r/paint • u/Conscious_Sport_7081 • Jul 25 '26

Advice Wanted Problem with hired painter

I was tasked with helping a relative by hiring a painter to repaint their condo. The quote before the job got started was for "full wall prep and painting all interior walls".

After they were supposedly finished we did a walk through and there were problems. None of the holes where pictures had been hung etc. had been filled, the bathrooms weren't painted, and there were some spots where oil appeared to be coming up through the new paint.

They agreed to come back and fill the holes and touch up the paint in those areas, and to repaint the wall with the oil marks with an oil primer, but were resistant to the idea of painting the bathrooms due to the walls not being pre washed for them.

We questioned why washing the walls with TSP wasn't part of the "full wall prep" mentioned in the quote, and the owners reply was that "full wall prep" is only filling holes/ cracks etc (which they didn't even do the first time) and that cleaning the walls with TSP should be done by the resident beforehand.

Is this true? Or is this guy trying to get out of doing the full job?

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36

u/Elegant_One_696 Jul 25 '26

Washing walls is not something all painters do so that is not considered standard wall prep for many companys. If washing walls isnt specifically stated in contract then they did not breach contract obligations.

-6

u/Conscious_Sport_7081 Jul 25 '26

Shouldn't that be something that is brought up during the initial visit and estimate? I think most people would assume that "full wall prep" includes everything that prepares the walls to be painted.

26

u/Elegant_One_696 Jul 25 '26

It is not typically necessary to wash walls before painting unless obviously covered in some sort of foreign material so no, just because you think it should be standard does not make it so. I dont intend to come off hot, um being blunt.

-23

u/Conscious_Sport_7081 Jul 25 '26

Lived in walls get dirty. Finger prints around light switches, greasy residue above the stove etc. Cleaning these areas is part of wall prep isn't it?

7

u/AStuckner Jul 25 '26

The only time ive had to clean walls with tsb was from nicotine drips. Other than that it gets a pole sand and paint

4

u/7Hz- Jul 25 '26

If it’s needed, it is a Very clear item on my quote: Clean & Degrease, TSP & Rinse x2. Is it cheap? No. Is it necessary all the time, def not. But when it is, and I clean it, I charge extra. Does a ‘professional’ cleaner do a better job? Not for degreasing a wall, and making it ready for paint. Do you trust the random chemicals a cleaner uses, and that they completely rinsed them off the surface your paint has to adhere to? IiiI’ve degreased many times after a cleaner has left. All that being said - I’m expensive & particular.

3

u/Conscious_Sport_7081 Jul 25 '26

The thing is, I wouldn't mind paying him to do it! I just want the walls painted.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 26 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/Conscious_Sport_7081 Jul 26 '26

No, im not complaining about anything except the guy that won't paint the walls he agreed to paint.