When you decide to give your home a facelift in the form of new flooring and paint, one of the most common questions is about which one you should do first. Believe it or not, choosing the right step to take first often saves homeowners in money and hassle, so making the right decision is important.
Paint Your Home After Installing New Floor
Unlike replacing flooring and many other potentially destructive parts of house renovation, painting your home is rarely harmful to other parts of the house, apart from the odd case of spilled paint. While spilling paint on your new floor may concern you, the other option is risking your newly painted walls to hazards.
The first of a number of hazards that arise when you install flooring after painting your home is scratching or busting up the walls using the tools that flooring requires. This scratching is almost impossible to avoid when replacing your floor, and almost always requires extra patch-up work.
Another reason to paint after installing new flooring is the baseboards, which the new flooring touches while it is being installed. If you paint your house before you have your flooring installed, the paint on the bottom part of your walls will become damaged.
The height of your new flooring should also be a concern, as it might differ from the height of the old flooring. This becomes problematic if you paint before installing your floor because you can end up with a noticeable gap in between your painted wall and the floor, which will need further work and annoyance.
How to Prevent Spilling Paint on Flooring
In case you are still on the fence about whether to paint your home or install flooring first, keep in mind that you can easily prevent spilling paint on your floor. Professional painting contractors should set up your room or rooms to prevent the threat of any spilling or damage to your floors.
If you are replacing your own floors or painting your house yourself, there are a number of steps you can take to reduce the threat of spilling paint. The most effective way to prevent spilling paint on your floor is by using a pouring spout, which you can find in many shapes and sizes.
You can also find many types of paint lids that feature air vents, which make for a smooth pouring and no-mess cleanup. Before you accidentally spill a bit of paint, just make sure to outfit your floors with floor protection tape or paper, which serves as your safety net for any dripping paint.
The bottom line is, in most scenarios, painting your home after installing new flooring is the right choice to prevent any extra damage to your paint. The threat of spilling paint on your new flooring is a very small consideration in comparison to the risks of bashing your walls with flooring equipment and scratching up your walls.
Marc Poulos began his real estate and financial services career, but he soon realized that his true passion was beautifying homes. He started working with various small craftsman shops before serving an apprenticeship with the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Chicago. His commitment to excellence won him Top Apprentice from Washburne trade school in Chicago – the country’s premier school of its kind.
