How much to pay for someone to learn to paint cement floor

11 years ago

I thought I posted this somewhere else but obviously I cannot find it so I didn't. Effects of medication. Sorry. That's that you can see I really need your help

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Hi,

I really need your advice.

I'm doing some floor painting in my basement backroom. Im looking up prices on painting the backroom floor, in the basement. It's about $0.50 to $1 per sqft from what I can see.

It's about 100sqft with some odd shapes and the area equipment removed from the sum (eg water heater, sump pump, hvac).

My nephew has to learn how to do this for this job, which meant I have to learn too, step by step talking to each manufacturer, store personnel etc as he was with me listening as I asked the questions, we both listened & learn.

So essentially I had to instruct him even after this pretty much exactly what to do and over see much of this. He is in late 20's. He gets to do all the hard work as I am disabled. That's why I need him in the first place, but it wasn't something I could just say could you do xyz and it would be done. I have to be there almost every step.

So far we are 1/2 through it. He has etched it, and the next step is painting it. The first part took 5 hours buying and 4.5 hours to etch using acid to make the concrete porous. (Ps ended up with H&C) products I believe they are called. Seem good. Got a color to match the exterior basement room& then what will be in the interior to the room eg black Oryx washer& dryer

The next step is two costs of paint. on the floor, It's already bought. My nephew will have to do the trim and then roll the paint, and then do another coat.

He has experience in painting so that part should not take that much time, maybe 3 hours then some dry time and then the last coat and then clean up.

We are close family. For this job, we both look at this as a learning experience but I want to be fair paying consisting of more hours than normal hours but at same time can't let hours break me - in the past I've paid him per hour for tasks but can't afford his hourly wage, & right now he has free hours. In the shopping part he did help me with quick some unrelated items as we passed them on the isles (needed for new house closed last month' He will be helping me with future projects. Any guidance?

hp.

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Comment (1)

raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
11 years ago
Here are 2 possible ways you could go:

One is finding out what a professional painter would have charged to do only the actual prep and painting (you supplying the materials as you have done) and see if that is in your price range. Many painters will give a "per sq. foot" price. I would pay your nephew less because you are having to instruct and supervise, which you would be paying a pro to NOT have to do. For example, I was going to pay a pro $400 to prep and repaint my porch; my nephew wanted the job, and he was able to do it without my coaching, so he got the full $400. If I had had to stand over him and tell him or show him how to scrape, sand and caulk, I would have paid less.

The other is too look at it as, you are getting unskilled labor from him and pay him a reasonable rate for unskilled labor for 1.5-2 days work, either by the hour or by the day. That varies depending on where you live. He has gotten some free education on how to do this type of job from you; I don't see paying him for the time taken to teach him how to do it (would you pay a handyman to learn how to do the job you've hird him to do?) but, OTOH, maybe a bit more because he is handling caustic materials or also a little "bonus" because he is doing a good job and not wasting time.

I would be shocked (and so would my nephews) at an expectation to be paid for helping me for every little thing (like extra items in the store). And vice versa. Maybe your family sees things differently? Too bad you didn't settle this beforehand, if he now expects to be paid per hour at the same rate as he always has been, not doing so could cause hard feelings so you have to be honest with him about what you can afford.

Hope this helps.
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