Q: What sheen level should I select for my home's interior?
A: With each increase in sheen level, there is an increase in washability and scrubability, but higher sheen levels also reveal surface imperfections. If minimizing surface imperfections is your goal, Regal Wall Satin Flat Finish 215 will help hide them best. For areas that receive a lot of touching and handling, such as trim, use Regal AquaPearl Pearl Finish 310, Regal AquaGlo Semi-Gloss Finish 333, or Moore's Impervex High Gloss Enamel 309 to help make these areas easier to clean. For a compromise between the two sheen level extremes, consider using Regal AquaVelvet Eggshell Finish 319.
Q: What is "hatbanding"?
A: Hatbanding (also known as "picture framing") is typically caused by over-application of paint when cutting-in walls, corners, trim and ceiling areas with a brush or by rolling walls with a very thick roller cover. When beginning to paint, start where the ceiling meets the walls. Using a 2" to 2 1/2" trim brush, "cut in" by applying a 3"-wide strip of the coating along the perimeter of the wall/ceiling line, beginning at the corner of the room. Cut in one section at a time, and alternate between cutting-in and painting the ceiling. This maintains a wet edge on both the area being cut in and the rolled ceiling area, and prevents a visible line between the cut-in area and the rest of the ceiling. For more information, please refer to our problem solving page on hatbanding, or refer to the Benjamin Moore booklet How to Paint the Interior of Your Home.
Q: If my trim was last painted with an oil-based coating, can I repaint it with latex paint?
A: Yes, but proper preparation is a must. First, clean and sand the oil-based coat to promote adhesion. If you cannot sand, then you need to prime with an adhesion-promoting primer, such as Benjamin Moore's Fresh Start 100% Acrylic Primer (023).
Q: Why is using a primer so important?
A: A properly selected primer creates better hide, seals the surface, creates adhesion, enables color change, achieves the proper finish color when tinted, resists corrosion, and promotes longer life of the total system. For new interior drywall or previously painted drywall, consider using Benjamin Moore's Regal First Coat Primer (216).
Q: Must I sand previously painted woodwork/trim before I apply a new coat?
A: Yes, in order to promote proper adhesion, the old coating must be cleaned and sanded before recoating.
Q: What's the proper way to perform "touch-up"painting?
A: In general, touch-up painting should be done under conditions that are as close as possible to those present when the job was originally done and, ideally, with paint left over from the original job. Also, always apply the material with the same kind of applicator as originally used. Never use a brush to touch-up an area that was previously painted with a roller, as the contrasting textures will make the touched-up areas quite noticeable.
Q: Are MOM III colors obsolete?
A: No, MOM III colors are not obsolete. Formulas for these colors are readily available. MOM III colors using "A" bases with new colorants can be found in Formula Book I, and formulas for new bases with new colorants can be found in Formula Book II. These formulas are also available on the CRX program. While formulas to make MOM III colors will always be available, color samples for MOM III colors will only be available until the end of 2001, or until stock of a given color has been depleted.
