Ways to Trim Down On Painting Cost For House

WeServe Guy painting around the door

Who doesn’t like to feel like their house is brand new? Without moving into or purchasing a brand new house, this can be achieved by simply painting the walls. But such a task costs money. Maybe more money than you’ve expected. Painting cost for a house depends on what you are planning to do.

The price usually ranges from around $7,000 – $9,000 CAD + HST. The price per square foot to paint a 2000 sq ft house is around $2.25 to $3 CAD + HST. The average cost to paint a house is usually $4,000 – $5,000 CAD + HST for interior painting for the walls only. Two floors of a house for interior painting for the walls only is anywhere from $5,000 – $10,000 CAD + HST. The average cost is $700 – $1,200 CAD + HST for the trims and doors, including baseboards, door, and window frames. That usually consists of two coats of premium white paint. The average cost is usually $1,000 – $1,300 CAD + HST for ceilings that don’t need any extra fussing. The average size GTA home has 3 – 4 closets. The price for each can vary from $75 – $125 CAD + HST. The cost of French doors is usually around $300 CAD + HST.

Breaking Down the Painting Cost for House

WeServe man painting a blue wall white with brush

The house painting costs don’t only depend on the material you are covering, but also on the area you live in.

The expenses fall into two main categories:

Labor costs

With any home painting job, the biggest cost is the labor. Painters usually spend a long time inside the house. The prepping phase of the walls takes time and labor. Without preparing the walls, the paint won’t adhere well and the job won’t last. 

The only way to save up some money on this is to reduce how much time these professional painters are staying in your house. You can help out by cleaning, sanding, patching or caulking anything needed. 

Paint & Materials

The average paint gallon is around $45. But it depends on the sheen, the grade you choose, and if there are any special features. For instance, some are mold resistance.  Others suppress smells or require fewer coats. 

Your professional painter will recommend the best type of paint for your home. 

The other materials are the tapes, tarps, brushes, rollers, and any other equipment and supplies. 

Tips for Saving on Painting Cost for House

WeServe two men painting the ceiling of house white

Labor is your biggest expense. Knowing this piece of information, you can reduce the hours the painters are spending in your home. This and other tips can help reduce on house painting costs.

Get Competing Bids

Don’t settle for the first professional you meet. Before hiring, get multiple estimates. Also, find recommended and licensed experts around your area.

When you find the ideal man or woman for the job, you need to start asking some questions. Ask the painter to specify how many hours it’s going to take to prep and to paint. As well as what products is he/she is going to use, how many coats he/she will apply, and what additional costs there will be.

Contract

Make sure you get everything in writing. This will simply assure you that you are getting everything done that you have already agreed on. Whether that is caulking the windows or painting the bathroom on the second floor.

Do Some of the Work Yourself to Cut Down on Painting Cost For House

WeServe Man sitting on the floor looking at painting tools

Hiring a professional is always the right move when it comes to painting your home. On the other hand, there are some things that you can do by yourself to save up a little money on the house paint expenses.

Trimming the shrubs for example is an easy job to do on your own. Save up some time by moving the furniture to clear the space for the painters. Remove the outlet covers and reinstall them after the paint job is done. If you have the skills, you can patch, scrape, and sand the walls. But if you are not sure of your capabilities, leave it to the professionals.

Repaint the Walls Frequently

Repaint before seeing any visible signs of wear appear. This is important especially for the exterior of the house. Don’t wait to see peeling or flaking. It will only cost you more money to paint it the next time. 

Think Before You Paint

WeServe man painting the exterior of a house white

You need to think about what color you are going to use. When you recoat your existing color, you may get away with doing one coat only. Unlike if you decide to change the color. Then one coat won’t be enough. 

Also, avoid deep colors. Bright reds and oranges mostly require four to five coats to cover well. Meaning more paint and labor cost. 

Go for lighter colors on the exterior, they don’t fade as fast as the darker colors. This way you don’t have to repaint more often. 

Now that you have a better idea about painting cost for the house, you can start planning for your new paint job project. Save some money with the tips provided but also consult with a professional. Get the home of your dreams now with fresh new paint!

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Which Wallpaper to Choose?

If you are looking to give your space an instant new look and feel, all you have to do is add wallpaper to an accent wall. Not only does wallpaper add a pop of color to your home, but it is also an expressive form of décor that loudly reflects the homeowner’s personality. 

Long gone are the days when wallpaper was dreaded due to the difficulty of it’s installation and removal. With all the new development in material, you will surely find one that does not only suit your taste, but is also easy to install and remove. 

Let us look into the many different wallpaper materials available to you so that you can ensure your decision is as informed as it can be. 

The Easy Wallpaper

Doesn’t the name say it all? This type of wallpaper is usually made of water based ink and comes with pre-applied adhesive which makes installing and removing it as easy as it can be. What is great about this wallpaper is that it is made of breathable material so you won’t have to worry about mold formation every time you have it cleaned. 

Non-woven Wallpaper

Its vinyl free nature makes the non-woven wallpapers the perfect choice for environmentally conscious individuals. Same as with the easy wallpaper mentioned earlier, this type of wallpaper is easily cleaned, yet breathable.  In addition, it does not chip easily, so if you decide to remove it or relocate it, all you have to do is one single swish and just hang it again any time, anywhere. 

Vinyl Wallpapers

High versatility, ease of installation, ease of removal and cleaning makes Vinyl wallpaper the go to option for most homeowners. 

Under the Vinyl category falls several options including: 

  • Solid Vinyl Sheet: is the thickest option out there, therefore, the most durable. Needless to say that the material’s thickness allows room to play around with the designs; solid vinyl sheets usually feature some of the nicest and most eye-catchy designs. 
  • Vinyl Coated Fabric: For all neutral color lovers out there, vinyl coated fabrics are the choice for you. Their fabric as well as their colors and textures add a touch of simplicity to your living space especially for your smaller rooms. 
  • Vinyl Coated Paper: We would have to say that this is the perfect option for rooms with high humidity levels such as your bathroom, kitchen or even your laundry room. Why? Simply because the vinyl coat offers two main traits that the normal paper doesn’t: washability as well as durability. 

Grasscloth Wallpaper

100% natural and highly textured. However, cleaning is a bit tricky and should be handled by professional cleaners or through the use of dry cleaning components only to avoid damage and mold formation. 

One last thing before you hop in your car to the nearest wallpaper store. You should acquaint yourself with the term “pre-pasted wallpaper”. This is not a type of wallpaper per se because it can be pre-pasted. The term simply means that the adhesive material is already intact on the wallpaper purchased. So any of the above-mentioned wallpaper can be pre-pasted. 

Now that you have a better idea about wallpaper materials and types, it is time to dress up your space. Check your nearest stores and then request the help of installation professionals that you can easily find on WeServe.

WeServe is a platform that connects homeowners with hundreds of service providers around them in a matter of a few taps. Professional help will be at your doorstep sooner than you think!  

How to Choose Interior Paint Color

The power of color should never be underestimated when it comes to the choice of interior paint color. Distinctive tones and undertones can turn one room into a lively living space while turning another into a relaxation zone. 

Painting your interiors every now and then is like a secret weapon that gives your space a new look and feel. Not only does the choice of colour represent the owner’s identity, but it can also be used to visually define space and create focal points especially in today’s open-spaced homes. 

When deciding to paint your interiors, you should know exactly what paint colour to choose and where exactly it should be applied. Here are our top 3 tips that can help you make the decision. 

Match Interior Paint Color to Feeling 

The first aspect you should bear in mind before painting a room is the mood you want to establish in it. Different colours evoke different psychological and emotional responses.

For example, cool colours such as the white, beige, light blue, and green represent calmness and restfulness, therefore, they make a perfect choice for private rooms including bedrooms and bathrooms. On the other hand, warm colours such as red, orange and yellow are more energizing, making them a sensible option to enliven social spaces such as the living room, dining area, and kitchen. 

If you want to dig deeper into the correlation of colours to psychology, you will be intrigued by some interesting facts that you might have never been aware of. An example would be the effect red colour has on increasing the appetite, and that explains its use in a lot of fast-food chain restaurants. Accordingly, you might want to refrain from using it in your dining space and kitchen. Studies have also shown the effect of orange in raising athletic performance and endurance; great for your home gym. Yellow is a brain stimulant; making it a perfect colour choice for the kid’s homework room but not a bedroom for example. 

We, human beings, are more relaxed whenever we are surrounded by earthy and nature-like colours. Certain shades of blues and greens are soothing specially when combined with earthy tones such as light brown and beige. 

Know Your Tones 

Not all whites are pure, not all white tones are the same. “Pure” white is the one that is formulated without the use of any tinted undertones.  However, white also comes in a massive spectrum according to the undertones used. 

Warm white – is when white is mixed with yellow, pink, brown or rust undertones. 

Cool white – is when white is mixed with green, blue or grey undertones. 

Having distinguished the difference between warm and cool white, let us now distinguish the application of both. Cool whites are often used to open up a space, while warm white is best applied in rooms without a lot of natural light or to make a large room look cosier. As for pure white, it is often used to paint the ceilings in order to create a neutral overhead.

White here is just an example. The same applies for most other colours, their tones and undertones. 

Explore Combining 2 or More Interior Paint Colors

Interior Paint Color

Who said a room should just be painted in one color only?  A bold and a more stylish approach would be using two different colors in the same room especially in architectural elements or when wanting to create an architectural emphasis where one does not even exist. For instance, white and off-white have been the usual way to go for moulding, windows and doors. 

Panelling, or wainscoting is an eye catchy addition that you might want to add to your room. You can always draw attention to a bright wall by adding a white wainscot beneath it, and vice-versa. Also, you can use paint to create the effect of a wainscot even though it doesn’t exist by painting the lowest third of the room in one colour and the upper two thirds in another colour. 

Furthermore, when a room is featureless, using two colours can add a bit of edge to it. Adding a bright accent wall provides a contemporary touch to a room where all other walls are on the lighter scheme of colours. Having said that, it is worth noting that accent walls are not necessarily dramatic; a lot of people aim to have an accent wall that is just three tones darker than the rest of the room. 

No matter what colors you end up choosing, hiring an expert painter with a solid understanding of the effect different tones and undertones create, and how each can be used to maximize space and ameliorate your surroundings, will guarantee that task is done with maximum professionalism. Through the WeServe App, you can request nearby professional painters in just a matter of a few taps for your interior paint color. Get started on your home’s new look through the WeServe App today!

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5 Easy Steps to Know if Your Old Paint is Still Usable

5 easy steps to know if your old paint is still usable

Do you have some old cans of leftover paint in your home and want to know if it is still usable for further touch-ups? Old indoor paint could stay functional for a couple of years if completely sealed and safely stored away.

Painting a house with poor paint can lead to an offensive smell. Poor paint may also leave a rugged texture on the painted wall, which will quickly start to fade.

Paint cans are not labeled with expiry dates, and there are specific steps to know if your old paint is still usable. Keep scrolling to learn more! 

Unopened paint

Properly sealed paint, that is still unopened, is still usable even after several years. You don’t have to make sure if it is fine or not because water-based acrylic paints and unopened latex are known to be usable for up to 10 years.

If you have oil-based paint and alkyd paint cans, they have a lifespan of up to 15 years if unopened. The proportion of semi-solids and liquids define the period to use the paints. The ratio of these elements starts changing as soon as you open the paints, and the adequately sealed unopened paints maintain this proportion.

It is always better to test the paint cans that were left unopened for several years. Use the paint stirrer to mix the contents that were inside the cans for a long time. After stirring up the paint, try it on a piece of the cupboard to see if it is still usable.

  1. Shake well before opening 

If your paint cans were stored in the basement for several years, shaking the container should be the first step. The paint components are separated if the container is not being used due to the long storage time. 

Old Paint

The unopened paint containers can face the conditions of extreme temperature in some cases. So mixing up the paint vigorously for a couple of minutes with a stirrer’s help will help you avoid the deterioration of your unused paint. 

With that vigorous stir, if you find that paint is looking normal, you can use it. But if some visible grainy bits and lumps are not mixing, it implies that paint components are not mixing properly and paint is not usable anymore.

  1. Smell Your Paint

The smell of usable paint doesn’t lie. If you don’t smell the paint’s original smell, it shows that your paint is not usable because of contamination. You cannot use the paint to freshen up the look of your home.

Smelling the paint to know whether it has been contaminated may seem difficult because both unusable and contaminated paint develops the unpleasant smell. In some cases, you cannot even detect the smell of the expired paint.

  1. Thickened skin on the top of the paint

There could be a thickened layer on the top surface of paint, but that layer doesn’t imply your paint is not usable. That layer is easy to remove and you can use some tick or stirrer to gently take out that skin. But you will have to take out that layer with care because that skin can break inside the paint.

The broken layer inside the paint can mix with the rest of the paint, affecting the efficiency of your paint. Take out the skin by keeping it intact so that it doesn’t break and mix with the paint. If you cannot remove the top skin, there is another option of using the paint filter. 

The paint filters will remove the thickened skin effectively without breaking and mixing the skin, removing the lumps.

  1. Rusted paint container 

You may face the condition of rusted paint containers, which can contaminate the paint. But in most cases, the corrosion of the container doesn’t affect the efficiency of paint because it will not be in contact with your paint.

You can avoid corrosion by keeping the paint container in a dry environment where no humidity comes in contact with the container. There are plastic containers available for water-based paints for reducing the chances of corrosion.

If you find the corrosion in direct contact with the paint, you will have to recycle it. But if you don’t find the direct contact between these two elements, it implies that your paint is still useable.

Rusted paint container
  1. Hardened solids inside the paint

The paint’s long-term storage can lead to the separation of solids and liquid inside the paint cans. If the solids are stirring smoothly back into liquid, it indicated that your paint is not spoiled yet, and you can use it.

In some cases, these solids get hardened on the bottom of the paint container and do not mix properly with the liquid. This is a clear indication that the spoiled paint is completely spoiled and not usable anymore. 

There could also be mold and mildew inside the paint container, which is due to the broken seal of the paint can.

Conclusion 

The rust, mold, mildew, odd color, and the unpleasant or unusual smell are signs to look for if your paint is still usable. These are the reasons to believe that the quality of stored paint is affected, and you cannot use these containers to freshen up your walls in your homes.

Colorful paint drops

If you are unsure about the quality of the stored paint, you can ask a professional. WeServe is a platform that helps you find the best service providers available in your area. You can discover and request services from highly skilled workers with the help of our mobile app.

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