Do I have to Prime before I paint?

Do I need to Prime? Most likely the answer to that question is ...no actuality. Priming is needed for two main reasons. Adhesion and coverage. So if your painting project is a simple repaint of you bedroom walls and ceiling with out a strong color change Priming is not really needed.
The paint on the walls before you start is likely a flat, or and eggshell/satin finish. Sometime even a semi-gloss. Todays paints will bond to these finishes with out the time and additional expense of priming.

Coverage is the most likely problem you could have in an repaint. One hint that could help is that "the darker the color the better it covers " is NOT the case! As a matter of fact very dark colors often require additional coats. I will not bore you with the details but it's the way paint is tinted today.

One clue you can use to determine how well your color selection will cover is look at the "base" of the paint that is used to make your color selection, The "Base" is the paint before any tint is added to it to make your color selection. A "deep" or an "ultra deep" base paint will have coverage issues, regardless of what the final color you have selected is. In that case 2 or more coats could be needed.

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How to select that perfect Accent color.

Considering doing an accent wall in the room you are looking to paint but having a difficult time choosing that perfect accent color? It is most likely your accent wall will be the darker of the two colors you choose. A simple way to help you make this decision is to choose the lighter color first then from the same color sample strip select a color that is the darkest. This reduces the chance of a clash between the two colors. Selecting a color from a different color strip can be risky. The two colors may look good in the paint store but when you gat a full room of the colors they may not coordinate as you had hoped. Keep in mind also that the darker of the two colors may likely need 2 or more finish coat to get the color depth needed. Darker colors contrary to popular belief do not cover as well as most lighter colors today. The long story made short for this is that the tint used in todays pant is not...

Smoke and Nicotine stains and your painting project.

Smoke/nicotine stains are a challenge for even the most experienced painter. So as a do it yourself project be prepared. This will not be fun or easy. First things first. If the wall you are painting have a "flat" finish, washing the walls before priming is a waste of time and money. You will only spread around the nicotine and soak it deeper into the paint that is on the walls now. If the walls have an "eggshell" or "satin" or "semi-gloss" finish washing can be helpful to a small extent. Areas you should concentrate on is where the stains are the heaviest. This is most often where pictures were on the walls and corners. Do not invest a lot of time in this step. Just get the heaviest stains removed as best you can. MATERIALS You will need a (stain blocking) primer. This is critical as a standard primers will not do the job properly. This type of primer is most effective if it is oil based. Some brands offer a latex stain b...

Painters kit/set. Avoid them your wasting money.

We have all seen them. The painters kit. That all in one kit with all you need to make that DIY painting job go fast and easy. Well not so fast. The kits like you see here is selling you convenience and a low price. What it's not giving you is the proper tools to do a nice job. I have nothing against saving a little money but the few dollars you save on a "painters kit" is long lost in the time and problems you will have with one of these kits. The roller cover is pure junk, it will leave lent in your fresh paint and on your walls. The brush is the quality that you would use to paint a fence in the back yard and not your living room. The roller frame will crack at the handle if you just barley over tighten it to the rolling pole. Expect to pay these prices for the painting tools of the quality you need to do a nice job. ROLLER COVER $5.00 ROLLER FRAME $5.00 2.5 INCH BRUSH $9.00-$12.00

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