Page 583 - 2018 National Home Improvement

2018 National Home Improvement Estimator, All Rights Reserved Page 462

•Stains caused by water damage, smoke or a foreign substance need special attention. Be sure the
surface is dry and clean, then coat with a primer-sealer such as Kilz®.
•Plaster cracks should be repaired with fiberglass tape and joint compound before recoating. Don’t
think that paint will fill the cracks for you.
•Varnish should be cleaned with a strong tri-sodium phosphate solution and then painted soon after
drying. Heavily-alligatored varnish must be removed before coating.
•Metals should be wire brushed to remove loose material and then coated with a metal primer.
•Hardwood floors of oak, birch, beech, and maple are usually finished by applying two coats of sealer.
Sand lightly or buff with steel wool between coats. Then apply a coat of paste wax and buff. Maintain the
finish by rewaxing. For a high-gloss finish, instead of applying two coats of sealer, make the second
coat varnish.
•Wood trim and paneling are usually finished with a clear wood sealer or a stain-sealer combination
and then top-coated with at least one additional coat of sealer or varnish. Sand lightly between sealing
and top-coating. For a deeper finish, apply one coat of high-gloss varnish followed by a coat of
semi-gloss varnish.
•Painted wood trim requires a primer or undercoat and then a coat of acrylic latex, either flat or
semi-gloss. Paint with at least some gloss resists fingerprints better and can be cleaned with soap and
water.
•Kitchen and bathroom walls need a coat of semi-gloss enamel. This type of finish wears well, is
easy to clean, and resists moisture.
•Drywall, in rooms other than the kitchen and bathroom, needs a coat of flat latex. New drywall, since
it’s highly porous, should have a coat of primer before the final coat of latex paint.

Paint Color and Gloss
Paint comes in an infinite range of colors. Your paint store probably stocks a few of the basic colors,
such as white and black, but can mix any color you want. You buy the tinting base and the paint
technician adds just the right amount of pigment to yield the color needed. Any color you select will be
the same price. However, you’ll pay more for high-gloss paints and less for low-gloss (flat) paints.
High-gloss paint resists fingerprints and holds up better when scrubbed. Use high gloss in kitchens and
bathrooms where you need a washable surface. High-gloss paint tends to reveal surface imperfections
and any application defects. Flat paints cost a little less than high gloss and hide flaws better, but don’t
stand up as well to scrubbing. Use a flat paint in bedrooms, halls and living rooms. Eggshell paint has
slightly more gloss than flat paint. Semi-gloss and satin finishes have more gloss than eggshell, but are
still not as glossy as high gloss.