You haven't mentioned where you are in your budget, but I just found myself in a similar spot and I'll share how I dealt with it in case it helps you. I don't know if your situation is salvageable because it doesn't sounds like you trust this guy AT ALL, but just in case there is a way, here goes: First: our GC is my Dad, who is a professional builder but has more experience with commercial work or large-scale residential, not single family custom homes. Next: the painter we hired was the painter I used in our last home, who re-painted every room in the house in my new colors and did a great job. Our problem in a nutshell: This painter quoted the interior paint job thousands less than the others ($16K vs. $23K+) and the final negotiation between my dad and the painter resulted in $12K. (The house is 7500 sq ft in metro Atlanta area for comparison's sake.) We are on a seriously tight budget, so the price really mattered and dad felt he could watch the guy like a hawk. Which he did, until it became clear that the painter was only going to do a primer coat and one finish coat, which did not (NOT!) cover the walls fully. So then dad and the painter got into it and dad terminated him, which resulted in the painter threatening to lien the house. (We are in the midst of securing our permanent financing so a lien would really stink right now.) Bottom line: there was no contract (!!!) which dad claims is OK because he says in a right to work state a GC can hire and fire at will, and this kind of work does not have to be formally contracted. (I wince when I hear this, because I am Consumer Reports-reading conservative rule-follower.) The painter then says he is done and is owed the remainder of his contract (amount of remainder in dispute, for other uninteresting reasons, bur range is $1600-$2800). And, if I want more paint on the walls, it will be another $3500. So, to: A) avoid a lien, B) attempt to find a win-win, and C) get my house painted, I offered the painter a written agreement to complete the job - including full wall coverage - for $2200. And, if he completed the work by Friday at 5 p.m., I would double the amount and pay him $4500. I wrote a 6 page document outlining the situation, the offer, and the requirements to get the $4500. I told him he was free to sign and do the work or not sign and we were done. He signed, and he's at work now doing what seems to be a nice job so far. Essentially, my strategy was to "start over" with him and identify clearly what had to be done and for how much and by what time. Then I got his signature. If you think your situation has the potential to work, then perhaps you could start over, too. I hope whatever you decide works out in the end. I have no idea if my strategy was smart because the work is not done yet. But, for now at least the paint is going up on the walls, and if it is OK in the end, I will have gotten the interior painted for $15K (including material costs) which I can afford. I am pretty sure the painter is coming out ahead of where he thought he would be, but I am OK with that if the work is good. Whether $15K is an appropriate amount for 7500 sq ft interior painting in Atlanta, I have no idea, but I hope at least it is not WAY too much. Good luck!

At least he asked "where" first! At least that's somethin'. :-D Oh gosh, I've had painters fill the bath tub, wash rollers & brushes, drain the water and leave it. I've had them commandeer kitchen sinks, entire bathroom vanties to be used as "staging areas". Loose rule of thumb for me is if it's warm enough to paint outside, then it's warm enough to clean up outside -- or take your tools with you and deal with them off site. I'm pretty much all for nippin' things in the bud. The sooner the better. It's not so much "when" you address it, it's "how". If you approach it the right way, you should have no worries about getting the quality job you expect. Just be honest and matter of fact and keep on with genuinely wanting to help where and how you can -- if all you have as a solution is outside, then that's simply all there is and they need to rely on other means to clean up their tools if they don't want to use what you have available. Kind of in line with the topic: It is nice to provide a space for a painter to work. Having them use their truck and keep running back and forth is not productive. If you have a utility sink, it's really nice to offer it as a place for them to set up and work. They are working in your house and need some accommodations. It's funny because some painters are intuitive and strive to have good manners as part of their pride of service, other guys just don't get it and it never crosses their mind that everyone isn't as interested in taking good care of their brushes as they are -- as in what makes you think your kitchen sink is good enough for their brushes? :D If you have special requirements it's a good idea to simply write it in the contract so everyone knows where everyone else stands -- get it all out on the table. Like if the job will run several days and really can't let them leave stuff behind -- from large stuff to the smaller stuff. I had one client who expected that even the paint would go with the painter every night. It was January and the garage really wasn't the best option - for a couple reasons. Basement was two flights down and I really thought that was unnecessary as well. Protected floors and an out of the way corner was what they needed to get okay with -- and they did. Bathroom accommodations are another issue. I personally think it's ridiculous when homeowners state they don't want painters using their bathrooms. Actually, it makes me mad and I have to breathe really deeply to help them rethink that *requirement*. I had one woman tell me and the painters that there was a McDonald's right at the end of the street and that's where they need to go on breaks and to use the facilities. She didn't even want them sitting in their trucks in her drive way to grab a drink, eat lunch or smoke. Josh, the painter, just picked up all of his paperwork, looked at me and said, "talk to you later, Lori" and quietly left. I told the woman I thought she might be better off DIYing, good luck with everything, and it was nice to meet her. Oh lord, I could go on and on... People are funny.

Professional painters out there - should I have not insisted on a paint that the painter was not familiar with? A professional painter has to decide whether he or she is capable of producing professional results with the product. That is not your responsibility. Since the painter agreed to the contract and the materials, the painter is responsible for the results. Can the painter sand the runs after the last coat and the finish still look good? Runs and drips are caused by improper application. All runs and drips should always be sanded out after the first coat has dried. If they are not sanded then, the layer of paint builds on the run and makes it very difficult to level it without visible evidence. How much runs and sags are acceptable and still have good quality work? None. If you have worked with Cabinet Coat, what do you suggest? The proper thinning, proper tip size and an HVLP spray system is always required for Cabinet Coat. Michael USING SPRAY EQUIPMENT TO APPLY - If you are an adventuresome homeowner, you may wish to spray paint your cabinets. For the least messy approach, we recommend the use of an H.V.L.P. (High Volume Low Pressure) Spray System. Some paint dealers may rent this equipment to you. The H.V.L.P. uses high volumes of low pressure air to atomize the paint. It has the advantage of producing very little overspray, so you wonÂt be standing in a fog of paint as you work. However, to avoid costly problems, take your doors and drawers outside for painting. Also take the time to mask or cover all surfaces that you donÂt want painted. We found that thinning the paint with not more than 8 ounces of water per gallon worked best. We used the number 12 air cap and needle. The best spray pattern is a circular one, which was produced by using the oscillating setting. Keep the spray gun moving so that you donÂt build up a heavy coat in one spot. If you start to get drips, try two thin coats. Pay close attention to the operating instructions of the spray equipment manufacturer. Wear goggles to protect your eyes and a carbon filter paint respirator to avoid breathing in the paint particles.

Sorry you're having these difficulties!! Yep...roller-lines AREN'T caused by the paint itself!! 99.5% of the time, it's purely "Painter error"! Causes: * Poor technique/equipment... * Overworking the primer & paint... * Pushing coats too thin. "Builders' painters" are used (USUALLY) solely for speed...NOT quality. Many couldn't produce a flawless wall if they were offered a new Ferrari! I'm not a pro painter, but work at an upscale Paint/Hdwr. store. The walls I've done at home are flawless. * I use only the best Roller-covers (Purdy White-Doves or Wooster Pro-Doozs). * Nice stiff-necked roller-frames ) Wooster green-handled Sherlock GT's, with the GT Pole. * Paints: I'm spoiled here! I tint my own C2, ACE-Royal, or Ralph-Lauren, with C2-One primer as my FAVE! * I've even used an FPE color. >>> I'm very careful with technique & prep! * On cleaned/primed walls, I paint a 2.5' wide column, using 4 roller-loads per 8' height. * After doing these 4 vertical "blocks", I bring my unloaded roller to the top of this column & do 3 REAL LIGHT downward "sweeps"...ceiling-to-floor-motion. * This "lays-off" the paint so all stipple is leaning the same direction, and thin-spots/roller-turns are smoothed out. * Repeat this "column-work" around the room. * Keeping your column width to ~ 2.5' ensures you're getting enough paint on the wall!! * Seriously...I cannot find a roller-line or sheen-variation in my jobs at home! Faron