Should I Paint Before Or After Installing Flooring?
Most of the time the order we do things in is obvious: cereal before milk, pants before shoes, wash before dry. Sometimes, however, the order isn't so clear.
As they plan their interior renovation, many Bay Area homeowners wonder whether to install new flooring or to repaint the walls and trim first. While either order can work when done right, MB Jessee Painting recommends installing flooring first for several reasons.
3 reasons why you should install flooring before painting
There are two main problems that can occur if flooring is installed after painting:
- Potential damage to the new paint job. Since a roll of carpet is always the width of the room, it's easy to scrape walls as you enter and place the new floor covering. When tiling a floor, working with a trowel near the walls can often lead to dents in the baseboards. Installing a wood or laminate floor can also entail using glue and tools near your baseboards and lower walls, often leading to unsightly mishaps and damage. Any of these dents, scratches, and scrapes will take time and money to repair correctly.
- New flooring might be a different height than the previous flooring. This could leave you with a small stripe of unpainted baseboard that the old floor covered but the new floor does not. You might also find yourself needing to lower your baseboards, which is not something you want to have to do after repainting your walls.
What about drips or splatters???
The main hesitation that homeowners have in finishing floors before walls is the fear of drips, splatters, and spills on their new wood or carpet. This problem, however, can be easily prevented, and is not nearly as serious a risk as those involved in painting first. A professional painting contractor should take proper care in setting up the room to prevent any possibility of damage to your new flooring.
Have questions about your Bay Area interior painting project?
If you need more information or would like our team of professional painters in San Francisco, East Bay, and Contra Costa counties to work on your next project, contact us today for a free estimate.
