Getting Through An Interior Painting Project With Kids And Pets

When you have kids and/or pets in the home, every project is more challenging than if you didn't have any kids or furry family members running around. Here, you'll find a few tips that can help you get through interior painting projects while sharing your home with those messy little beings.

Choose the Date

Look at the calendar that you fill with all of the events and tasks that you have to complete for the month. Look for a window of time in which your schedule is light — you don't want to add a project like this to a schedule that is already loaded.

If you have school-aged kids, think about planning for the project while the kids are at school. This will give you several hours of time without the kids running around to be productive.

Hire a Painting Crew

Have you been contemplating doing the work on your own? Well, why would you add to an already hectic schedule if you don't have to? The cost to hire a painting crew will be well worth the expense when the project is complete in just a day or two rather than you working for a week trying to get the job done and having it look nice when it's complete.

Prep the Surfaces

You can prep the surfaces yourself during the day without having to worry too much about the messes that come with the work.

Start with removing any stickers that are on the walls. If you can't seem to get them to peel off, get your hair dryer. Blow some heat on the sticker to soften the adhesive and make it easy to peel off the sticker intact.

Fill the holes and cracks with joint compound and let it harden. Once it has hardened, you'll need to sand it smooth with fine-grit sandpaper. Then, wipe the dust away with a damp cloth.

Prevent the Spread of Wet Paint

If possible, block off the room that is being painted to keep the kids and pets out of the room. If you cannot block the room off entirely, try to create borders that will keep the kids and pets away from the walls. This can be done using just about anything you can think of — ropes, furniture, toys — anything to remind the kids that the walls are wet and to keep them from rubbing up against them.

Talk with a local residential painting contractor. He or she will be able to assist you with the planning and painting process to get the job done quickly and right.