For questions regarding the paint product itself, including selection and maintenance.
20
votes
10answers
12k views
Doors are sticky and noisy when opened?
For some reason, the doors in our house make a very loud "unsticking" sound when you open them.
It's almost as if the paint isn't cured, since the sound seems to come from the contact area around the ...
2
votes
1answer
131 views
How can I remove paint from this window's aluminum track?
I recently purchased a house that has several layers of paint on the windows' aluminum tracks. (Wow! One bad paint job).
What's the best way to remove the paint, so that the windows will open and ...
2
votes
2answers
56 views
Is there a way to make my own chalkboard paint without using unsanded grout?
I'm trying to create my own chalkboard paint (where I'm from, we don't seem to have any stores that sell chalkboard paint, nor unsanded grout in the entire city) and I see all the DIY posts out there ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
How do you choose when to use oil vs latex paint?
In what situations should oil paint be used, instead of latex paint?
2
votes
1answer
834 views
How to seal/stabilize crumbling particle board counter top?
I have a typical laminate kitchen counter top which is built of particle board under the laminate. The bottom edge, at the front where it hangs over the cabinets is bare particle board.
The section ...
2
votes
1answer
125 views
What are the issues with using sour smelling paint?
My husband touched up the paint in our bedroom. The smell was rancid, like sour milk. I cannot believe he used the paint that went bad. I have a horrible headache and watery eyes, an obvious ...
3
votes
2answers
201 views
What should I do after mistakenly using moldy paint on drywall?
I was painting my basement and used a six year old five gallon bucket of paint. It had about 4 gallons of paint in it. The surface was black, but it didn't smell bad. I thought it was the dye ...
3
votes
1answer
57 views
What nap roller should I use for primer?
And does it matter, in choosing the nap, what the sheen of paint will be used over the primer? E.g. if I do my bathroom in semi-gloss using 3/8" nap vs living room in flat with 1/2" nap, should I also ...
2
votes
2answers
102 views
Should I use primer alone first, or can I use paint+primer on renovated/patched walls?
I have a number of walls that have a mix of old lath+plaster and new drywall (parts of walls are plaster, other parts new drywall). The old plaster walls have paint on them but they have not been ...
4
votes
3answers
82 views
How can I paint over an existing paint design without making it permanent?
We have a baby on the way. We are currently designing the nursery. The room currently has a diamond-shaped pattern that we'd like to keep, since it is unique and cool looking, plus it came that way ...
0
votes
0answers
63 views
How can I remove paint stains from a bathtub?
I was cleaning my paint brush, bucket and roller in my bathtub. Afterwards I noticed that I stained a couple spots of the bathtub. The stains are a light blue (the paint was a dark blue). I am not ...
2
votes
2answers
124 views
What can I do about this painted concrete?
The previous owners of my home decided to paint the sidewalk and porch surfaces. Not only are they painted but they are this horrible color. Do you have any suggestions on what to repaint them with ...
0
votes
1answer
144 views
How can I reproduce this painting effect?
I really like this photowallpaper, but it's quite impossible to import it:
I think - based on my basic but quite good paining skills - I can reproduce it with painting. But..
which type of paint ...
12
votes
6answers
6k views
What is the proper way to install/paint baseboard?
I've installed some new baseboards, though I'm not really sure I have the right method down. Here's what I do:
Paint baseboard
Paint walls
Cut and install baseboard (using brad nailer and/or liquid ...
0
votes
0answers
164 views
Is glow in the dark paint suitable for creative usage?
I came across the notion of a Light/UV -sensitive background, to perform temporary creative photographic effects. This seems to be a paper/cloth impregnated with a Light/UV sensitive coating, that ...
3
votes
1answer
121 views
Can I use solvent based paint on waterborne primer?
I have some solvent based paint left (Sikkens Rubbol AZ), but the wood panel I want to paint with had been prepared with a waterborne primer (Sikkens Rubbol Primer BL). It doesn't have to last ...
2
votes
1answer
55 views
How can I remove paint smears on my vinyl siding?
I have some paint (latex, exterior) smears on my vinyl siding. It's set in the tiny cracks and is thoroughly cooked by the sun. I want to remove that.
I was recommended methyl hydrate, which gave me ...
3
votes
3answers
378 views
How can I make wooden stairs slip-proof?
My wife loves the idea of removing our stair carpet and putting bold/bright wallpaper on the vertical faces (risers)...
...but we're concerned that the horizontal parts (treads) would be much more ...
1
vote
2answers
455 views
How can I finish and seal an interior exposed brick wall?
I have exposed a 100+ yr old brick wall inside, tuckpointed, cleaned with cup brushes on a grinder, and Sureklean 600. I don't have a picture right now but it looks beautiful.
Two questions:
I ...
3
votes
1answer
135 views
How can I prevent color variants when painting over wall putty? [duplicate]
I have used putty on the wall to fix the holes, and fill some gaps. the putty color is white while the rest of the wall is an older light green, I am painting a very dark yellow, However when painting ...
1
vote
1answer
90 views
Will I lose much by buying a spray gun not suitable for water-based materials?
Looking around for a spray gun for my woodworking projects, I've found this one. This spray gun perfectly fits a couple of my requirements, so I'm seriously considering buying it.
However, I'm in ...
6
votes
3answers
1k views
What are the consequences of allowing paint to freeze?
Insulating and heating my garage sounds like a pain. What are the consequences of simply allowing water-based latex paint to freeze in the winter? Is it ruined forever or does it just need tons of ...
0
votes
2answers
67 views
Fastest way to apply light colour on a wallpaper
I rent a house in which the living room has the most awful wallpaper ever. At the same time I don't want to put too much effort in fixing that because I intend to move in a year or two at most.
I ...
1
vote
3answers
138 views
Can I use a paint & primer combo on new wood?
I'm currently painting a window and door that are both new. Although I initially bought primer which I used on the window (but haven't painted over yet), when doing the door, I just used my ...
1
vote
1answer
114 views
What's the difference between Rust-oleum and Rust-oleum Professional?
I have been doing some painting lately and I am buying all of my supplies from Home Depot. I have noticed two dominant paints there: RustOleum Professional which comes in an aluminum can that has ...
2
votes
2answers
454 views
How can I prepare this concrete floor for tile?
I'm looking to replace an old carpet in my finished basement with tile. I've removed the carpet and found a surface with some peeling paint, which I've read needs to be removed since the thinset for ...
0
votes
1answer
42 views
Which pH should I aim for when neutralizing restored/refinished antique surfaces?
I have recently used different chemicals to restore, refinish and treat various types of wall and millwork surfaces. E.g. I have stripped old paint using Peel Away 1 from plaster and antique ...
1
vote
1answer
212 views
Wood trim and new gutters: Gutters first or paint first?
I feel that its time for my house to get new gutters. The current ones leak, don't drain completely, need very frequent cleaning, and the damn tree rats chewed through the leaf guards in many places.
...
2
votes
1answer
103 views
How can I repaint this desk?
I have a 2x1m rectangular desk.
The problem with it is that the person who made it painted it with some weird glossy material that makes it reflect light, chips easily and deep because of the ...
3
votes
1answer
4k views
Paint got ripped off when trying to remove double-sided foam tape
I was trying to remove a picture frame which was adhered to the wall with some double-sided foam tape.
Unfortunately, the foam tape was so sticky and ripped some of the paint off the wall (see ...
1
vote
0answers
69 views
How should I neutralize restored plaster walls?
I have made half a dozen plaster patches within my home remodeling, each about 30-40 sq ft. The plaster goes over brick, so not lath. It was a hell of a job but still simpler than framing walls and ...
6
votes
1answer
827 views
What type of paint and how many coats should be used to paint a radiator?
We've moved into a new house with a fairly incompatible sense of interior design. To illustrate one room in particular, the walls are orange, the floor to ceiling shelves are orange, the fireplace ...
0
votes
1answer
42 views
Can these scrapers be used to remove paint from millwork?
I was looking for some feedback on Allway and Bahco contour scrapers I came across on Amazon. I have some original millwork (100 yrs +) that I will first apply Peel Away 1 to it and then use one of ...
1
vote
3answers
147 views
Could my wall have been damaged while the painters were painting?
I recently had my bathroom renovated. Before the renovation I had noticed some minor cracks in the ceiling. The building is 1962 and the walls are plaster. I had semi gloss paint used which I know can ...
3
votes
2answers
172 views
Can drywall with ripped paper be repaired?
I damaged some drywall when doing demo in a bathroom. Some of the paint peeled back and exposed the paper, which ripped off of the drywall. Can I do a thin coat and sand? please help, already ...
4
votes
2answers
400 views
can i paint my bathtub wall?
One of our bath walls is green Sheetrock with a white semi gloss paint finish.
As you can see on the pictures attached, the paint has started to bubble and strip.
What can we do now?
shall/can ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views
What's the fastest way to strip paint off of a piece of installed trim/moulding?
Let's say you have some detailed moulding around several interior doors and you want to strip the paint off with the least amount of labor (time-wise)? How would you go about it? Heat gun, chemicals, ...
2
votes
2answers
2k views
How do I prepare this exterior concrete wall for paint?
I have a an exterior concrete wall that had some loose paint and started scraping away. The paint in some sections was so loose that I went all the way to the bare concrete, peeling away over 6 layers ...
4
votes
2answers
413 views
How do I remove paint from plastic window frames?
The paint is dark red and has dried. It only covers little areas on the plastic of the window frame.
How do I remove it without damaging the frame?
The frames are white.
19
votes
9answers
26k views
I have a basement floor with lots of moisture, can I paint or seal it to make it waterproof?
My basement has a slight dampness issue, where if I leave things on the floor they will get wet. There are no leaks and no standing water, the moisture seems to be wicking up through the concrete.
I ...
3
votes
2answers
215 views
How do I paint the steel crossbeam on a colorbond fence?
I have a colorbond fence.
If you don't have colorbond in your area, it's painted steel panelling that can be used for fences or roofs. My fence looks like this:
But what you can't see is the back ...
1
vote
1answer
309 views
How can I keep my paint from freezing in an unheated garage?
This is the first winter I've had cans of paint in my garage. Many paint labels advise that paint shouldn't be allowed to freeze. There are three five-gallon buckets on the floor and around ten ...
10
votes
6answers
3k views
Has anyone ever used IdeaPaint?
Someone sent me the link to IdeaPaint which appears to be a paint that turns any surface into a whiteboard. It looks pretty appealing, but I was wondering:
Whether anyone here has ever used it and ...
7
votes
5answers
2k views
How do you remove paint from hair?
We painted a closet recently with a latex/acrylic based paint and no plastic hair caps. This lead to the issue with some unsightly paint splotches on our hair. After several washes the paint still ...
1
vote
1answer
126 views
Will grid-lines in textured ceilings show through paint?
We just finished texturing our ceilings with a knock-down texture, however the following day we noticed wide grid-lines in the ceiling everywhere we taped and mudded. We did not prime/seal the ...
2
votes
2answers
265 views
How can I repair peeling finish on a faucet handle?
I've got a faucet in my bathroom that has a bit of the finish peeling off after what appears to be some kind of oxidation has built up underneath it. I'd like some suggestions as to how to repair this ...
2
votes
4answers
3k views
How do I remove dried paint from carpet?
I dropped a brush while painting my office. We have brand new carpet and of course, I dropped the paint brush in a spot where there was no drop cloth >:(
I thought since it's latex based paint I ...
4
votes
2answers
270 views
How can I strip & Refinish this window frame?
Take a look at the following close-up of one of my window frames. I'd like to strip all the white paint off of it, possibly stain the wood, and finish it with a varnish. I have the following ...
2
votes
2answers
490 views
How to repair latex paint on drywall in bathroom?
Within the two years we've lived in our house, the paint in our master bathroom has gone from glossy white to cracked and peeling in several spots. In addition to this, staple-shaped rust spots are ...
3
votes
1answer
172 views
Is it important to finish rafter tails, (sub)fascia, and barge rafters?
My roofing will have a drip edge that directs rainwater away from the subfasica and barge rafters. Is it still important to finish (paint) them to protect them?
