Wow - I’m not even sure where to start . . . I was going to try to stay above the fray but when accused of intentionally scamming or cheating a contractor - I can't resist commenting. For starters, can you just imagine what would have transpired if I’d asked the painter and the fabricator to come together to discuss who was responsible for the granite breaking? The painter, I’m certain, would have washed his hands of the whole thing the very minute it was even suggested that the granite wasn’t properly installed. And the fabricator would have insisted that he installed it properly and dare us to prove otherwise. And once both of those parties denied any culpability, we, the homeowners, would have been left with no recourse at all. The MIA standards are ambiguous at best. They provide a guideline for installation and suggest remedies in various situations, i.e. shims to mitigate cabinets that are unlevel, etc., based upon a fabricators assessment of what's needed - which is totally subjective. There are “tolerances” for everything so that a “range” of conditions is considered acceptable, which would make it nearly impossible to "prove" an improper installation based upon them. They also speak at length about “stones of lesser soundness” due to fissures, hardness of the mineral matrix (whatever that is), etc. Our friends just installed Cosmos granite and were told to NEVER stand or sit on it due to its large mineral deposits and overall fragility, although I assume it was properly installed. Someone here on Gardenweb even posted that her granite cracked because she used her crockpot on it - was that a result of improper installation? Given the nature of stone, you simply cannot say that a properly installed granite countertop cannot be damaged “except with a sledgehammer” and there’s also no way you can say, sight unseen, that our granite broke due to improper installation. We look at it as iroll said - the painter’s crew damaged it - nothing more, nothing less. It wasn’t broken when they arrived and it was broken when they left so we simply cannot be made to feel guilty for holding them responsible. We also did everything we could to make sure our painter didn't have to pay any more than was necessary. When the original invoice the fabricator sent was for $2034 and included an $848 upcharge for the exotic stone, we spent half a day arguing that we'd already paid the upcharge for that slab when we originally purchased a small piece of it. They didn't agree and were adamant that the upcharge was valid, saying they'd only charged us a premium for the small piece we used, but we finally convinced them to remove it. So in essence, I guess you could say the fabricator and the painter are sharing the cost of replacing our granite - one paying $1186 and the other $848.

wi-sailorgirl, not to dismiss your question, but things maybe not covered here, you can check Google for painting tips 101 or u-tube. Trust me there are lots of information out here. Some good and some well (uh not so informative). If doubts, you can also come back with a follow up question. Anyway, great choice on your selection (Aura). Just make sure you follow the directions for painting with Aura because it does begin to set up in a short period of time. You just can't keep rolling and re rolling. Need to roll it on and move on. Any little skippers you notice, leave along and you can get them covered in the 2nd coat. You didn't say whether you have smooth or textured walls, so I am just guessing smooth here. I prefer to use Purdy's white dove dralon paint rollers. I use a 3/8ths or 1/2" cover. I also will de-fuzz the roller sleeve before using. Get yourself a really good roller frame . You definitely don't want to use a cheap wobbly frame. I use Sherlock roller frame and also their very sturdy extension poles. When you get done painting all you have to do is tap the roller on the side of a garbage can or a 5 & the roller sleeve pops right off. Use an excellent brush for painting your trim. One that has a lot of fluidity and flow. If you are going to tape I would recommend using 3m- orange core delicate blue painter's tape listed as #2080. This is the only tape IMO. I would just make sure you have burnished the tapes edge down really secure. If you use any type of tool to press the tape down, you will need to be really careful about not poping a hole in the tape. Trust me it can happen. I myself use my index finger and lightly press the tape in place to get a seal and then I run my finger back across the tape really really good for the final secure. When you are finished painting, if the tape seems to be a little stubborn in releasing, take a box cutter or one of the craft knives to lightly score right where the tape edge is. This should release for you and don't remove at a fast pace. Remove the tape back onto itself. Oh and with Aura , it would be a good idea not to have blowing air directly onto the work surface and if you have an outside wall that gets heated up I would paint this wall first. I am very particular about the temperatures in the rooms I am working in. They can make or break a paint finish. Another thing, if you don't feel comfortable or secure about using the Aura and afraid it will start to set up on you, I would like to also suggest using an x-tender for Aura. I only use XIM x-tender. Just make sure you follow instrustions and stir, stir, stir to make sure it has incorporated into the paint. As far as washing your walls , sometimes that is overkill. In other words how long has it been, are there lots of spots or is the wall really dirty or just dusty, what finish is on the wall at the present time. If the walls are in good condition, just make sure you have dusted all over and if you had to make any repairs , dusting and removing all little flying debris. Washing walls and priming all the time is really ridiculous. Just have to thoroughly examine the walls to make the right determination. Yes, I would cut in the second time as well. hope some of this helps. Good luck. :)

Hey Mongo, thanks for that advice. DH is doing what he calls a "level 5 finish" on our walls, so the mud is all over. No matter how much he vaccuums, there is still a layer of white on one's fingers when you wipe it, so I was wondering what to do before I prime and paint. I was thinking a moist wipe was the only solution and I'm going to try your recommendation. Unless you tell me this won't work for all mudded walls. But it seems to me this would work just as well or better. Thanks again, and thanks berob for posting this question! Ivette

I just painted a buttermilk yellow over a dark grey wall (don't ask) and for the first two walls I thought I should prime, but I still needed three coats of the yellow to cover (I paint mostly with a brush, it's only two coats with a roller). Then on the last wall I ran out of primer so used leftover beige paint... and it covered way better than the primer. I'm no expert, but my conclusion is that primer doesn't cover as well as paint. It seems to me that primer is meant to promote adhesion, not to colour things. In your situation the question is evenness, not coverage per se, so I could go over your splotches with the closest thing you have to the original wall colour. Then paint your final colour, probably two coats will do. KarinL