to dedicate several hours to just finding the bonnet catch. The same applies to painting. A professional team can produce immaculate results that would take you five times longer to achieve. So, if you’re time poor or would rather spend it on the beach it’s probably best to call in the pros.
The Weather
Rain, heat, snow and humidity all affect the drying time of the paint and the time it takes to paint a home.
Taking all the above factors into consideration we have outlined a step-by-step guide as to how long each painting stage should take when you engage with a professional painting team.
DAY 1-3 PREPARATION
Preparation involves filling cracks, removing flaky paint, sanding down walls, eaves or skirting boards. Cleaning involves removing any dirt build, pressure washing surfaces, cleaning with sugar soap and allowing all the surfaces to thoroughly dry. You may also include the time it takes to wrap all your furniture, protect and tape the floors, window frames, carpets and tiles. It really all adds up. What appears to be a simple task can take hours and don’t forget some homes will need the blinds and window rails to be removed, this alone could take you a full day. Professional painters are equipped with the tools and have done it thousands of times before, so they have a pretty good system and process to get the job done efficiently. Reputable companies will include this service as part of the painting quote so be sure to look at the inclusions not just the price.
DAY 4-6 PAINTING
Paint needs to be applied carefully for it to look good and to last. A professional house painter has the tools and techniques to make your home feel like a new build and they work in a coordinated sequence making the process fast and efficient. If you consider the time a team of painters take to paint your home while you can continue with everyday life it may not be worth doing it yourself.
You would be surprised at how much the materials will cost. A trip to Bunnings for sandpaper, cloths, paint, primer, sugar soap, tape, tarp, brushes and trays all these expenses could be invested in getting an experienced team that can get the job done well. It’s really an investment into your property that will not only protect your home but help increase the value of your asset.
DAY 7 CLEAN UP
Finally, there will be time dedicated to cleaning up, packing away painting supplies, removing tape, re mounting blinds and window rails and disposing of used materials.
While this is a rough guide to how long it should take to paint a 3-4-bedroom home, you could probably paint a whole bedroom in an hour if you rushed, or 2 days if you really took your time. While we say it can take 3-4 days to paint an average 3-4-bedroom home you will need to consider all the above factors.
If you’re making the decision to paint there is no point in rushing the job when the time invested now on a quality result can last 5-7 years before you need to redo it again. Start by getting an obligation free quote and once you have all the facts, know the advantages and compare the costs the decision to paint your home professionally will be much easier than you think.