"Hmmmm, I'm not seeing hubby being too neat on any of this"

"and he's never really painted much before, although he thinks he can do anything. I can barely tie my own shoe, so I'm no help"

Hire a pro!

If it is raw beadboard, then a coat of primer will raise the grain in the wood and the beadboard will be rough. You need to sand it smooth again. I would suggest a fine/medium sanding block for this so that you can get into the grooves easily. I would go with a satin because it is wood and to me wood should have some sheen. You could paint it flat if you want, but then it will have no washability and no sheen...but certainly it is personal preference. I would pick up some acrylic primer for the first coat.

Thank you very much sierraeast and paintguy. We are done with the "pros" for awhile. We had the exterior of our home painted by a painting contractor (all wood) and it took forever. If for no other reason, we are just tired of having people around all the time. Over the last year we have done a complete kitchen and bathroom gut...and a number of other things. We've just had it.

Paintguy, I did go ahead and purchase my paint. I got SW Pro classic primer, Cashmere wall paint in a satin finish as well as trim paint in a satin finish. I'm beginning to feel like a real doofus with this beadboard. We bought the raw beadboard that comes in sections maybe eight inches wide. My poor husband has been caulking between each of those sections all day long and he's still not finished. It became very obvious that this was going to have to be done when we put primer on a test section and the cracks between each section jumped out at you. What a pain in the patootie! And we thought beadboard was going to be an "easier" solution to our 1952 wall problems. aaaggh!

Thanks again for the advice.

pup

Pup--it may be a pain, but it will be worth it. I think the product you selected looks more "period" than the stuf that comes in bigger sections. As long as one has a steady hand, and is careful, one can become a good painter. I, for instance, haven't used tape in years.

One note--good tools can make an enormous difference--in both the painting experience and the final product. I paint with Corona brushes. Their handmade chinex brushes are wonderful to work with. I'm going to buy one of the new "Benjamin Moore" handmade brushes...I want to see how it feels.

: ) the truth of, any woman who can paint their own nails, put on their own makeup, or vacuum a rug without sucking up all the cat toys... is a better painter than about half of the 'professionals' out there.

I agree with Mjsee - but I use Purdy brushes because they're readily available. my angled trim brush is 15 years old, and in better shape than cheaper brushes right off the Home Depot wall display.

those cheap foam brushes, however, are wonderful for getting in the grooves of beadboard (and good for you for using the tongue and groove - the larger panels are the modern equivilent of fake wood panelling)

I would indeed prime, let it dry overnight, and then lightly sand **this is one of the few places I use sanding blocks, even if it's just a scrap piece of wood with a bit of flannel on the bottom - flat sanding surface makes for easier going)...in some cases, the 3M brand 'scrubby' style sanders work really well for taking the 'fur' off freshly painted boards) wipe it all down, vacuum, and wipe it down again with a 'tack' cloth (I cheat and use one of those microfiber dusting cloths) and apply your first coat of paint.

wood trim, including beadboard, used to be done in glosses because they were using oil-based paints that were more durable. the look is very traditional...but not critical, if you have a durable paint.

chinacat sunflower--According to the manager at my paint store Purdy was acquired by Sherwin Williams and is no longer making their brushes by hand, and quality isn't as good as it was 15 years ago. I don't know if the claim about reduced quality is true...he recommended Corona instead. (I had to replace my 2" angled brush...one of my kids killed my 15 y/o Purdy. We don't talk about it.)