Talk through the plan first
Before the crew shows up, confirm which rooms are being painted, which surfaces in each room, and the color and sheen for each. Write it down. Walls, ceilings, trim, doors and closets are often priced separately, and it is easy to assume something is included when it is not.
Ask what time the crew arrives, how many painters are coming, how many days the job takes, and which rooms they will start in. If you work from home, plan where you will set up while they are working.
Furniture and big items
Painters need about 3 feet of clear space along every wall. You do not have to empty the room, but it helps to:
- Remove small items, lamps, decor, books and anything breakable from shelves and tables.
- Empty and clear the tops of dressers and nightstands so they can be moved safely.
- Unplug and move electronics, TVs and cords yourself. Most crews prefer not to handle wall-mounted TVs.
- Leave large pieces such as sofas, beds and dressers in place if you like. Most crews will slide them to the center and cover them.
- Take down curtains, curtain rods and blinds if you are comfortable doing it, or ask whether the crew includes that.
- Clear closets fully if closet interiors are being painted.
Wall hangings and hardware
Take down pictures, mirrors, clocks and shelves, and leave the nails in if you want everything rehung in the same spot. If you are moving art around, pull the nails and tell the crew so they patch the holes.
Point out anything mounted that should stay up, like a heavy mirror anchored into the wall. The crew will cut around it. Outlet covers and switch plates are usually removed by the painters and put back at the end.
Pets and kids
A painting crew moves fast and carries ladders, buckets and rolled drop cloths through doorways all day. Clearing a path from the front door or garage to each room makes it easier and safer for everyone.
Wet paint and open doors are a bad combination for dogs and cats. Plan to keep pets in a closed room that is not being painted, or with a neighbor or at day care while the crew is working. Remember that crews go in and out often, and a door left ajar is an easy escape route, which matters a lot in neighborhoods along busy roads like SR 54 or Wesley Chapel Blvd. Pet hair also sticks to wet paint, so keep shedding pets out of fresh rooms until the walls are dry to the touch. Most modern interior paints are low odor, but young children and pets are still better off away from fresh paint for the first day.
The AC and air handler
In a Florida home, the AC matters for paint. Keeping the house cool and dry helps paint level and cure. Leave it running at a normal temperature, around 72 to 76 degrees, rather than turning it off to save money while the crew is there. High humidity inside slows drying and can leave a tacky finish.
If the crew is sanding drywall patches or removing old texture, ask about covering return vents or changing the filter afterward. A fresh filter is a cheap way to keep dust from circulating. Many Wesley Chapel homes have the air handler in a hall closet or the garage; let the painters know so they can work around it. If ceilings with a leak stain are on the list, have the AC drain line checked first so the stain does not come back.
What the crew handles
A good interior crew should handle these without being asked:
- Covering floors with drop cloths and furniture with plastic.
- Taping off edges where needed and masking fixtures.
- Filling nail holes, small dings and hairline cracks.
- Light sanding and caulking of trim gaps.
- Removing and replacing outlet and switch covers.
- Daily cleanup and a final walk through with you.
- Moving furniture back to where it was.
During and after the job
Most freshly painted rooms are usable the same evening, but the paint takes a couple of weeks to fully cure. Be gentle with walls for the first week, and wait at least 2 weeks before scrubbing. Push furniture back loosely at first so it does not stick to fresh paint on baseboards. Keep a labeled quart of each color for touch-ups and store it inside, not in a hot garage.
If you are planning interior house painting or just ceilings, call (813) 471-5995. A typical three-bedroom home in Wesley Chapel commonly runs about $3,470 to $6,180 for walls, with the final price following a free on-site look and a written estimate that spells out each room.