Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Sep 03, 2000 02:40am | #1

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   If you go into any large store selling paint, even Sears, they have nice full-colour brochures describing each paint type and its pro's and con's. I can't speak for your local Home Depot; but, the paint department in the one near me is staffed by professional painters, and they can be very helpful too.
   I'm not very good at house painting (which seems odd to me as I'm quite good at spray and exotic finishes - go figure ?), although I have improved lately due to some good advice. Here's what they told me to do:
   1) Use a good primer, and use a gloss (aka: enamel) primer unless you're finally coat will be flat.
   2) Spend the extra couple of bucks to buy the very best brushes and rollers (e.g. Baker and Purdy).
   3) the shinier the paint, the better your preparation has to be. flat paint covers up, gloss paint accentuates.

   Personally, I hate flat paint and do my own house in satin finish for the walls and semi-gloss for the trim. Latex is as good as oil (but a pro can do a slightly better job with oil) and I like the easy clean-up, lower bloom, and not having to buy special cleaning/thinning solvents.

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   Guest_ | Sep 03, 2000 03:28am | #2

   *Phil,Is that a new twist on the old saying?"Those who can, DO. Those who can't, go to work for Home Depot"?Sorry, just had to tweak the Depot's nose a tad. ;>)

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   Guest_ | Sep 03, 2000 04:37am | #3

   *Kathi,I assume your talking about interior painting and that your confusion concerns oil or latex, flat or glossly or somewhere in between.In my opinion....Phil makes an excellent point that the glossier the finish, the more you will see any imperfections in the surface. It used to be that the glossier finishes were easier to keep clean and I suspect this is still true, but the flat paints are a lot easier to keep clean than they used to be so it isn't such an issue.Traditionally, the trim in a house has been painted in a glossier finish than the walls were.With those considerations in mind, you should choose the gloss finish that you think will look good and that you want to look at.As for oil or latex. Oil gives a superior paint job in my opinion. But if you are someone who will be repainting in five to ten years just for a change, then the latex would be fine. If you don't ever want to repaint unless you have to, oil is a good choice.Regardless of your choices, if you fail to prep the surfaces adequately, then the quality of the paint job will suffer quite a bit.I am not a professional painter, but people keep hiring me to do painting, so I've learned some.Rich Beckman

1. 
   Guest_ | Sep 03, 2000 06:03am | #4

   *They're mostly folks who've had an injury and can't climb a ladder or handle the tools anymore.

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   Guest_ | Sep 03, 2000 06:27am | #6

   *Kathi,Go to a reputable name dealer, Benjamin Moore or equal. I have used the same store for over twenty years and they have always steered straight. This is to say that you need to find a good paint dealer that has the same people working from day to day that has been in business for a while that doesn't pay people in stock options. Not to say that you won't find a big box retailer that happens to have a knowledgeable soul behind the counter at the moment you happen to show up, you just can't count on them that way. A real paint store has an investment in giving fairly good advice because they have been selling to the same people for a quarter of century or more. Your inquiry is fairly broad in scope and truly will require more information than is usually distributed in a readable length posting on this forum. If you hire a good painting contractor who will do a good job then you need only worry about color selection. The answers to your question can come from a local source, the very fact that you appeal to this forum tells me that you have not met the right people in your area. There are professionals out there who will take care of you, find one.

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   Kathi_Sadler | Sep 03, 2000 06:27am | #5

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   I am in the process of painting my home. My problem is that I hear different types of paint is better in different places. What type should I use for my moulding, what about the walls, the doors, the cabinets in the kitchen and bath? I am so confused with flat, latex, etc. What do you recommend?
   Thank You,
   Kathi