Hi I had my house done in a foam stucco about 10 years ago. It was done in a light beige color with the trim in a light cream. Well its time to freshen it up. Its very dirty and has some green algae stains on one side that doesn't get a lot of light. So my first question is does it need to be cleaned first? I'm scared to power wash it and damage it? Can I use a chemical and spary it on? Or should I use a good primer and then 1-2 coats of paint. Also what type of paint should be used? Is there a special type needed? I really want to use a good quality and not have to worry about painting it for another 7-10 years as it is a rental property. The first floor of the house is brick and the stucco portion is on second floor. Would it help to go darker so that it hides dirt better ? Thanks

DS painted her's a beautiful pale green and this summer she stained the concrete floors. Looks great! I would use eggshell or satin. You want a finish that allows you to wipe it down when needed. My garage is white, but I'd like to paint it a color. Just trying to get up the energy since it's large.

DH and I are finishing up replacing our kitchen bench area (due to termite damage -- thankfully, we caught it early!), and painting is the next step. We're starting with bare plywood. Following this thread with much interest. The 11' bench sits in front of a morning-sun bank of windows, and we'll paint it white. Although we're empty nesters now (so, the bench seating won't be used very often), we'd still like the finish to be durable. Brushworks: Which version of STIX do you recommend, please? I found two online: Any tips would be appreciated. I've painted and re-painted just about every interior wall, door/trim and bathroom cabinet in this 26 y/o house, but I've never started with bare wood. TIA!

Semi-gloss. Same colour as your trim (doors, frames, baseboards) is usually what is done. Depends on where it is, what it is made of, and if you want it to be a focal point in the room. As for brand and line of paint - Aura semi gloss, Cloverdale Renaissance or Multi-master, SW all surface enamel.