Post this over on the Paint Forum and get input from a few of the Pro painters over there.

I was just sitting down to cross post on the paint forum when I saw that I got two replies. Whoohoo! Thank you Lori and Lukkiirish! I'm very glad to hear the satin will hold up and clean up as well as the semi gloss.

Irish: Your response was very on point. So much so that I read it to DH and we both agreed to keep the upstairs (guests, office, bath) as is. Since they are not done downstairs where I expect to need to scrub more (laundry, kitchen mud, etc), we will ask for semi gloss for the finish coat.

**New question: Our satin finish is so rough to the touch that I thought it would be impossible to clean. Painter says this difference in texture is normal between semi gloss and satin. It feels and looks like they painted with flat paint although I know they used the satin. Is this what I should expect from satin on woodwork?

I think it was applied with roller - : / ugh.

I just cross-posted over on the paint forum with my question on the rough finish. But would appreciate answers here from anyone that can help. My meeting with the GC is tomorrow, Wednesday, morning. Thank you!

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3079208/interior-trim-fiasco-should-satin-paint-feel-rough-to-the-touch

Glad I could be of help. A rough finish on trim does not sound correct to me. Do you know what brand of paint he used? Usually, it's Sherwin Williams or Pittsburg paint. Anyways, I would call and ask the people who sold him the paint if that is a reasonable expectation from the sheen he used. IMHO a higher end builder or the painter should have questioned your choice to use a satin finish on the trim, suggested what he thought was more appropriate and help to guide you along.

Thank you, Irish! Paint is SW but I can't get solid information on which paint they used. Another he-said she-said moment. How should I spec the remaining last coat for downstairs? "Sand all finishes and brush one coat"? is this good enough? Yes, in hindsight I feel let down by builder and architect, but trying hard not to go there. Just keeping my eye on the prize - satisfactory completion. Heading to SW to get details on paint.

My bet is they used the Duration. I'm not sure what you mean by Spec the remaining last coat? Light sanding in between each coat helps to keep it smooth and is probably what they didn't do. (just a guess?)

I checked with SW. Contractor ordered a mix of A-100 and Super Paint. Mostly A-100. What does this mean to me??

I have no idea, if it were me, I'd call Sherwin Williams and ask the rep to explain it to you in layman's terms. Tell him, you have trim that is painted in a satin sheen with that mix and it's rough and not smooth. Ask why.

First of all, no matter which finish you use (satin or semi-gloss), the process of achieving a smooth finish is the same. Satin is not harder to get smooth than semi-gloss. I believe the painter just said this to you to get you off his back and make it appear as if there is some valid reason for rough wood. There isn't. Your expectations as a customer that hires a professional painter are completely reasonable. The wood should not be rough. The stipple left behind by the roller should not be that noticeable. Many painters will only use the roller as a tool to get the paint on faster, then they will brush it out. I prefer to use a roller and not backbrush it out but I'm using the proper paint and the proper roller covers and I know how to put it on. A lot of this has to do with technique. A-100 is Sherwin Williams cheapest exterior paint. Super Paint is mid grade. I don't really understand why a contractor would mix the two together or use exterior paint inside, but this is certainly a contributing factor as to why the roller stipple can be felt with your hand. If you are going to paint trim and use a roller, you need to use a paint that is self leveling and you need to be a skilled applicator. You also need to use the proper nap size roller. In my opinion, the best trim paint you can get at Sherwin Williams that somewhat self levels is Pro Classic, but honestly I prefer Benjamin Moore if I'm going to be rolling out some flat trim and I want the finish to dry down perfectly smooth.

Thank you Paintguy!!! I was thinking the same exact thing about the painter but since I'm not a professional, I was afraid to come out and say it.

Paintguy22, thank you for such a good, clear explanation!!! Now I really understand what happened. So for the remaining trim which needs a final coat, I will ask for SW Pro Classic. I will ask them to sand first and apply the paint with a brush. Any other last minute advice?

Lukkiirish: thank you for your post agreeing with Paintguy. I had a sense you had more to say and was trying figure out how to pull it out of you. ;)

Is there any possibility to hire a different crew? That's what you need.

Yeah, I was afraid to send you in the wrong direction, I'm not a pro...but once someone from the industry confirms suspicions, game on! LOL I agree with brushworks, maybe a different crew is in order.

I can't thank each of you enough for your responses and your suggestions. Met with GC today and he wants finishes to come up to his standards. So no problem there - he will make it right. I cannot get a new crew...this is GC's in house crew. Today when I checked the paint is was much smoother. I don't know what they did but it is much better. With regard to the A-100, corporate SW technical dept. tells me this is a health hazard when used indoors? is this true? If yes, this is a much bigger issue. Does anyone know what I might be up against with this? Can I paint over it to contain the fumes?

They probably just sanded it down. But if that paint is a health hazard and the paint crew used it inside the house, and the paint crew is the GC's "crew", you need to speak with the GC again and say they used the WRONG paint ENTIRELY, anything done with that paint is to be redone and stand your ground. If it were me, I would get everything in writing from SW from the order placed by the paint crew to what you're saying the technical person told you and take to the GC with me so there is no room for negotiation. Oh and that is to come from HIS pocket, not yours.

At this point, I would ask Sherwin Williams what to have the painters do. Painting over the exterior paint with interior paint will probably be fine, but if it comes from the manufacturers directly, this would be better.

Lukkiirish and Paintguy22: thanks so much for hanging in here with me. Earlier today I emailed SW corporate asking if there were any health risks associated with using A-100 indoors and if yes, what is the fix. They say they will respond within 48 hours so I should have something in writing soon. I will update the folks here when I get the 411. In the meantime, I plan to send an email to the GC asking him to verify with the local office that indoor use is an approved use, that it poses no health hazard and that I can sand it and paint over it with any paint of my choice when the time comes. I guess I should send another inquiry off to corporate asking the same exact thing. I'm not out of the woods, but I'm feeling much better. Thank you all again.

Honu

I am updating to put closure on this post. We are Switching to pro classic for our final coat. Per SW there is no need to prime first. A-100 only gives off fumes until it cures and our house has lots of air flow. It looks like we will be fine. Thank you all for your experienced advice. I really appreciate the time each of you you took to help me and guide me through this issue.

I used Satin paint for the trim and was disappointed that the finish wasn't smooth to the touch. When I talked to the guy at Lowe's he said that eggshell on up should have a smooth touch, but it doesn't. I took a risk and purchased semi-gloss. That is the one with the smooth touch. My question is "If I paint over the satin with semi-gloss, will it adhere to the newly painted satin without resanding or using TSP or must I prep the trim again?"

For trim and doors that aren't just flat surfaces, it seems like a LOT of work to sand. How does one get it done evenly and in a reasonable timeframe, especially if there are 2 coats.