can you call painting a trade..?

Discussion in 'Painters' Talk' started by WayneBurgess, May 16, 2012.

  1. WayneBurgess

    WayneBurgess New Member



    Where do many painters and decorators learn their trade? Well we have debated this previously, and the answer is at Her Majestys pleasure.
    The problem for painters is that their trade is also a hobby, like gardeners & gardening for example. Plumbing & electrics are subject to DIY competition but they're not hobbies in the same way,met a few iffy one's who paint over anything including wall brackets. There aint that much to learn in painting is there?
     
  2. Adolf

    Adolf New Member

    Panters & Decoraters used to attend art college in order to be taught sign writing as well paper hanging, painting, plastering and other skills. I served a five year apprenticeship but too many cowboys now consider themselves to be decorators!

    Bona-fide decoraters do not carry out their work as a hobby, it is a skill just as electricians, plumbers, bricklayers etc.
     
  3. Pink Panther.

    Pink Panther. New Member

    I agree a skilled painter and decorator is worth his weight in woodchip,
     
  4. leonmuriel

    leonmuriel New Member

    its about individual integrity aswell..you can have qualified upto the hilt decorators who once they were let loose set about making money via average or poor work..and someone less qualified but none the less capable  who may give you a quality job all the time..same with any trade..alot of good tradesmen and women out there..but also alot of bad ones who dont give two hoots about anything or anybody save themselves and their wallet...anyone who makes a living doing something is a proffessional..but the word itself has many aspects..and only your customers can say whether you are a pro or not.
     
  5. Novice

    Novice Guest

    I would say it is a real and very good trade. As an amateur (my day job is in IT), I can understand that to get an excellent job done requires a tonne of knowledge, lots of skill and experience, and the right attitude/approach. There's a lot to consider : the surface being decorated, the ambient temperature, the type of brush, the type of paint, preparing surfaces correctly, fixing badly decorated areas before starting redecoration, sanding, tools, primers, how not to make a mess, putting-up coving, architraving, dealing with woodwork etc etc.

    I have to do my own decorating to keep costs down, and the finish is 'good enough', but if I had the money I'd engage an expert pro, though finding one would doubtless be difficult - I'm sure the best people are snapped-up and retained by wealthy clients.

    It should be recognised as a proper trade, with training and a certificate, and apprenticeships churning-out youngsters who can go on and earn a living, in something where there is always strong demand. That way standards can go up, costs come down, and we lose the cowboys. In another life, I would not shy from a career as an expert pro Painter and Decorator, taking pride in first-class workmanship that is appreciated as such by the client.
     
  6. ilikethislady

    ilikethislady New Member

    Yeah it's a good trade, problem is there are too many chancers doing it, brushes and some steps cost next to nothing....

    AW
     
  7. power2sme

    power2sme New Member

    Hi, I feel painting is an art not trade exactly. Painters learn the basic skills and get to the skilled one by their creativity, innovation and basic skills. But now a days, many are using it as a trade as well.........
    By:
    Power2Sme
     
  8. fidobsa

    fidobsa Member

    With technological advances, painting gets easier over the years but the same applies to most trades. Most plumbers would struggle to plumb a new house in lead these days and  brickies would not be able to make their own lime mortar if you gave them a pile of limestone and some coal. My first house in Scotland had some of the woodwork done with fake woodgrain effects. This had probably been done in the 1940s but there are still a few of the older painters there who create these finishes.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0XUfgfciX0
     
  9. giffie

    giffie New Member

    Hi a time served painter and decorator is worth his weight in gold, a decorator with 25 years plus under his belt has come across every concievable problem that the trade has to throw at him and learn;t how to over come it and as such has built up a purticular speed that only comes with time and practice and as a decorator, he has to make all the rough carpentry work and plastering coving ect look good and basicly rectify other tradesmens bodges to the point of acceptability, the saying goes IF YOU CAN PEE YOU CAN PAINT but you cant pee in a straight line.
     
  10. Systemmaster

    Systemmaster New Member

    I am not a professional decorator and I dont think there are many left

    I agree there are a lot of companies that will come and apply paint to surfaces but are they only doing what you asked for.

    Everyone agrees the quality of most jobs in in the preparation and then the skill of finishing it. Being able to deal with cracks in plaster, refix loose architrave, etc. But all of that costs and takes time.

    A lot of people will quote low, because they are just going to slap paint on everything - filling blemishes with polyfiller and or paintable caulk  - but if that is all you paid for you cant expect anything else. Where I used to work - the decorators painted over cobwebs and didnt even dust the top of the skirting boards so the paint at the bottom of the wall looked and felt like cement when they had finished

    So - you need to talk to the "decorator" and aks him what he proposes to do. IF he says he will remove wall fittings (not paint around them), replace loose plaster, deal with cracks, etc etc - and then quotes more that the local guy with a paint roller - it is up to you to decided if you think that is worth the extra money
     
  11. Kieran

    Kieran Guest

    If you take your time, do a very neat job, undercoat correctly, sand down your work, fill using the right manner, make repairs where needed & make a repair that will cost you another 3 hours work when you was planning an early finish. Then yes you can call it a trade.
     
  12. Kieran

    Kieran Guest

    Yes I like you answer, that s just what I was getting at
     
  13. Kieran

    Kieran Guest

    I can first thing in the morning
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice