Oh I could go on, there is so much to say about paint. Lets talk about paint finishes, and primers. This is so important and I have a lot to say about it. To me, priming is an absolute rule, not even up for discussion.
PAINT FINISHES
CEILINGS I always choose the paint made for a ceiling, for the ceiling. It is usually a less inexpensive can of paint, because it does not need to be as durable, unless you walk on your ceilings. If the brand you are purchasing from, does not have paint specific to a ceiling, go with Flat or Matte, you certainly do not want the lighting to glare against the sheen of a high gloss paint on your ceiling, that can look very tacky.
WALLS I prefer a less shiny finish here as well. I think it is a more modern look in general, so I usually choose an eggshell finish for my walls. However, if it were the kitchen or bathroom, I might choose a Satin finish. Satin has a subtle sheen but is not a glossy finish. Some might go for a Semi-gloss here, that is certify an option, and is very durable. For me personally, I am not a fan of shiny paint.
TIP – if you have a wall with imperfections, any shine, even that from a Satin finish, will emphasize those imperfections. An Eggshell, Flat, or Matte finish would camouflage those, not so pretty marks. Its dull, smooth, look would help the imperfections to disappear into the wall.
MOLDINGS AND ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS Here is where I use a Satin finish, which is a beautiful creamy paint, with a kind of glow from within look and feel. It has a soft look, and in my opinion, is well suited for Wood Moldings. Your baseboards and window moldings, don’t usually have many imperfections, which this paint can emphasize, so no worries. If you do have nicks in your wood, try filing them with wood putty, allow to dry, then sand smooth and prime before painting. Look for self leveling, and non-yellowing paints in this instance, as well. This Satin finish paint dries with a bit of a harder finish, and stands the test of time. It is also easy to clean dirty fingerprints from.
Tip – Choose high end rollers and brushes for a Satin finish paint, as it does tend to show brush strokes.
PRIMERS
In the past ten years or so, paints have been formulated to include the primer. Meh, I am not a fan of this concept. In my opinion, and this is only my opinion, I would never, paint a room without also purchasing a separate can, of the correct primer for my project. It takes way to much work to remove furniture, and prep your room to paint, to skip this step. I believe that the use of a separate primer is a necessary step to insure the best result, and a durable finish. Lets dig in.
HIGH HIDE There are even different primers for different jobs and believe me it makes a difference. If you are changing your walls from Red to White. Yes, I have done this! Purchase a color blocking or High Hide Primer. We got our primer tinted red, which ends up being pink, but helps reduce the number of coats it takes to cover your old color. Using two coats of tinted primer, it still took five coats of paint to cover our red walls. Not fun, but we emerged so much better for it. The reds walls were fabulous in there day.
Tip – it can be just as hard to go from bright white to dark grey. So a tinted high hide primer would be good in that case as well.
STAIN BLOCKING Use this type of primer if you have had a leak, and you now have a water stain.
DRYWALL PRIMER Is best used for new construction or renovations. Without a primer on new drywall, you paint will be absorbed, like that of a sponge. Been there, done that.
BONDING PRIMER This is the type of primer you should use before you paint anything that has a slick finish and you do not want to sand. Or you have sanded but to ensure you have a durable finish, use this. It works well for, manufactured furniture, like a bathroom vanity, or kitchen island. The pieces that are factory made, you know the type. Additionally this is the primer I start with when painting my moldings.
Tip – this is the first coat, every time, when ever I paint my moldings and doors. It is easy to apply, dries almost immediately, and extends the durability of all my hard work.
There are even more variations of Primers available on the market, be sure to read the cans closely when choosing what you need for your project. The ones listed above are the ones I use most often, but I always use a primer. The only exception to that rule is: if I am painting the same color and finish, over top of the same color and finish.
Thanks for stopping by. Tammy Damore
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