What you need to know about interior paint

This week we are covering the pros and cons of both basic paint types.The two main types of paint are oil based, and latex based paint.  Oil Pros It holds a sharp edge well, which means there's no bleed-thru. It has a quicker curing time. Goes on surfaces smooth and often requires fewer coats. Holds up well in high-traffic areas. Oil Cons Potent, often overwhelming fumes in the paint and in the chemicals required to clean up after painting. It continues to cure with no flexibility, which means it is more likely to become brittle, crack, and flake over time, or even start to yellow. Latex Pros Less odor and toxicity. Great color and gloss retention. Easy clean-up. It dries quickly, plus the long cure time means that the paint will be flexible and not chip or crack over time. Latex Cons You need to use a robust and secure painters tape to protect edges and prevent bleed-thru. Takes a long time to cure. Doesn't survive freezing, so if it gets left in an unheated garage over the winter the paint can separate. Store where it will not freeze to preserve the paint. A note about all-in-one paint and primers: This product gives the impression that painting with it is a shorter, one-step, process. Though this product is often thicker than standard latex, it will also take multiple coats to get complete coverage. Standard latex will often provide full coverage with the same number of coats. If you are painting a feature wall a darker color, then starting with a darker primer will help.   Additional Tips: Note painting temperatures on the paint can. These do not refer to air or outside temperatures. They refer to the temperature of the surface to be painted. Oil and Latex do not work together. If you're painting over old paint, know what kind it is. If you are changing the type of paint on the surface (i.e. covering oil paint with latex), ask your paint supplier for the right product. There are specially designed products to prevent negative bonding. After all that, the hardest part may be picking the right color for your next project. Have fun with that process!         Your Flooring Consultant,         Matt Capell, President of Capell Flooring and Interiors P.S.  I just wanted to thank all of you for voting for us for the Best of Treasure Valley Contest by the Idaho Statesman.  We won and it because of our AWESOME customers like you that took time out of your busy schedules to vote for us!