interior-wall-painting

It can be either a water or oil base primer. If you use water base, then you should do your top coats in water, and likewise, oil base with oil.

I'll talk about acrylic paint here, because that's what most homeowners use today. It is faster drying, less troublesome in applying, and washes up with water. Most people repaint every few years, so the longer endurance of oil paint is not an issue.

Most paint types can be purchased in either semi-gloss, gloss, or flat type paint. You will make your decision as to which type paint you use depending upon your likes or dislikes, the area you are painting, and the abuse the area will get.

Once the primer has been applied, then you can use a water-base paint of either flat, semi-gloss or gloss enamel paint.

As an example, a bathroom would likely be painted in gloss or semi-gloss because of the water area and likely water spills. If you have children there will be clean-up of who knows what, that may get on the walls.

Flat paint does not clean up as easily, and will absorb the dirt or water more, and is not as good a choice for a water area. Continual scrubbing of flat base paint will require repainting more often.

A special wallboard has to be used in water areas of your home.
SEE bathroom wallboard for more information on this.
Also SEE Wallboard for the Shower.

Often a new home will be painted in flat paint everywhere, because it is cheaper and if the home is a spec home, the builder doesn't know what the buyer's preference is. Consequently, builders often use a white flat paint for spec homes.

MORE
• painting interior walls
  
  
• painting exterior walls & trim
  
  
• painting tips
  
  
• more ideas on painting inside walls

A step by step guide to building your free house

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