Painting Home Interior Spaces

Painting your home interior spaces involves painting the rooms in your house (garage, basement, and attic are optional). The smartest approach that attains the best finish involves painting the ceilings first, then the trim and doors, and last the walls.

Preparation

Painting

DIY or Hire A Professional?

A rough-in electrical inspection is necessary by law and you need a licensed professional to do the job. It is not a job you can do yourself.

Determining Project Scope

Determining your project scope involves clearly defining your goals, constraints, and timeline. Planning exactly what you want to accomplish is important before you hire any contractors. Whether its replacing your siding or simply refacing your kitchen cabinets, doing the proper planning will help you save time, money, and confusion later on.

Organizing Tasks by Trade

You will want to break down your task list by trade so you can properly assign each task to the right contractor.

Research & Tools

You can do research by reading popular home improvement websites such as HGTV or This Old House and using home renovation tools on the web, many of which are free.

Setting Your Budget

When setting a budget use the 30% rule and keep your budget within 30 percent of your current home's value. For example if your current home's value is $300k, then your budget should not be more than $90k. You should also consider the neighborhood ceiling cap which is the highest value's of the most recent home's sold on your block. This ensures that you get back a good percent of your investment upon resale.

Contractors, Material Grades, & ROI

You may also want to consider the quality of expertise you choose in your contractors, the grade of materials you use, and the ROI of any home improvement task. Our website for example lists the ROI on over 300 home renovation tasks!

Percent of Total Budget Per Room

Building Permit (residential renovation)

A building permit is required if you are doing any structural alternations to your home. For example new roofing, new decks, and moving any windows. You may want to check with your local laws before applying for a building permit.

Building Permit (addition)

A building permit is required if you are doing any structural alternations or additions to your home. For example room additions, new roofing, new decks, and moving any windows will require this permit. You may want to check with the local laws of your town before applying for a permit.

Electrical Permit

Electrical permits are required for all new wiring, new or moved outlets and any upgrades to your breaker box. You do not need an electrical permit for replacing light fixtures or switches. You may want to check with the laws in your area before applying for this permit.

Plumbing Permit

Plumbing permits are required for adding, moving, or removing any pipes, sinks, toilets, or showers. You will not need a permit for simply replacing or repairing a pipe or toilet. You may want to review your local laws on obtaining a plumbing permit before you apply.

Mechanical Permit Or HVAC Permit

HVAC permits are needed for adding, moving, or replacing your furnace, boiler, central ac, or ductwork. You do not need a permit for simple maintenance and repairs such as changing your filters or replacing your blower fan. You may want to check your local laws before applying for an HVAC permit.

Zoning Variance Permit (Area & Use)

A variance permit is necessary under unique circumstances to get around strict zoning requirements. Zoning requirements are added to general areas and do not always account for each unique property. They are split into two main categories, the properties area and its use. The area involves the properties unique shape, size, and slope. For example the area of a property may have a steep slope or be squeezed into a corner lot. An example for use is converting a residential property into a business.

Special Exception Permit

A special exception permit is granted only when certain zoning requirements are met. For example to open up a restaurant in a residential area you may have to show that the new traffic or noise levels will not cause a problem for the local residents. You will be required to attend hearing to determine if you adequately meet these established requirements.

Testing For Asbestos

Houses built before 1978 require asbestos testing before you can replace drywall or perform any minor construction work. Sample materials are taken from drywall, ceilings, and pipe insulation and sent to a lab for testing. Although there are DIY kits you can buy to peforom the tests yourself, it is highly recommended to hire a professional.

Testing For Lead-Based Paint

Testing for lead-based paint can be done in three different ways. The first involves sending chips of paint to a lab for testing. The second uses an XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) scanner that scans through multiple layers of paint providing an instant result. The third way is using DIY swabs that provide an immediate result. It is highly recommended especially for home renovation and real estate matters that you use a professional.

Mold & Moisture Testing

Testing for mold and moisture is important before doing any home renovation. Putting new walls over mold and damp places is not smart. It is highly recommended to primarily test for moisture over mold when testing. A moisture meter can be used to detect wet places and any mold inside your walls, ceilings, and flooring. You may want to identify the water source causing the moisture and/or mold and make the necessay repairs. If the moisture and/or mold covers a large area, we recommend you hire a professional.

Soil Bearing Capacity Testing

Soil bearing testing is done to test the maximum capacity or pressure the ground can handle. Home renovations that involve new additions that extend out and over the property may require this testing. There are five types of soil bearing tests you can perform:

While you can do a preliminary assessment of your soil, you will need a professional to do an official evaluation.

Radon Testing

If you are doing moderate to major renovations, finishing your basement, or doing any work near the foundation of your home, you should have a radon test done. It is smart to have the test done once in the beginning of your project and once at the end. You should also have a test done if you are either selling or buying a new one. It is also recommended by the EPA and the surgeon general that you test your home every 2 - 5 years.

Radon poisoning is the leading cause of cancer in non-smokers. Performing a test is the only way to detect radon, an invisible, odorles,s deadly gas.

DIY Radon Testing

You can DIY and perform the radon test with kits you can find in any Home Depot or Lowes. They take from 2 - 7 days and you will have to send the results by mail to be tested.

*As with any testing that involves your safety we recommend that you hire a certified professional to perform a radon test.

Structural & Load Bearing Testing

Structural and load-bearing testing is important before you begin your home renovation. Examining the original blueprints of the home will help you understand the structure and help you identify the support walls holding up your upper levels. Before removing any load-bearing walls you will have to build temporary support walls. You want to do this properly and may want to use a licensed structural engineer.

Failing to properly identiify load-bearing walls can lead to both costly and dangeros mistakes.

*You will need a licensed structural engineer before starting the demolition of your home.

Final Inspection From Local Building Inspector

This is the last inspection from the building inspector that when passed will give you your certificate of completion, occupancy, and close all your permits. They will check over all your structural modifications, plumbing, electrical and HVAC work done. They will also check your smoke detectors and railings to make sure everything is up to code.

*This inspection is different and comes before your final walkthrough and punchlist with your contractor.

Final Inspection & Walkthrough With Contractor

This is your final walkthrough with your contractor to create your punchlist. Your punchlist should list any problems you find, poorly done work, or work they may have missed. Any issues you find with your trim, other cosmetics, drywall, plumbing, electric, or HVAC should be listed down. This is your final chance to set the record straight with your contractor and make sure the work was all done correctly. The contractor will then arrange with you a plan to complete and fix all the items on your punchlist.

*This inspection is last and comes after you final inspection from your local or private building inspector.

Foundation Inspection

Before starting any moderate to major renovation you will want to have a footing or foundational inspection. If you are going to be adding an additional room on top of the first floor, the walls need to be strong enough to support it. The inspection will determine if the addition can be supported by the first floor and what additional support may be needed (new walls).

*Passing a foundation inspection is required to clear any permits and qualify you for your final inspection.

Rough-in Framing Inspection (Pre-drywall)

A rough framing inspection (also pre-drywall) assesses the basic structure of the house (walls, floors, & roof) to ensure it complies with all local building codes. It evaluates all rough-in electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and HVAC work. All windows and doors should be installed and the structure should be completely sealed. The inspection occurs before any drywall or insulation is added.

*Passing a rough framing inspection is required to clear any permits and qualify you for your final inspection.

Rough-in HVAC Inpsection

A rough HVAC inspection ensures that your heating and air conditioning system including all ductwork, gaslines, and refrigerant lines are working properly and fully compliant with city building codes. This occurs before any drywall is added.

*Passing a rough HVAC inspection is required to clear any permits and qualify you for your final inspection.

Rough-in Plumbing Inspection

The rough plumbing inspection takes place after your pipes are installed and before the drywall and insulation are added. It ensures that your plumbing including your water line, pipes, waste and drains are working properly and meet all local city codes.

*Passing a rough plumbing inspection is required to clear any permits and qualify you for your final inspection.

Rough-in Electrical Inspection

A rough-in electrical inspection ensures that all your wiring is correctly installed. It checks the electricl work against all local fire and safety codes and the National Electric Code (NEC). This inspection happens after your rough-in plumbing and before your framing inspections. It must be passsed before any insulation and drywall can be added.

DIY or Hire A Professional?

A rough-in electrical inspection is necessary by law and you need a licensed professional to do the job. It is not a job you can do yourself.

Post-Drywall Inspection

The post-drywall inspection ensures that the hanging of drywall, taping and screwing were done correctly. It checks to make sure there is no bowing in the walls, nails showing, or poor taping work. This is a critical phase as once you start painting it will be very difficult to fix any mistakes.

DIY or Hire A Professional?

A post-drywall inspection is not required by law and you can save money doing it yourself. But we still recommend a professional to inspect your drywall. Any mistakes your inspector finds are then liable to your contractor to fix.

Insulation Inspection

An insulation inspection checks that all insulation was properly installed. It checks that the right thickness and R-Value were used for the best efficiency. It looks for any un-sealed areas around windows, corners and doors that should be sealed. This ensures compliance with local building codes and energy efficiency requirements.

DIY or Hire A Professional?

Doing the insulation work yourself can save you money. But if you are not educated on the right types of insulation to use for each space, the correct R-Types, local codes and energy requirements then you may want to hire a professional.

Kitchen Demolition

Determining your project scope involves clearly defining your goals, constraints, and timeline. Planning exactly what you want to accomplish is important before you hire any contractors. Whether its replacing your siding or simply refacing your kitchen cabinets, doing the proper planning will help you save time, money, and confusion later on.

Organizing Tasks by Trade

You will want to break down your task list by trade so you can properly assign each task to the right contractor.

Research & Tools

You can do research by reading popular home improvement websites such as HGTV or This Old House and using home renovation tools on the web, many of which are free.