Blending Colours and Integrating Patterns: Unique Painting IdeasBlending Colours and Integrating Patterns: Unique Painting Ideas

Painting a simple accent wall in your home might be an easy job that most homeowners can handle on their own, but this doesn't mean that every painting job should be done yourself. There are times when it's best to hire a professional painter for inside or outside jobs, especially if you want the best end result and to ensure that the job lasts for years. Note when you should hire a pro for residential painting rather than doing the work yourself.

1. Intricate designs

Whether indoors or outside, intricate design work on your home can make painting a challenge. On your home's exterior you may have scrollwork over the eaves, and inside your home there may be ornate details on the crown molding or rooms with high ceilings. If your paint job will include the exterior fence or gate or the inside stair railing and other such details and designs, consider if you're skilled and patient enough to address all these features when painting. You may not know how to reach around the scrollwork on the eaves and may not have the equipment needed to properly paint wrought iron. Leave these things to a professional painter for best results.

2. Prep work

Your home's exterior will need a good wash before it can be painted, but if there are dents in the siding that have allowed rust to form, this will need to be scraped and smoothed before the surface can be painted. Inside the home, textured walls and ceilings may need extra cleaning because of how they trap dirt and cigarette smoke, or the drywall may have softened because of water leaks. If the surface you want to paint needs any type of extensive prep work, this too is best left to a professional so the paint adheres smoothly and the finish looks its best.

3. Lead paint

Lead-based paint stopped being manufactured and used around the 1980s, so if your home is older than that, you want a professional to handle any paint removal and scraping that needs to be done before painting. Even if your home is just a few decades old, you don't want to risk having lead paint flakes become airborne where you could breathe them in or having them come into contact with your skin, as this can be very dangerous. If you don't know the exact type of paint that has been used on your home and it needs to be scraped and removed before painting, have a professional do this work for you.

For more information about house painting, contact a company like Chris Hoole & Staff.