How to pick paint for your project

Selecting the type of paint for your project is easy, with a little advice from a pro.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• paint
• color chips
• brush

1. First you have to select proper material. There is a reason professional painters use the paints they do, because they work. When selecting your paint, spend a little more on the front end, buy paint from a reputable paint store, Porter paints or Sherwin Williams, it will cost a bit more per gallon, but your coverage will be better and you can get good advice from the employees. Any one I have met actually wants to help you, not just sell paint. Stay away from do it yourself stores, the paint is much more watery, and the employees do not generally have a background in painting.
2. Other than color, you must decide what sheen you want. Flat paint is the easiest to paint and touch up, it will hide more imperfections than a paint with a sheen. An eggshell or satin finish is good in high traffic areas like hallways or where on wainscot or if you want to be sure it is washable. Lots of families with children and pets use satin finish for this reason. Keep semi gloss and high gloss paints for trim and doors. It is difficult to make it look right on walls and is impossible to touch up without repainting an entire wall.
3. Finally, be sure to test your colors. Spend the $3-$5 for a sample and put about a 1'x1' square on each wall and check the color in natural light and with your lighting at night. Be sure to use a tinted primer if the color calls for it otherwise you won't get the proper coverage or true color. Also, when using a paint with a sheen, all patches need a primer coat of flat on them or you will be able to see the patch even after several coats of paint.

Tips & Warnings

• Start with color chips
• Buy a sample of your color
• Use good paint from a reputable manufacturer
• Use primer when called for
• Prime all patches if using a paint with a sheen
• Be sure not to mask off the area for your sample colors! Tape will leave a line where the paint sample was, even after several coats of paint.
• If you decide to paint with a sheen, only paint one wall at a time. Cut in the wall, then roll it before proceeding to the next wall. This will allow the paint to dry at the same time and will eliminate being able to see the cut line.