MySanDiego
MySanDiego

Ask the Paint Pro

Should I Try to Paint the Ceiling in My San Diego Home on My Own?

by     2 min read    

We get lots of questions about house painting as a DIY project in this column. Some painting projects are certainly doable for competent DIYers who are willing to put in the time and effort and invest in the right painting supplies. There are a few projects that you might want to leave to the professionals, however, and one of them is ceiling painting. It’s not that ceiling painting is particularly difficult—it’s a job that’s typically done by professional house painters because it can be … [Read more...]

What Sheen of Paint Should I Use for My San Diego Home?

by     4 min read    

When I do color consultations with San Diego homeowners as part of my house painting business, I also often help them chose the right sheen of paint for what is being painted. Some homeowners know exactly what they want (or don’t want) when it comes to the paint sheen, but some have no idea there are even different sheens to choose from. What Are Paint Sheens? Let’s start from the beginning, in case you’re one of those homeowners who isn’t familiar with the various sheens of paint. “Sheen” … [Read more...]

Do San Diego Painting Companies Do Cabinet Refinishing?

by     4 min read    

Cabinet refinishing is one of those things that can mean different things to different people. Homeowners in San Diego tend to use the term to mean everything, from cabinet refacing to cabinet re-staining to cabinet painting. All three services involve changing the look of your cabinets, but they involve different methods of doing so and achieve different results. It’s helpful to know exactly what service you are looking for when you start calling companies in San Diego to get quotes, so … [Read more...]

What Differentiates a Good Paint Job from a Bad (or Mediocre) One?

by     4 min read    

Prices can vary wildly when it comes to residential house painting in San Diego. You may be able to find a handyman or someone who paints houses “on the side” to do the job for far less than what a professional house painting company would charge. But as they say, “You get what you pay for.” This is almost always true when it comes to house painting. Pay cheap prices; get cheap work. But what differentiates a good paint job from a bad paint job? Often, it has to do with how long the paint job … [Read more...]

Is Winter a Good Time to Get My San Diego House Painted?

by     3 min read    

At my San Diego house painting company, we sometimes get asked what the best time of year is to get exterior house painting done. Fortunately, in San Diego, there is really no bad time to have your house painted. In other parts of the country, you need to account for weather when it comes to exterior house painting, but not here. San Diego only gets rain for 38 days per year, on average. That leaves more than 300 days per year when the weather is perfect for exterior painting!  One … [Read more...]

How Much Does House Painting in San Diego Cost?

by     5 min read    

One of the first questions I typically get asked by potential customers at my San Diego house painting company is, “How much will it cost to have my house painted?” The homeowner will usually give me some details, like, “We want to have the exterior of our two-story, 2500-square-foot house painted,” or “We need three 10x12’ bedrooms painted.” While we would love to give accurate quotes over the phone or by email, there’s more to providing a price than just the square footage. However, since … [Read more...]

What Are the Advantages of Using a Local House Painter in San Diego?

by     4 min read    

You hear a lot about big companies swallowing up the little guys. This has been going on for decades. Big companies buy out the smaller ones or put them out of business due to the competition. It can definitely be a challenge to own a small company that only operates in one location. I would know—I’ve been operating a local house painting company in the San Diego area for 15 years now. I talk with many other small business owners who face the same challenge I do of competing with the … [Read more...]

What’s the Difference Between a San Diego House Painter and a Painting Contractor?

by     3 min read    

People who paint houses in San Diego can go by several different titles: professional house painters, painting contractors, residential painters, etc. Most of these titles are interchangeable, but there are some important distinctions to be made. First of all, if someone calls himself or herself a “professional” house painter, it implies that he or she does painting for a living. It’s typically all he or she does, and it is a full-time pursuit. Anyone who goes by the title “professional house … [Read more...]

I’m on a Budget. How Can I Improve the Exterior of My San Diego Home for Not a Lot of Money?

by     4 min read    

Painting can go a long way toward giving a home a fresh new look. It can take a boring house and turn it into the envy of the neighborhood. Of course, having the entire exterior of your house professionally painted isn’t in everyone’s budget, unfortunately. So, here are some budget-friendly suggestions on how to improve the exterior of your home with paint. Freshen Up the Trim If your budget doesn’t permit you to hire someone to paint the entire exterior of your house, you could hire a … [Read more...]

San Diego Homeowner Asks: “Why Is Everyone Painting Their Walls Black?”

by     3 min read    

Here’s an interesting question we received recently: “Why is everyone painting their walls black? I thought this was a huge design ‘no-no’, but I’m seeing black walls all over Instagram, on home design shows on TV, and in magazines. Is this really a new trend?” When a new trend in interior design emerges, it can certainly feel like everyone is doing it. Black, navy, charcoal gray, and even dark emerald green walls are one of those current trends. Although dark walls are making appearances in … [Read more...]