THE PAINTING JOURNAL
From the first brush to the final walkthrough. Practical answers for homes, workplaces and the people who paint them.
Start with common questions
110 articles · page 3 of 10
Paint-and-primer labeling does not automatically eliminate a separate primer on bare drywall. New board and joint compound absorb differently, and the selected finish system may require a…
Read guidePVA drywall primer can be appropriate for clean new drywall when the exact product permits the planned finish. An acrylic primer may offer a broader substrate range, but acrylic is not a…
Read guideRemove kitchen grease before abrasive preparation or priming. Use a cleaner suitable for the existing finish, test it in a small area, work in manageable sections and remove loosened residue…
Read guideChoose tape for the surface it will touch, including whether that surface is freshly painted, and plan removal around both the tape's instructions and the coating sequence. For example, FrogTape…
Read guideChoose the coating line for the wall's wear and cleaning needs, then compare eggshell and satin within suitable products. Satin generally reflects more light and can make texture or repairs more…
Read guideA product specifically formulated as washable matte can suit a hallway, but matte alone is not a durability specification. Identify whether the problem is fingerprints, scuff transfer, repeated…
Read guideYou can change a sound satin wall to eggshell or matte with a compatible coating system, but plan more than a sheen swap. Clean the wall, assess adhesion and gloss, prepare it as the new product…
Read guideChoose between waterborne alkyd and acrylic enamel by the exact product's application behavior, recoat schedule and service requirements. Water cleanup does not mean the products share the same…
Read guideTreat an exposed MDF cut end as a different surface from the smooth factory face. Remove cutting defects without rounding the profile, clean the dust and use an edge-sealing or primer system…
Read guideRouted MDF exposes a more absorbent core than the factory face. Start with a cleanly machined profile, test a compatible sealing system on an offcut and smooth the sealed fibers without…
Read guideLaminate shelves can sometimes be refinished successfully, but adhesion is only the first requirement. A horizontal shelf also needs a finish that tolerates prolonged contact with stored…
Read guideChoose primer by the job it must perform: controlling absorption, promoting adhesion or blocking a particular stain. Those functions can overlap in a product, but they are not interchangeable.…
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