If, like many of us, you've ever wondered how professional painters avoid making a mess, read on. As homeowners, we often tackle projects that the pros make look easy, but we end up with a mess, and they don’t. Professional painters look at their job just like you look at yours, so they won’t cause themselves problems they will eventually have to correct. Today, we will take a look at what pro painters might do differently from you to avoid making a mess.

What Do Professional Painters Know That I Don’t?

Professional painters invest years in learning their craft, so many have developed ways to keep clean up to a minimum and avoid accidents. Some of these methods will sound like common sense, but it’s easy to get distracted when you are always looking up. Which is the first topic we will discuss.

Pros Keep Trip Hazards Away From the Work Area

For example, when the pros are painting a wall, they will ensure there is nothing in the path of the painter from beginning to end. If the painter intends to paint four walls without stopping, he or she will make sure there are no hoses, buckets, handles, or anything else to trip over.

One of the most common accidents DIYers make is to trip over a bucket of paint. One way to avoid this accident is to place your roller paint or paint bucket on the other side of the door. This way you can’t accidently step into a tray of paint because you’ll have to open the door first.

Pro Painters Have the Appropriate Tools For the Job

Professional painters often use special tools to make sure paint only goes where they want it. Pros will often have a variety of paint guards at their disposal, often working in teams of two or even three. Pro painters will use guards on rollers to prevent splatters, edgers to avoid crooked lines, and painter’s tape to protect trim.

Drop cloths are your friends, so you can never have too many. Drop cloths are available in plastic (the most common disposable version), canvas, and some double as a tarp. Drop cloths will rescue you from most accidents, so use them generously. Be careful though and keep them flat on the floor so they don’t gather and cause a tripping hazard.

Pro Painters Won’t Take Avoidable Risks

When professional painters are faced with tapestries, pianos, and other difficult to move objects they may spend as much effort in protection as they do in painting. Professionals carry insurance for accidental damage that might occur at a customer’s home, but obviously they want to avoid accidents whenever possible.

If professional painters encounter a project difficult to safely reach, they will invest in constructing scaffolding, ladders and walkboards. Professionals won’t take unnecessary risks, so they will be prepared with whatever tools they need to access the project without damaging your home.

Pro Painters Avoid Poor Weather

If you live in an area with unpredictable weather like the southeastern United States, you may find the weather throws you a curveball. Professional painters won’t risk painting if there is a significant chance the weather will prevent a good job. Pro painters are patient and detail oriented, so they won’t usually start a project they can’t finish.

Obviously, some of this skill comes from experience, but some is having the resources like additional manpower available if speed is suddenly needed. Few things ruin a day like a half painted wall that couldn’t dry before a heavy rain shower. Always give yourself an extra 20% more good weather time than you think you’ll need just in case.