Before You DIY
Factors to consider before tackling a decorative paint project
Large retail home improvement chains and paint suppliers have offered DIY classes to the general population for all types of paint projects; from how to tape up trim work to applying Venetian plasters.
For more than a decade, these one-to-two hour-long workshops seek to educate and train the consumer in the art of prepping and painting walls, trim work, doors, and the like. In today's economy, hiring a professional to perform such tasks remains an issue centered on feasibility. Therefore, more consumers than ever before are searching out alternative solutions to address their finishing requirements.
The workshops offer alternatives that allow consumers opportunities to tackle projects on their own, eliminating the need to call in the professionals while stroking the consumer's ego at the same time. Okay, the last statement may seem a little harsh at first glance. However, who here will deny that successfully accomplishing a home improvement project oneself is a defining moment that bolsters ones confidence for problem solving.
As for those who sponsor these do-it-yourself workshops, confidence building is the goal. If the consumer can gain the confidence to handle a particular task, the consumer is more likely to purchase products from the merchant, which in turn aims to satisfy the merchant's bottom line. Beginning to see a pattern here? In tougher times, contractors fall victim to economic unrest and a surge in DIY mania. Merchants feel the strain as more contractor-based revenue vanishes as a result.
Many of those who sponsor the workshops will stage an event with a ready-made sample displaying the finished product associated with a particular project task. Additionally, all the materials required to complete the project will accompany the displayed sample. In true how-to fashion, the sponsor will demonstrate each step of the project from start to finish. The important thing to note is that in many cases, the demonstrator is either a seasoned veteran at the project task, or at the very least, versed in producing particular samples because of the repetitive nature of the demonstrator's job.
Either way, most make the task of working up a sample look easy. For the beginner or novice, making something look easy often becomes a trap not unlike painting oneself into a corner. As a professional in the decorative painting industry, I have lost count of the incoming calls from those who attempted a particular finish based on the easy appearance of producing the sample finish. One cannot blame the merchant for making a particular project look easy. After all, the goal is to sell more products to the consumer. If the merchant makes the project look difficult, the merchant runs the risk of losing sales.
Calls coming in from consumers who attempted a DIY project only to have the project fail, may do little to bolster confidence in the client-contractor relationship. The client typically experiences anxiety and frustration as well as humility from a well-intended effort gone awry. The professional will in most cases become very aware of the client's position upon hearing the details. Several items of concern will address the client’s expectations for righting the doomed project from the conclusion of the horror story.
One concern is the resources wasted e.g., time and money. After all, the initial reasoning behind many DIY projects is to save money. Another reason is born out of spontaneity. Some individuals may just wake up one morning and say to themselves; self, let's take a workshop in applying Venetian plaster at the local hardware store and redo the kitchen "old world." Others may jump into a project because patience is not their strong suit. Whatever the reason for taking on a project oneself, poor planning and lack of attention to detail may doom a project from the start.
When the call comes in, the request is to either fix existing issues, or start over from scratch. In most scenarios, the main issue becomes the costs associated with the remedy. I for one am not in the business of fixing someone's mistakes, whether the mistake is of the client's doing or that of an inexperienced contractor. Therefore, an important consideration is to consider one's competency level as it relates to a particular DIY project. Calling in a pro at this point may result in costing more than it would have by calling in the pro initially.
Case in point; I received a call several years ago from a potential client who attempted a relatively simple process of sponging a glaze over white walls in a master bath. Upon arriving at the project site, it looked like a crime scene. The individual used blood red to create a glaze and proceeded to apply the glaze with a sea sponge. The walls looked as if someone hacked up some poor sole with a chain saw. The fix was not going to be difficult. Repaint the walls with the base coat color, and reapply the glaze in a manner that would create a more suitable finish; given the nature and color of the chosen finish.
The project area was as such that to start over would require three days to repaint with two coats of base color and complete the glaze application. The individual was not willing to spend more than $300 for materials and labor. The materials to complete the project will cost in the neighborhood of $75, leaving $225 for labor on a job spanning three days. In my demographics, I do not know of any decorative paint contractors willing to work for $75 per day.
Decorative painting requires skill, an eye for color, and an eye for design as well as balance. By the very nature of many finishes applied with sponge, rag, bags, or any other comparable medium, the resulting finish is a random pattern across the substrate. The very randomness of the pattern must be control in what I call controlled chaos. To control such chaos, the applicator of said finish must have an eye for balance. If the application is too heavy in places and too light in others, the result may look amateurish.
Anyone can learn to apply any finish to a 2'x2' piece of drywall or poster board, making the sample look awesome. However, duplicating the look across a large area such as a wall, and retaining balance across the space, becomes a factor many fail to realize. Small samples are an excellent place to begin working out a design, but it takes practice to perfect a finish. Create a sample of the desired finish, and repeat the process until one feels comfortable. One should never attempt to apply any decorative finish to a large space until the applicator can perform all tasks associated with substantial fluidity.
Before taking on a DIY decorative painting project, ask yourself a few questions. Do I possess substantial creativity to envision the finished product? Possessing the vision to see the result is one thing, possessing the ability to execute and reproduce that vision is an entirely different endeavor. Do I possess the necessary motor skills to apply the finish in a fluid manner? As with many forms of artistic applications, a heavy hand works better for hammering nails or breaking rocks. Whereas, light hands work much better for subtle applications associated with most decorative finishes.
Plan, plan, plan, and remember the five P's. "Prior planning prevents poor performance." If one possesses an eye for color, design, balance, and the skill set necessary to apply decorative finishes, one is far ahead of the curve. However, none of these qualities will amount to much if one fails to plan. Therefore, lay out the parameters of the project, do the research, acquire the right products, learn how to apply the finish correctly, and practice until reaching a level of confidence to apply the finish successfully.
If all else fails, and one determines the optimum path to take is to call in the professional, just remember in most cases one may save more by doing so before disaster strikes.
Happy Painting!
