thisplace.com.au - Painting Your House

The best way to help the tradesman is to be clear in your own mind what you want done
Get a list of what you want done - that way you will get a more accurate quote
you can do a quick lick or a more detailed repaint - a quick job will probably cost half of a thorough job - it depends on what you want (or are willing to spend)
A big determining factor in price is what kind of condition your paint is in - how much work is required before you paint - obviously the more repair work needed, the more expensive the job
You also must consider that if you go for a extensive repaint it may cost you a bit more but it will last much longer and will not have to be done again for a long period of time

Get at least three quotes

To establish a fair price and help you select a suitable contractor, call for at least three quotes
You do not have to accept the lowest quote
Remember:
- a large amount of any repair cost is in the preparation work
- a cheap price may mean poor preparation and a paint job that will not last

Preparation is critical to a good job

Nothing affects the quality of a repaint more than preparation
The exterior should be thoroughly sanded to remove old damaged paint and degloss sound paint
Cracks need to be filled

Acrylic or Enamel Paint?

Traditional external paints were oil based enamels - they still work very well
Chances are , your existing paint is enamel
Acrylics are water based and probably are the shape of things to come
Either will be satisfactory for external repaint with acrylics having a slightly longer life
When overcoating an existing enamel paint job with acrylic, the existing enamel must be totally deglossed irrespective of wether the new paint is enamel or acrylic
A good specification following extensive preparation is one coat of oil based under-coat followed by two coats of acrylic

What about inside?

Remember: every coat of paint hangs on the previous coat
Older paints and cheaper paints can produce cracking or peeling due to a age or a loss of adhesion
A simple adhesion test is to place sticky tape on the paint and pull it off again - if the paint remains, you should be able to recoat it successfully - if the paint comes off or is crazed or split, a paint strip may be necessary
Imperfections in surface flatness are accentuated by gloss and by darkness of colour
This is why most ceilings are painted matt white
Matt paints are more porous to water or water vapour than semi - gloss or gloss paints
In bathrooms, therefore, it is usually desirable to sacrifice apparent flatness for practicability and resistance to steam

Thorny little problems

Some materials seem determined to resist a good paint finish. There are nearly always solutions to these problems at a cost. If your contractor is trying to keep cost to a minimum, they may not deal with these knotty little problems adequately. That nearly always means a defective job sooner or later

Knots and gum veins in timber - should be coated with shellac or silver frost prior to painting - this should resist the stain bleeding through the paint
Rusted steel - rust mat be treated or it will stain or destroy the paint film. Treatment usually consists of total removal of surface rust followed by a rust neutralising primer
Non ferrous metals - most non ferrous metals require an etching primer to provide a key for paint films

Application Techniques

Paint is applied by brush, roller, or spray. Concern is sometimes expressed by consumers when spraying is used - there is nothing wrong with spraying as a technique providing masking is adequate
When painting plasterboard, backrolling is recommended whilst the paint is wet to impart texture to the paint film

Source: Master Painters Association - for more information goto the MPA website