▪ Can you paint pressure treated wood? Yes, you can, but it is best to wait for a few months for the moisture and chemicals to leech from the wood before the paint is applied. Otherwise, the paint will not stay on the wood for very long.

▪ There are generally three variations in paint style: flat, satin or semi-gloss, and full-gloss. Flat paint has no shine to it. It is harder to clean than the other types, but the trade-off is that it shows fewer imperfections on the wall surface (bumps and seams). Satin has more of a shine, and full-gloss has the most shine. Full-gloss is usually used on trim (like crown molding).

▪ I love to build new houses that look old, so I like to use "historical colors". Some paint companies (like Benjamin Moore) have certain colors in their collection that are the same colors used in older houses.

▪ Be sure that your painter saves you some paint in the cans for touch-ups and duplication later!!!

▪ Your interior trim carpenter may ask you whether you want to use "paint-grade wood" or "stain-grade wood" in some places like the mantel, for instance. Paint-grade wood has more imperfections but is less expensive. Stain-grade wood is more beautiful and is more appropriate for the application of stains.

▪ I once heard that yellow houses sell faster than houses of any other color. I have never checked the validity of this theory, but my own experience indicates that yellow is an excellent choice for an exterior. It can make a house look bright, fresh, cheerful and...just plain new! I paint my houses yellow whenever possible.

Painting - Home Remodeling, Part 3

Former builder and instructor of "Save Time and Money in Home Remodeling" cont. ed. course at Emory University