12 Feb What’s best for everyone?
The main reason we take the time to write our blog is as a service to clients and potential clients across Northern Virginia. Our topics most often stem from questions we frequently receive or information we think would be valuable for clients to have. However, one topic we haven’t written much about is pets. What should a homeowner do if they own pets and painting or other project needs to be performed in their home?
This is an important topic for many reasons:
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- Many of our homeowners are pet owners.
- We love pets, too!
- Beloved as they are, pets roaming through the house could pose a safety risk for our crews while they’re working.
- Roaming pets could cause damage during a project.
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If you have a pet that typically roams through the home, like dogs and cats, here are some essential points to consider before we arrive to start your project. However, these can also apply to most other pets like hamsters and birds. Having a crew enter and work in their “space” could be stressful for any animal.
Again, we love pets, and many of us are pet owners. As much as we’d love to hang out with your pet, having them around while we’re working, isn’t practical for several reasons.
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- We don’t want to be the ones to keep your pets away from the work area, nor do we want to try to restrain your pets. It’s not fair to them or us.
- As the pet owner, you’ll know far better than us where to keep the dog or cat while we’re in your home. That might be at doggy daycare or a friend’s house.
- Pet hair from a roaming pet can get into paint cans or paint trays and onto wet walls.
- A pet doesn’t know a wet wall from a dry one. The last thing anyone wants is an animal to rub against wet paint and then transfer that paint elsewhere.
- It’s not unheard of for a dog or cat to step into a tray of paint, then run off through the house, transferring paint across floors, rugs, or even furniture in another room. (We always cover the furniture in the room or rooms where we’re working, but we don’t cover the furniture in other rooms.)
- A male dog might mark their “territory” on a drop cloth or even on a painter!
- Pets can sneak out of the house (or yard) as we’re coming in and out carrying equipment and materials.
- It’s not unheard of to find a homeowner’s pet in the back of our van.
- Some of our materials could be hazardous or deadly if a pet were to ingest them.
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If you have any questions about your project and pet before we arrive, please feel free to speak with us. We’re happy to work with you on how best to accommodate your beloved pet while we’re working.
Mike Katounas is the owner of Home Works Painting, a painting business in Northern Virginia. He has over 15 years of experience in residential interior and exterior painting, drywall installation/repair, carpentry, wallpaper removal, power washing, commercial painting, color consultation, and staining/sealing. Their service areas include Chantilly, Fairfax, Herndon, Oakton, Reston. Mike takes pride in his work, and he always follows a strict code of conduct that includes the use of quality paint, a clean workspace, and an honest, respectful approach to his customers.
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