TV vs. Professional Painters
Do you ever wish you could talk back to your TV? The other day I was flipping through the channels and happened to land on a program promoting a new way to paint your house. The gadget they were promoting was a small paint sprayer that was so incredible and easy to use that no one would ever again need to hire a professional painter. I watched with amazement as the paint was sprayed on the walls. There was no drop cloth to protect the floors, and nothing to prevent the paint from accidentally spraying on the ceiling. I continued to watch with interest as the person then applied paint onto a louvered door. I couldn’t help but wonder what was behind the door? Did the paint go through onto the clothes hanging in the closet? Was this going to end up being a comedy with an out of control spray gun, like an episode of the old “I Love Lucy” show? Well, it wasn’t a comedy and the paint sprayer never malfunctioned. In fact, it never stopped at all! It breezed through the entire room in just minutes, painting walls, trim, and doors. By the end of the show I’m sure that viewers were mesmerized by the ease with which the home was painted and they were reaching for their cell phones to call and order this remarkable gadget that looked too good to be true.
And that’s the point. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is. I’m not saying that only professionals can use a paint sprayer. But I am saying that using a paint sprayer takes practice and precision and may not be as easy to use as the average homeowner would be led to believe by this type of TV show. Professional painters know how to use their equipment properly. They know how to prevent overspray and how to deal with dripping paint quickly and effectively. Professional painters know the importance of drop cloths, they wear appropriate clothing, they ensure there is adequate ventilation while they are painting, and they know how to calculate drying times depending on the weather. They know how to ensure that each surface receives good paint coverage. In short, they are trained professionals who can quickly and easily handle the tasks that many homeowners don’t have the patience or the time to tackle.
The bottom line is, homeowners should be realistic about what they want to achieve and whether or not they have the desire, and the ability, to achieve it. If you truly enjoy painting and like new gadgets, by all means go for it! Otherwise you may find that you’ve spent money on a gadget that doesn’t work as well as you had hoped, wastes time that you would rather spend doing something else, and ends up gathering dust in your garage. And, you may end up hiring that professional painter after all to fix the mess the too-good-to-be-true gadget left behind.
