Painting is not expensive.
As a kid, I first rode on top of my my Uncle Norman’s shoulders some fifty years ago. He earned my trust then, and has never lost it since.Norman, a lifelong commercial and residential painter, who at 82 is still actively involved in facilities management, always says, “Painting is not expensive”. ” It’s one of the most cost-effective things you can do to maintain your property. But if you wait until it needs scraping … well then it not only needs scraping but a host of other preparations, including priming … which makes it very expensive”.
From a cost perspective, Norman recommends painting before you need to. As a facilities manager he feels it would be irresponsible to his employer if he did not anticipate when his buildings needed painting. As with his own house he recommends that you be vigilant, plan ahead and commit to maintaining your home as much as your means allow. Over the long term, you will avoid unnecessary time, energy and money by taking care of that home repair or painting project early on when it is more manageable.
“When it comes to giving advice for proper maintenance of your home, building or any other structure, you may not like what you hear, but I am not going to lie to you” says Norman. ”Everybody’s a painter, but not everybody’s a craftsman.”This is the kind of advice from Uncle Norman that you won’t regret later.
Think about it. Why wait until the paint is peeling and cracking or until an area of your home has been compromised by moisture, weathering, dirt, damage or higher than normal wear and tear? Take care of the problem sooner rather than later before the problem gets out of control and you’re playing catch up and paying more in the long run. Painting, and for that matter any home repair or home maintenance project, needs to be anticipated and addressed before it has a detrimental effect on the value of your home and your pocketbook.
The dangers of lead poisoning
Small amounts of lead paint dust can have damaging and irreversible effects on the brain, especially susceptible are pregnant women and children under the age of six. Always be sure you hire an EPA Certified – Lead Safe painter so they do not spread or bring lead dust around your home and inadvertently poison you or your family. If you you need to verify if the painting, repair or remodeling companies that you hire are Lead Safe, go to the EPA website and enter their name.
“Lead paint is not good for you” says Uncle Norman, who as a lifelong commercial painter worked closely with lead paint throughout his career. If you live in a pre-1978 house you are especially susceptible because there may be lead paint in it. If your house was built after 1978 you need to make sure your painter does not bring the lead dust into your home with dusty drop clothes or other materials from other people’s houses that have lead paint in them.
Old lead-based paint is the most significant source of lead exposure in the U.S. today. Harmful exposures to lead can be created when lead-based paint is improperly removed from surfaces by dry scraping, sanding, or open-flame burning. Any contractor doing painting, repairing or remodeling work in the Chicago area where there are a lot of older homes must be EPA Certified. This is now a federal law and the fines can be $35,000 per day.
Have a question about lead paint? Or need painting, repair or remodeling work from an EPA Certified Lead Safe firm? Talk to Get Dwell we would be happy to help.