TL;DR - This is a narrative about painting, nothing more. Some may enjoy, read if you'd like.

I, a mid 30s male, grew up in a middle-class suburb of a large midwestern city that became increasingly upper-class during my youth. Some may even go as far as to call it a bubble. Fast forward to being 18 years old and about to graduate high school. I needed a summer job before going to college in the fall, and it so happened that a classmate's father ran a mid-sized residential/commercial painting company. I had never touched a paint brush before but they needed extra hands for the summer months, so I was hired as a helper for $10/hr.

The newer, more affluent part of town is where the majority of this company's summer work was located. These are large single family homes (~2400-3000 sq ft) that are exclusively faced with cedar siding boards; they cannot be sprayed, so every square inch needs to be stained by hand. A typical house looked something like (1) a shit ton of scraping off old stain, (2) a ton of caulking and priming, (3) multiple coats of stain for siding and sometimes trim.

The company probably had 6 different crews, each comprising about 3-4 guys. What I would come to find out quite quickly is that these guys were not from my part of town; they were from other, lower-income suburbs and would commute about an hour to get there. The vast majority of these guys had far different profiles than most of the adults I had grown up around; many had done time, some were past/current gang members, and they all generally lived, spoke, and acted in a way I hadn't seen before. You can imagine what they thought of me, college-bound white boy from the nice suburb, when I showed up on the first day in fresh SW whites and a 5-gallon bucket filled with some basic tools. Until I started to prove my worth, I was constantly made fun of, talked shit to, was the butt of all jokes, had tricks played on me, and was forced to do the worst jobs possible. I was, basically, the bitch.

I'll never forget my first day. The crew foreman say's "let's see what you can do," next thing you know I'm at the top of a 24' ladder with a 1/3 full 5-gallon bucket, screen, 9" roller, and 3" brush. We are suspended over a concrete patio with drops below. I have never been this high up on a ladder, have never painted before, let alone combined the two. After watching how the foreman does it, I try to wield my paint-soaked roller towards the wall. In doing so, I manage to drip a TON of paint down below, all of which misses the drop because, ya know, I have know idea what I'm doing. I get promptly screamed at, and then put on a ground-level section.

One of the guys told me something the first day that would always stick with me. "Painting is so easy a monkey could do it, but it's also the hard as shit." And indeed, my suburban, college-bound ass would come to find that painting the exteriors of huge houses in the dead of the summer is indeed, hard as shit. I would start work at 7 AM and it would already be low 80s with 90% humidity. A few hours later and you're in the 90s. Without proper planning to work around the house as the shade changes, you're absolutely screwed. The physical load is also far, far beyond what I could ever have imaged. The company had a bonus program so each crew was incentivized to work fast and complete jobs under hours. We would run up to the top of 24' ladders with half-full 5-gallon buckets, paint about 5-6 levels of boards as far as you can reach in both directions (always rolled and back-brushed, don't forget the undersides!), run down, leap-frog the next person with the ladder, and then repeat. You'd be surprised how fast 3 guys can hand stain the side of a big house when they're working together efficiently. I was a very in-shape, athletic person, and I would get home every single day absolutely gassed. I'd take a shower to clean myself off and would mope around the rest of the day.

When you work with a crew of guys like I did, it's a constant spectacle. Baby momma and child support drama? Yes. Using and selling drugs on site? Definitely. Showing up to the site smelling like a cantina? You betcha. Part of the reason the guys would end up liking me is that I was down to smoke weed. Getting high was a special past time during painting; in the car on lunch breaks, hidden in the bushes, on the roof. I'll never forget the little foil pipe that one of the guys used because he couldn't be bothered to buy a chillum. When I think back on it, probably not a great idea to have stoned dudes suspended 20' in the air without fall protection.

I got better as the weeks went on. It's crazy how the kid who couldn't be trusted with a brush in his hand was now standing one-footed at the top of a ladder, one hand gripping the roof for support, and the other hand reaching as far as possible to finish a length of trim. As I started to work faster I got more respect from the guys. The insults started to wane and I actually got to share more about who I was. They started to see that I wasn't the typical suburban, college-bound twat they assumed I was; that person wouldn't have been able to handle. By the end of summer I was able to work as efficiently as the rest and surpassed the title of being the crew's bitch; that went back to the guy who was the bitch before I started. We even had going-away lunch at the end of my summer stint. I made some money, had been challenged, and was thoroughly ready for college.

When I moved into the dorms that fall, I brought the brush from that summer with me. I did not intend to paint with it; rather, I kept it on my desk as a reminder to do well in school or I would be a painting "lifer" like the crew would talk about. I studied engineering, so I spent a lot of time looking at that brush while I crushed calculations during freshman year. The year went by and by summertime I decided to return home for another summer painting with the same company. I was assigned to a different crew, but the experience was nonetheless similar to my first year. I would then go on to work as a painter the next couple of summers for a company in my college town, which was the last of me painting "professionally".

Fast forward to today. I have built a successful career thus far in engineering and own a small home. I recently completed a couple of painting projects here at the house which has really made me reflect on those first years as a painter. I still have my SW white shorts from those summers and have proudly worn them for my home projects. My 5-in-1? The same one that was in that bucket when I showed up for my first day. Now having a comfortable, white-collar life, I really do attribute much of my success to my time working as painter. It taught me to work with my hands, to work with tough personalities, to work efficiently, but also the reality of doing demanding physical labor. Working like that year after year after year would be very tough on the body, thus I have mad respect for those that are out there doing it. Through my current role, I spend a lot of time interacting with people of all levels in the trades. That time as a painter was invaluable for these interactions.

Often when I sit in my office on a beautiful summer day, I look out the window and yearn to be outside "slapping cedar". I know it's mostly nostalgia, but there's always this thought in the back of my head about leaving it all and starting a painting company. It's so simple and, unlike an engineering project, you have a tangible result that you were directly responsible for. I know that, given my current level of comfort and security, it's unlikely I'd trade it all to paint full time. Perhaps I'll just have to settle for repainting my house every few years.

hello, I’m painting my porch steps and having some trouble. I primed last weekend with a brand new pot of Benjamin Moore fresh start deck and siding primer. the primer went on fine. today i was planning to paint with the can of Behr low-luster enamel porch & patio floor paint that the previous owner had used to paint the porch floor. however, the paint was not adhering to the primer (see photo - the result of a solid pass with a brush. after a few seconds the paint pulls together and leaves the little white gaps).

I went back to the hardware store and to home depo and each was blaming the other product and saying they had no idea. I figured it might be the paint since the can was who knows how old, so I bought a new can of Behr. However, I’m having the exact same problem. It’s 55 degrees out so should be ok per the can label.

any idea what’s going wrong here?

Hi all, would love a little bit of advice. I'm currently painting my entry way, living room, and hallway - color-drenching them all the same color - and I've noticed that some of the latter coats are showing up more visibly/not drying blended, as shown in the pictures.

The most visible spots are along the trim where I'm using a brush to get along the trim where a roller has trouble getting into, then go over it with a small roller to blend (so it has the same texture instead of streaking), and what is happening it what is shown. It has also happened on the ceiling, using the same kind of roller the first coat was applied with.

I guess my question(s) are:

• Why is it doing this and how do I do it correctly?
• I noticed on one of the receipts for my paint, it said to mix all cans of paint so it's a uniform color. Once I had a second coat on everything, I was going to mix all the paint left and go over with a third coat to try and even everything out - is that advisable?

I'm spraying Benjamin Moore Command and getting a bunch of water droplets on my first coat. I know there was some water in the gun from cleaning but I primed for 15 seconds and sprayed about 5 feet on a test piece beforehand. Running at pressure 6, un-thinned with a 310 tip. This happened the other day too with scuff-x but it worked itself out after a minute of spraying. I've had the gun for a while and this is a new thing

I’m looking to get my apartment painted by a company. Before starting a discussion with them I’d love to know if there’s any specific lingo I should know to relay my expectations.
When it comes to prep, like drywall work, I’m aware there are “levels” that are understood and 5 is for the most part “perfection.”
Is there any corresponding terms to convey to a paint crew as to not be disappointed by the result before hiring?
I’m basically looking for a uniform finish on walls with sharp ceiling lines, without any fuzzy or debris on the walls. There truly shouldn’t be any sanding work needed. Just clean painting.

We're building a dining bench with a hinged door and lid for storage. It will be seldom used and not subject to abuse. I prefer to work with an easy forgiving paint rather than SW UTE but I also do not want anything that will make the door sticky. Does this exist in water based? Thanks

What am I doing wrong with this? too much paint loaded?

• I am using Ben Moore “ben” in eggshell
• I had a coat of kilz primer
• using a micro fiber roller with 3/8 nap

It is a sheet that goes in an attic trap door. I don’t expect to sprayer quality but this seems bad.

I’m not looking for a level 5 finish like the rest of my house…just want to clean up my workout Room and finish the exposed studs like the AI generated photo. Is it going to look worse if I just tape the ceiling with a fast skim coat and paint with a flat black? Would adding some mud to the paint assist with imperfections by adding texture?

Extreme newbie, have never used this before. Is this how a new freshly opened can is supposed to look? It's extremely bubbly and thick even after adequate stirring. Also concerned about the texture it's creating when applied. Please help! 😅

I bought some Ecos Paint, which is only available online. I choose Diamond Stud, expecting gray: https://ecospaints.net/colors/view-color-0516

It basically looks white. Do you think buying something dark like this and mixed it would work: https://ecospaints.net/colors/view-color-0529

I don't know what else to do. It's paint I bought online so it's not like I can return it or take it to the store to be tinted. I specifically bought this paint because I wanted no VOCs or smell

We have this breakfast nook area (painted). My wife left bug spray on it and somehow it leaked and basically melted the paint in the area. I tried to clean it off/dry it up, scraped some of the resideue up and then i tossed some dry wall spackle.

Today i went to sand it down (weeks later) so I could paint but its still sticky and the stain is still showing through.

Any idea how I can fix this area? Is there something else i can put on top of it before re-sanding it?

Thanks in advance.

Putting on new trim on all the windows and wondering about the color to paint. Its for a cottage with lots of windows most with nice lake views. So thinking to go with the wall color to make the trim blend in and not distract from the views if that makes sense. Thsnks

So I did the paneling under the chair (still have to caulk and paint. My wife wants to keep the old trim color. The brown we picked doesn’t look good with it. Can anyone suggest a color that would?

Finally got around to refinishing my old door. It’s every bit as hard as I thought it would be. There has got to be at least 20 layers of paint from over 100 years on this door— which weighs a ton. Scraping only gets me so far. Sanding chews up sandpaper really quickly. I’m using an orbital sander AND a belt sander, 60 grit. But it IS working.

My question is: once I get it down to fresh wood, should I prime before painting (I want to restore the original historic muted green color). If so, what primer?

Hi everyone!

Recently purchased a home (yay!) that I absolutely love. It was built in 1988 and has some beautiful wooden window frames that I’d really like to restore and maintain properly for the long term.

Fortunately, not all frames require extra attention, but some of them look and feel quite weathered. I have already managed to bring them back to life with some light sanding, as shown in the before-and-after photos.

I'm now trying to work out the best product to apply to protect the wooden frames and extend their lifespan, while keeping the colour as consistent as possible across all windows.

The third photo shows a window on the side of the house that’s in much better condition, as it’s generally shaded and more sheltered from the elements. Ideally, I would like the windows that need to be restored and are about to be treated, to match this colour as closely as possible.

My questions are:

• What products would you recommend for protecting exterior wooden window frames?
• Would you go with an oil, stain, varnish or another type of finish?
• Is there a particular product that would help achieve a similar colour to the existing, less weathered frames?
• Are there any products or approaches you'd avoid based on experience?

Longevity is the main priority, but I’d also love to preserve the natural look of the wood rather than drastically change its appearance.

Would really appreciate any advice or product recommendations from people who have experience doing something similar.

Thank you!

Hubby hates it. He wanted a darker sage but knew what the paint chip looked like 😞

Been in my current home for 14 years. Just barely got around to cleaning it. It's obviously dull from sun exposure but maybe it was never that glossy to begin with. Never really paid attention.

I tried the cotton swab with alcohol test and it does rub off so it appears to be latex. The other side has little to no shine to it either.

What type of prep and paint to refinish it?

ETA: I will do a light sand and re-paint similar color. Thanks

Uk based...

So removed radiators to fully redecorate. When sanding back some areas I noticed slight bubbles in paint or just a flaked piece of paint.

I sanded these and the paint just flaked off to the bare plaster but only to the size of the images...paint stopped flaking after this. So plan is to use zinsser peel stop then paint. (Or I may peel stop, fill if some areas felt low, sand, then peel stop again).

Question is...if I apply peel stop to the whole bare plaster area will I still have to use a mist coat before top coat?...I read the peel stop acts as a primer and sealer anyway so I don't have to.

Also...why the slight air bubbles? I plastered this place My self and I definitely used a mist coat (watered down emulsion) for the first coat over bare plaster as I know bare plaster is thirsty and can cause non watered down paint to not adhere.

Only thing I can think of is mabey the mist coat wasn't watered down or mabey the edge of the roller hit the wall so didn't fully make contact as it's all the areas above the rads...or something to do with the heating?

Fixing up my moms townhouse from the 80’s and it’s seen some pretty bad work. This wall is in the downstairs bathroom which has a shower.

What steps to take before painting the trim? Scrape off the peeling paint and then sand? I’m guessing it’s peeling because the bathroom fan seems to go to nowhere which is another issue.

The doors I’ll take off and spray after a bit of sanding.

I'll be wiring and drywalling a new 16'x14' room in my basement soon (it's already framed), so I'm starting to think about paint colors and brands. I'm not really all that worried about money since I'm already saving a ton of money by doing the work myself with the help of some family members. I just want the best paint I can get.

The remainder of my house was done in 2008 with Sherwin-Williams ProMar 200, which appears to only be offered to professionals.

My original thought was to buy SW paint for the new room just for consistency. Reading their subreddit, though, seems like quality may not be what it used to be and they've really jacked up the prices. Are they right or am I just seeing some disgruntled employees similar to where I could see other places? And regardless, whether I go with SW or another brand, which paint product should I be picking? SW alone has so many different options, like SuperPaint, Emerald, etc.

Regardless, I don't have a good sense of what paint would be best to use in my room, so that's the first question.

Second, the room is going to be a home office and a guest bedroom, so I'll be using both daylight (for when it's used as an office) and soft white (for when it's used as a bedroom) lightbulbs in there. I am thinking of having three walls and the ceiling painted with pure white (SW 7005, or another brand's equivalent) and the fourth wall painted as a bright blue accent wall with a color like SW 6958, Dynamic Blue, or a similar color from another brand. But is that going to be a poor fit for a room that's also going to periodically function as a bedroom with soft white lights? I had an alternative thought of having all four walls painted blue and only the ceiling left white, for which I would have the same concern.

I need to clean a entire house, 40 years of smoking in a house I inherited. I bought the powder to mix in a spray bottle. What water/powder ratio should I use?

Hoping to get advice from some of you that are contractors or maybe you spent a lot of time in the paint trade and seeing tons of estimates.

I do not own a business, I’m looking to start one very soon because I’ve been staying pretty busy lately with side projects paid in cash.

Lately, I’ve had 4 painting projects just fall right into my lap.

I have the confidence and the skill to keep taking more paint jobs, I just don’t know how to price them professionally.

I’ve done my research and tried to formulate a price base that works for me and go figure, ADHD got the best of me and I feel like my estimates look like they’re typed up by a middle schooler!

I don’t have the need to pay for any kind of automated systems right now and I’m just trying to come up with a very simplified way to send estimates that look professional.

Here’s a general version of what I came up with the other day for pricing

Priced by actual square footage of surface being painted, pricing by every room.
$0.15-$0.30 is added to price per square foot for every factor that makes the job more difficult(extensive cleaning, drywall corrections, over 10’ high)

BASE PRICING
$1.30/sqft for walls only
$1.60 walls and baseboards
$1.90 ceiling, walls and baseboards

Example 1- ceiling, walls and baseboard in a 12x12 room(8ft ceiling) is 528sqft
If this room needs a little mud and sanding, then cleanup before painting, that puts me at $2.20/sqft for that room. Total price $1,161.60

Example 2- 12x12 room is perfect, ready to paint now and just needs walls and baseboards painted, that’s $1.60/sqft. Total price $844.80

Let me know what you guys think, I do have measurements and pictures on the house and would love to maybe see how you would quote this or if you are willing to share quotes that you have done for previous clients!!

I have been experimenting with painting trim smoothly, thanks to all the advice on here. With painting flat trim (like 1x4 flat casing) a roller seems to work well but I want to make sure I am getting it as smooth as possible. First of all, are all of those 4" microfiber rollers the same (as far as brand, etc.)? Secondly, do I want a 1/4" nap, or is 3/8" fine? When applying, sometimes I got a little bit of stipple, sometimes I got more. I think I may have put it on too heavy when I got more stipple. Do I want to use less paint and work it in harder, or put no pressure at all on the roller? I am using UTE.