After postponing it for two years now, this year we decided to plunge into the treacherous ordeal of getting our apartment painted. Ours is a 11yr old apartment complex and we bought this flat at the end of 2004. The seller obviously painted the house before putting it up for sale. He used pastel colors, which tend to show dirt more, I feel. So the area around the switchboards and the like were the first casualties. We ignored. Then it crept to around the tubelights and the like, still ignored. Now we could no longer ignore. People visiting our flat, started leading the conversation to painting and other interior decorator topics, looking at our walls pointedly. We decided it was time to act.
A lot of survey was done, mostly because we were so apprehensive about the humongous task in front of us. Quite a few people we knew had recently painted their houses, so there were no dearth of suggestions. Which confused us all the more. Each one of them vowed that their experience had been the best and easiest. We decided to take a call after getting quotations from all the concerned options. One question that stumped us was what is the paint-able area. Now we had a bunch of numbers - carpet-area, super-plinth-area, built-up-area; but how do we get this paint-able area? We struggled with the blueprint of our apartment and an excel spreadsheet and after a lot of struggle came up with a value. There was on-line help which calculated the paint-able area to be roughly 4 times the carpet area, we were not wholly convinced of that, though.
First to walk in was a contract painter, he looked too flashy to be a painter. He walked around and pronounced a nice fat figure and said it would take 3-4 weeks. I said forget it, I am not going to babysit your painters for such a long time. Again got varied opinions, "that's too long"; "that's ideal time it takes" and the best "at least he is honest, many will say one week but will eventually take that much time". Then came the company painter. He looked around and gave an astronomical figure. Turns out his calculation of paint-able area was double that of ours. He assured us once we agree to go with them he would get us a nice discount. But discount was not what we wanted but an honest evaluation, somehow their approach put me off. Then came a guy from MP. He said he would do it in a week (7 days to be exact), very reasonable price (felt like a steal actually), but we needed to get the material. The friend who suggested him, swore to his workmanship and his dedication. But running around for material was not our cup of tea. Another contractor, said one week, very reasonable and very mild mannered. We fell for him.
The paints were selected, advance paid and work started. Slowly and quietly he started. Madam, your floor looks a bit dull, even though we promised to clean it up, it might be worth considering polishing it. It will shine as new and will hardly take couple of days. I was tempted. Next, my estimate was based on the assumption that you would use same color throughout the house, now we are using four different colors, but I wont ask for more since I agreed upon the rate, it is upto you in the end, if you are happy with our work........ Next, madam your doors, though they look fine now, after getting the walls painted they will appear dull, better get them polished. Next it was window grills. Looks like we are getting a new house after all. Cost, well it is bound to go up as will the estimated date of completion. The other day some one queried about the estimate, my husband responded with when - prior to start of work, while the work is going on or once the work is completed?
Meanwhile, it is me sitting in a lone chair, preserved for my usage, in a corner, away from the workers way, with dust all around me....... I wish I had taken up my brother's suggestion seriously and shifted out of the house while the work was going on, you see they do that in US given the "toxicity of paint fumes". Of course, there most of the times it is DIY, instead of going with professional painters. It is a week now and looks like another week to go, in meantime if you see me some place (highly unlikely since I am stuck in the house till work completes) do not comment upon my dirty unkempt hair or patches of paint/dirt on my dress, unless you don't want to return home that day!!!!!!
A lot of survey was done, mostly because we were so apprehensive about the humongous task in front of us. Quite a few people we knew had recently painted their houses, so there were no dearth of suggestions. Which confused us all the more. Each one of them vowed that their experience had been the best and easiest. We decided to take a call after getting quotations from all the concerned options. One question that stumped us was what is the paint-able area. Now we had a bunch of numbers - carpet-area, super-plinth-area, built-up-area; but how do we get this paint-able area? We struggled with the blueprint of our apartment and an excel spreadsheet and after a lot of struggle came up with a value. There was on-line help which calculated the paint-able area to be roughly 4 times the carpet area, we were not wholly convinced of that, though.
First to walk in was a contract painter, he looked too flashy to be a painter. He walked around and pronounced a nice fat figure and said it would take 3-4 weeks. I said forget it, I am not going to babysit your painters for such a long time. Again got varied opinions, "that's too long"; "that's ideal time it takes" and the best "at least he is honest, many will say one week but will eventually take that much time". Then came the company painter. He looked around and gave an astronomical figure. Turns out his calculation of paint-able area was double that of ours. He assured us once we agree to go with them he would get us a nice discount. But discount was not what we wanted but an honest evaluation, somehow their approach put me off. Then came a guy from MP. He said he would do it in a week (7 days to be exact), very reasonable price (felt like a steal actually), but we needed to get the material. The friend who suggested him, swore to his workmanship and his dedication. But running around for material was not our cup of tea. Another contractor, said one week, very reasonable and very mild mannered. We fell for him.
The paints were selected, advance paid and work started. Slowly and quietly he started. Madam, your floor looks a bit dull, even though we promised to clean it up, it might be worth considering polishing it. It will shine as new and will hardly take couple of days. I was tempted. Next, my estimate was based on the assumption that you would use same color throughout the house, now we are using four different colors, but I wont ask for more since I agreed upon the rate, it is upto you in the end, if you are happy with our work........ Next, madam your doors, though they look fine now, after getting the walls painted they will appear dull, better get them polished. Next it was window grills. Looks like we are getting a new house after all. Cost, well it is bound to go up as will the estimated date of completion. The other day some one queried about the estimate, my husband responded with when - prior to start of work, while the work is going on or once the work is completed?
Meanwhile, it is me sitting in a lone chair, preserved for my usage, in a corner, away from the workers way, with dust all around me....... I wish I had taken up my brother's suggestion seriously and shifted out of the house while the work was going on, you see they do that in US given the "toxicity of paint fumes". Of course, there most of the times it is DIY, instead of going with professional painters. It is a week now and looks like another week to go, in meantime if you see me some place (highly unlikely since I am stuck in the house till work completes) do not comment upon my dirty unkempt hair or patches of paint/dirt on my dress, unless you don't want to return home that day!!!!!!
Well said. Butbstill after everything is over, dont we feel excited and all this trouble worthwhile?
ReplyDeleteIt is so natural to get many alternatives while taking up such a huge project like painting.For us also all the walls are starving since 2 yrs for painting.But thinking about the pre and post work we are hesitating
DeleteButr it is an unavoidable evil.