Dilemmas

Appearance Or Performance?

Because of the desire to hide the imperfections in drywall tape joints, it has become common practice to use flat, satin, or eggshell paints on these surfaces. The lower the sheen, the less these imperfections are visible. The difficulty is that the lower the sheen, the more prone to burnishing the dry film becomes. In most low-sheen products, the pigment is exposed through the resin in the dry paint because of the high pigment / resin ratios. Shiny areas (burnishing) develop when the exposed pigment is abraded, usually during washing or wiping. Once burnishing has occurred, the surface has to be repainted to eliminate the blemishes.

Painting In Old Buildings

In older buildings where the insulation is poor, shadows appear at stud locations on the inside of exterior walls. The difference in temperature causes dirt to collect at these areas. This is not related to the type of paint used and must be rectified by repainting. These shadows will not bleed through the next coat of paint, but will likely reappear if the lack of insulation is not rectified.

Linseed Oil

Linseed oil is sold in many paint stores and it is used on wood as a clear finish. There are two kinds of linseed oil — boiled and raw. Raw linseed oil will not dry and should not be sold as a clear finish. Boiled linseed oil is slow drying and tends to yellow badly with time and multiple coats. Boiled oil has a tendency to attract mildew growth.