Hi Funcolors, I enjoy reading your very informative posts. I need your advice please. I am in total agreement about glossiness accentuating imperfections but here is my dilema. I want my exterior paint job to hold up as long as possible and people keep telling me semi gloss and high gloss will hold up longer then flatter finish, AND will not stay so glossy for long so could it be if we sacrifice seeing the imperfections then later on we will graduate to a satin in time and get far more longevity as well? I saw a man's house done with a fancy european paint in red with green trim, high gloss, not everyone's cup of tea, but for his house it was stunning! He says he paints every year to keep up the gloss as it does diminish. As you say every flaw sticks out but all in all with his architecture and plantings it is lovely. I on the other hand have a colonial revival 1910 house not all that old and want a slightly off white base coat with bright white trim. I live in CT zone 6, everyone here is advocating SW duration for longevity. My painter says it will cost a lot more money for the application of an oil primer rather then these self priming paints. I am willing to spend more if I get more time with the paint job and am seeking your experience for longest lasting exterior with best color to go along with this criteria. Do you also have a good blue color for porch ceiling? Thanks so much for all your input!

Hi BINK. I think the oil is fine. Rhome410, among many others here, painted hers in the oil and has been very happy for a number of years, I was just afraid of the yellowing that occurs with oil paint over time so went with the waterborne. Any cab color I tried with the least amount of yellow in it looked horrible with my gray-ish Carrara. My floors are white oak as I didn't want the redness of the red oak. They are finished in Bona. The stain is a mix of 75% Jacobean and 25% Black Coffee (similar to Black Walnut). I sometimes wish they were darker, but the I have a hard enough time keeping them looking clean with three cats running around. Darker would make the cat hair stand out so much more. No offense to anyone with partial overlay, but I wouldn't want it in my kitchen either. It definitely looks great with some eras, but not with the look I was trying to achieve. I would have loved inset also, but couldn't afford the extra cost. Unfortunately, my zone 8 is Washington state. Sorry! Looking forward to seeing your kitchen!

I'd never use a flat paint in a rental bathroom ;0) A high humidity busy and often small space, you're setting yourself up for more mildew, staining, difficulty in cleaning. Maybe your renters will be careful, keep it clean, run the fan for the required number of venting minutes after they've showered and dressed. Or, maybe they won't. I did use an eggshell rather than satin or semi-gloss in a bath once that held up beautifully - Pratt and Lambert. It was so successful in the bathroom, I redid the laundry and back entrance mudroom with it including the doors and woodwork. It was a very washable surface.

Ok, you do say you're a "newbie"! Yes, you are! The finish is "eggshell", not "eggplant". Oh well, as least you're willing to learn! Will you be painting all these things yourself, or just want to understand what your painter will be doing? Different brands will use the same name - i.e., satin, but it will still vary as to the amount of shine. Flat has zero shine, hides imperfections the best (usually recommended for ceilings). Hard to clean and can be hard to touch up without it showing. Matte finish is next. Again, varies from brand to brand, and between the lines of the same brand. Example: Benjamin Moore Aura flat has less "shine" vs. Benjamin Moore Scuff X (from their Ultra Spec line). The TDS sheet will give you a closer idea - it will be listed as "3 degrees at a 60 degree angle/ 5 degrees at an 80 degree angle). Scuff X matte is somewhat higher, but not noticeable to most people. Satin is next. It can range from 20 degrees to 35 degrees (+/-). Then Semi-gloss, then gloss, and some paints have a HIGH gloss. The higher the gloss, the more imperfections in the surface or the paint itself will show. Personally, I prefer eggshell for my walls, and satin for my trim. I lean towards all Benjamin Moore products for walls. Recently used the Scuff X in matte on my walls and the Scuff X Satin for doors and trim. It's leaves a very nice finish. Not familiar with any paint lines from the big box stores, and have never used Sherwin Williams.