So you or someone close to you is about to undertake that paint project, but you know little or nothing about it except for what you have been used to;

Find someone to get you a painter
Get an estimate from the painter or whoever you are buying the paint from, and then
purchase the paint.
Permit me to further guess (in more details) the ways you’ve gone about these processes in the past; you either got someone take care of everything or you contacted a family member or friend who paints/manufactures paint to hook you up or you just snatched a painter off the street to get the job done? These ways of handling your paint project are good but there are better ways to go about it without facing the wastes, risks and uncertainties accompanying the methods I already mentioned.

This post may be a little too long, but our aim is to ensure you understand all the pitfalls. So this post – 10 pitfalls to avoid in your next paint project will be as elaborate as possible, please be patient. Below are some tips that can help you understand what not to do in your next paint project and assist you in handling same just like a pro and for way less than you could have.

1) Not understanding the different types of paints and their usability: There are several types and classes of house paints in the Nigerian paint industry, however the primary types include emulsion, texcote (textured, texcoat), gloss (oil), silk, matt, sandy trowel, screeding, etc. These distinctive paints types/classes should not be compared as they all have different uses. Some can be combined to give a more distinct paint type usually referred to a secondary type. For example, textured matt is a combination of texcote (textured, texcoat) materials and matt materials, so it qualifies as a secondary type of paint. Also, different paint types are further classified into water-based and oil-based (i.e. water soluble and oil soluble for science-inclined persons), the only oil based paint listed previously is the gloss paint. Oil-based paints (gloss) are more suitable for metalworks such as windows and doors protectors (burglary proof) while water-based paints are most-suitably applied on concrete walls.
PS: I personally don’t advice the use of silk paint on the exteriors of buildings and on fences, because it doesn’t react well with diverse weather conditions



2) Not knowing that there are no “best paints” only different brands: Every time I am asked which paint is the best? My impulse response remains the same – there are no best paints. There are only different qualities and different brand names. For example, I’ve met people that are of the opinion that foreign made paints are of a better quality than Nigerian made paints. This is highly untrue. Most foreign paints are a lot more expensive because the manufacturers have been in business for decades, their advertisement budgets are huge, they have success stories in several continents and they have made a name that sells itself thereby affording them a status symbol. Sadly though, the same cannot be said for most locally manufactured paints, except for a handful that have been around for decades. Most locally manufactured paints suffer from the assumption that they are all inferior to their foreign counterparts. This is as a result of several factors enumerated below.
Low advertisement and marketing budget
Low brand quality
However, given the same conditions as their foreign counterparts, some locally made paints might just surpass the qualities some of the finest foreign paints pride in. In most cases, we get what we buy; the cheaper paints are usually of lower quality. If integrity wasn’t an issue, give the local manufacturer more money and get a better quality.

3) Not understanding that different qualities have difference life spans: In reality, we buy what we get. See below a case study.


Case study: I have seen a local manufacturer whose 20 litres emulsion paint cost about N3,000 (three thousand naira) sell a ‘high quality emulsion’ for about N20,000 (twenty thousand naira)”; the customer was aware that pricing influence quality, so he requested for a paint that would last for 8years and he was billed for that quality. If this same manufacturer samples this paint quality in the market, it would most likely not sell in time and tie down the working capital of the struggling entrepreneur. So for your next paint job, if you want a very good quality paint with a long life span, communicate this to your supplier and be willing to pay the cost.



4) Getting the wrong advice: There is an African proverb that says, ‘the fly that does not heed advice will go down the grave with the corpse’ while this is true, it is important to realise that there are some wrong advice out there. For example, you can shot yourself on your feet when you depend on the painter or the paint supplier for an estimate. They would most likely inflate the price and wrongfully keep the excesses. Get free paint here: expertpaintadvice.com.ng.


5) Soliciting estimates from non-professional: Wondering where to obtain straightforward advice and accurate estimates for your paint project? Expert Paint Advice is your choice and where there are excesses, our suppliers take back the paint and the customer gets a refund. This curbs inflation and ensures zero waste. Get free site visit and estimate here: expertpaintadvice.com.ng.


6) Not setting a time target: Embarking on a paint project without giving all parties involved a time target will be a huge mistake. Giving the painter(s) a target time helps for professionalism, orderliness, and I’m sure you don’t want the painter(s) to abandon your job for another, just because there is no urgency in yours. However, quality finishing shouldn’t be jeopardised in the process.

7) Not employing the services of certified professional painters: When you employ the services of certified professional painters, you enjoy rest, impeccable finishing, security of property and professionalism. On the other hand, getting a road side painter or the one recommended by someone would not guaranty the aforementioned. Do the right thing, get certified professional painters from https://expertpaintadvice.com.ng/directory-1/.


Not considering the security of the lives and properties of the people in your site: Paints have a pungent smell and is unhealthy for the human body; even if the building was already inhabited, it’s not advisable to spend the night in a room that was just painted. Especially, pregnant women and children should not be in an environment where paint is being applied.


9) Not saving cost to the barest minimum: In this recession, it’s only right that we cut down waste and save cost in every ramification of our lives; painting is not excluded. To figure out how best to save cost in recession read this https://expertpaintadvice.com.ng/8-ways-to-reduce-painting-cost-in-recession.




10) Not getting the painters to clean up after their mess: It is just right and responsible for everyone to clean up after their mess. So, just before you contract the painter(s), inform them of the need to clean up after themselves; except you don’t mind the pain of scrubbing the dried up paints off the ground or paying professional cleaner, have the painter(s) do it. Read: https://expertpaintadvice.com.ng/who-cleans-the-mess-after-painting/ for more on this.


If this tips were helpful to you, they would be to your friends and family, so kindly share with them. Request a free site visit, expert advice and accurate estimate at www.expertpaintadvice.com.ng.


Our services include;
- Free site visit and estimates
- Quality local and foreign paints
- Trained painters
- Paint Production Business factory setup and trainings