FAQs

Paint and finishes

How do I know what paint I need?

You do not buy it. We bring the paint for the surfaces on the estimate, including an exterior coating when the job is outside. Color is your choice. The sheen follows the surface. Classic is a standard interior paint, one coat plus touch-up. Signature is a washable paint, two coats, with primer where the wall needs it. Flatter paint hides flaws. Shinier paint cleans better.

The sheens, from quiet to shiny

• Flat

  Almost no shine. It hides bumps, patches, and an uneven ceiling. A mark does not wipe off well. Use it on ceilings, or on a wall nobody touches and you want to look soft. Skip it in a hall, a kitchen, or a kids' room.

• Eggshell

  A step up from flat, still quiet. This is the usual living room and bedroom wall. It hides flaws better than satin, and a light mark will wipe. Choose it when the room should not look shiny. It does not scrub as hard as satin.

• Satin

  A soft shine you can see. The film is tougher, so it cleans up. Choose it for kitchens, baths, halls, and kids' rooms, or anywhere with pets and hands. It shows more wall texture than eggshell. Skip it if the wall is bumpy and you want those bumps to disappear.

• Semi-gloss

  A clear shine and a hard surface. It washes, and it makes trim stand off a duller wall. Choose it for doors, casing, and baseboards. On a whole wall it looks shiny and shows every flaw.

• Gloss

  The shiniest. It cleans the easiest and shows every ding. Rare on a wall. A door can take it if you want a lacquered look. It is not our usual finish.

Where each one goes

• Walls

  Eggshell or satin

  Living rooms, bedrooms, and halls. Eggshell is the usual choice: a soft look that can be wiped. Satin if the room gets more hands on it.

• Kitchens and baths

  Satin

  Moisture and washing. We paint the walls and the trim around the cabinets. Cabinet refinishing is not a service we offer.

• Ceilings

  Flat

  Ceiling paint stays dull under a light and hides small flaws. It is not the same sheen as the walls.

• Trim, doors, and baseboards

  Semi-gloss or satin

  A harder film, so it cleans, and the edge reads against the wall. Semi-gloss is the usual trim finish. Satin if you want less shine.

• New drywall, stains, or a big color change

  Primer, then the finish

  Bare drywall and stains need primer before color. Signature includes primer where the surface needs it. Classic is finish paint on a wall that is already sound and painted.