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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Yes you can paint your vinyl siding.

First things first, Clean the siding. If you have a power washer use it or consider renting one. What ever you decide, the siding must be clean. Failing to clean the siding properly will result in problems. Use care in your color selection. The siding on your home expands and contracts with temperature changes. Changing from a very light color (white) to a very dark color can cause your siding to expand to much during hot weather (even on the shady side of the house). This will cause your siding to buckle. You do not want this to happen. There are seams where you siding overlaps. Use caution and do not apply to much paint at these lap points. To much paint can prevent the needed siding movement and cause your siding to buckle. After you apply the first coat it is likely that the siding may contract overnight as the temperature cools. It is likely you will find a small (miss) at you lap points. The siding contracted a...

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...

How to select the correct roller cover for your DIY painting project.

What paint roller cover to use on your DIY painting project may not be the biggest decision you ever make but it is worth a little consideration. How thick of a (nap) should you use? In the vast majority of cases a 1/2" nap works the best. Deeper naps may be needed for a ruff or textured service but for the drywall in your home 1/2" works well. But what if I am using an eggshell or a satin finish or possibly even a semi-gloss paint? Yes a 1/2" is still your best overall choice. A 3/8" nap is what many paint suppliers recommend for paints with a (shine) when finished. Their reason is that a 3/8" roller cover leaves less stipple. Giving you a smoother finish. No matter how little stipple you make with the paint you are applying. The stipple that is already on the wall is still there and will show thru the paint you are applying. So the advantage of less stipple with a low nap roller cover is gone. Secondly a 1/2" roller...

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