Paint in most Indian cities has to handle two things most paint charts do not mention: the monsoon, and the dampness that comes through the walls after it. In Mumbai or Kochi it is heavy rain, in Kolkata it is the humidity, and in Jaipur it is the summer heat that cracks what the rain soaked. A wall that looks perfect in April can start bubbling by the end of the rains if the problem underneath was never fixed. So the most useful questions for a painter are mostly not about paint. They are about the wall.
Check the walls before anyone gives a quote
Walk around the house with a torch and touch the walls. Look for four things: powdery or chalky patches, paint that lifts when you press it, water marks or dark patches near the floor and around windows, and thin cracks in a straight line. Each one needs work before the first coat. A painter who does not look for them will paint right over them.
Write down what you found. You can compare it with the quote later.
Questions to ask
What preparation work is included? This is the most important question. Scraping, filling, sanding, primer, and a damp-proof or waterproof coat where needed are each separate work with a separate cost. A quote for "two coats of paint" with nothing before it is the cheapest version of the job. It will show within a year.
What will you do about the dampness? If you found water marks or dark patches, ask directly. An honest answer names a cause, like a leaking terrace, a pipe inside the wall, or damp rising from the floor. Then they either include the fix or tell you to get it fixed first. "Special paint will handle it" is not a real answer.
Which paint, which finish, and why? Inside walls in a humid city do better with a washable finish. Outside walls need paint made for outside use, and the difference is real. Ask for the product name and the number of coats, and ask why they chose it. You want a reason, not just a brand.
How many workers, and for how many days? Three painters for six days is a different job from one painter for three weeks. Both can be fine, but the quote should say which one. The plan should also allow for rainy days.
What about my furniture and floors? Furniture should be moved and covered, floors covered, switches taped, and everything put back after. Ask if this is included, and who will clean the paint drops off the tiles at the end.
Can I have the quote in writing? Preparation work for each room, paint names and coats, number of days, number of workers, and what is not included. A photo of a written list is fine.
How good preparation looks
To see if the preparation was done well, look at the wall on the second day, before any colour goes on. It should be smooth, even in shade, and filled where it was cracked. You should be able to see the primer as its own layer. If they started painting on the first day, the preparation was not done.
Ask the neighbour whose walls still look good
Every street has one house that was painted three monsoons ago and still looks new. That owner knows things a listing cannot tell you. Did the painter fix the dampness or just cover it? Did they come back for touch-ups? Were the workers the same ones who gave the quote?
Ask them. Then ask the painter for that house as a reference, and see if the answers match.
On Zinola
- Ask your street whose paint job has lasted, and who did it.
- Read the painting reviews neighbours near you have written, with before and after photos where they added them.
- Open the painting directory to see who covers your area and message them directly.
You do not book or pay through Zinola. You hire the painter directly. After the job, share how it went, so the next home on your street knows.