Split image of Danny Lipford and Tracey Amadio
In this episode of “Ask Danny,” Tracey Amadio gives her recommendations and tips for painting.


In Episode 3 of “Ask Danny,” painting expert Tracey Amadio shares her suggestions and methods for obtaining the ideal paint work. 


Tracey Amadio of Porch Daydreamer
Tracey Amadio, a.k.a. the “Queen of Portray Everything” is passionate about painting! (Courtesy Tracey Amadio)

About Tracey Amadio

Tracey Amadio is passionate about painting. She works by using expertise from her property improvement occupation to train Do-it-yourself tasks, residence structure, and painting methods on her website Porchdaydreamer.com.

Tracey’s admirers have topped her the “The Queen of Portray Everything” because there is practically nothing she won’t paint!

Her superpower of colour memory and extensive background of coloration development analysis is combined to discover the excellent paint colours for you.

Her mission is to consider the pain out of painting and decorating with her straightforward-to-fully grasp tutorials.

Tracey was named a 2021 Better Properties & Gardens Stylemaker and her do the job has been showcased in HGTV, Improved Properties & Gardens, Very good Housekeeping, State Living, Condominium Therapy and extra.


Open paint cans of white, blue and green on a wood background
Coloration pigments, additives, resins and carriers identify the price of paint. (annastories)

Paint Price ranges

Why is some paint much more pricey than other models and types?

Tracey: Cost matters… to a place.

Lots of owners only target on the paint colour and really don’t imagine about what’s combined in with the colour pigments. Resins, additives and carriers — like h2o and oil — are key elements that will make paint a lot more highly-priced. 

Better-quality pigments and resins will make the price go up, but you will have far better protection. The middle cost point is the best option to pick out. 

Recall: Excellent perception is dictated by the individual who’s making use of the paint. A qualified might want a thinner paint since they’ll be using a sprayer, but a home-owner generally wishes a thicker paint since they’ll be covering a wall with a different shade or painting a piece of household furniture. 

Paying a tiny added on that much better paint is going to give you an a lot easier application and fewer brush strokes. Also, the paint will dry to a greater, additional long lasting complete.


Hands holding up a sample of paint color swatches against a wall of paint swatches
Picking a paint colour can be too much to handle. Find an item to get started your coloration palette and work from there. (Feverpitched, Getty Photos)

Choosing a Color

Can you provide some steerage on how to pick out a paint coloration?

Tracey: When buying a paint colour, start with the shade you want to base your palette close to. It could be a piece of fabric, a rug, a plate, nearly anything that will help you hone onto the coloration you want.

Consider it to the retail store with you to opt for the ideal paint. Also foundation it on the total of mild in the home, if it a darker too pick out a  lighter paint shade and sop forth.

I have a free guide you can obtain. 6 easy actions to picking a paint color.

Also, take into consideration the lights in the space you’re portray. If you have a dim space, lighter paint, if you have a light space, you can go with a darker paint colour, a mid-price paint is heading to be finest for most individuals.  

Just after you have an concept of what shade you want, acquire a foam board and paint it with samples so you can transfer it close to the room to see if it will perform for you. 

Get your time selecting in advance of you choose a coloration. See how the shade samples glimpse at distinctive times of the day. 


Hand painting wall trim with a paintbrush
A satin or semi-gloss sheen is ideal for trim and molding. (JodiJacobson, Getty Pictures Signature)

Selecting Sheen

What are the distinct kinds of sheen, and how need to you select one? 

Tracey: I utilised to function at a paint desk, and I would normally see the “deer in headlights” look when I requested what sheen a person desired. 

Sheen matters! It is basically a lot more significant than shade. 

There are 5 sorts of sheen: flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss and higher-gloss. To establish what sheen you want, take into account the room or venture you’re painting.

If you are painting a ceiling, you want a very low-reflective paint to disguise any imperfections, especially exactly where the joints match up. A flat sheen is ideal for this. 

For partitions, you want a bigger sheen, like eggshell. Cooking splatters and accidental spills occur, so you want a complete that is cleanable. 

When you scrub a flat paint, it burnishes it and makes it shiny. Flat paint is fantastic for touchups but not for high-targeted visitors locations where you require scrutability and durability.

The bigger the sheen, the harder the paint will be when it dries. I normally advisable satin, at bare minimum, or semi-gloss for trim and molding. These sheens are still wipable but they’re more durable, so they’ll stand up to scuffing and jarring. 

I really don’t advise a substantial-gloss paint. The more reflective a paint is, the a lot more flaws it is likely to clearly show. It is also challenging to apply, so I would go away that to a specialist.


Paint brush swiping deep blue paint over faded blue paint on a wood wall
Exterior and inside paint can not be interchanged. Constantly paint the outdoors of your residence with a paint rated for outside use. (Susie Hedberg, Getty Photographs)

Exterior Painting

What temperature is best for painting a home’s exterior?

Tracey: Most of the time, exterior paint can not be used in temperatures less than 55-50 levels Fahrenheit. You want to paint exterior when there is low humidity and the temperature is average — between 55-75 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Paint has a ton of h2o in it, so the a lot more drinking water in the air, the extended time it will choose the paint to dry. Permit by yourself three sunny times, if probable, for the paint to dry.

When painting your home’s exterior, only use paint that’s rated for exterior use. For the reason that exterior paint has to deal with temperature alterations once it’s dry, it is fortified with particular resins and pigments for particular durability. It can extend and contract to a degree that interior paint cannot.

The very best paint for exterior use is acrylic latex. I steer very clear of oil paints for the exterior. Oil paint isn’t straightforward to clear, and if you are using a white oil paint, it will yellow more than time since of the oil in it. 

Now, there is oil-enriched enamel paint that is water-based mostly, so it’s quick to clean up with cleaning soap and h2o like acrylic latex. This paint has oil molecules suspended in it, and as it dries, individuals molecules activate to act like oil paint. The conclude end result is a surface that is difficult and tough with all the added benefits and versatility of latex paint. 


Black and green plastic outdoor furniture around a fire pit
Refresh plastic outdoor furniture with a new coat of paint. (Jonathan Cooper/Pexels)

Portray Plastic

How do you paint plastic outside furnishings?

Tracey: I consider a twin tactic to portray plastic home furnishings. Utilize a bonding primer spray first, then address it with a frequent spraypaint. 


Paint droplets on a beige carpet
(travellinglight, Getty Visuals)

Even Authorities Make Issues

Tracey: Even while I’m a paint expert, I sometimes go on the net to see what other men and women in the portray earth are doing. 

About a yr ago, I made a decision to paint my stair risers, which ended up stained and seriously polyurethaned. 

One blogger advised liquid sandpaper, and I thought that could preserve me a phase. I taped off the risers, utilized the liquid sandpaper and then painted on top of that.

When the paint was still damp, I pulled the tape off at a 90-degree angle. A total piece of movie peeled correct off the stair riser, and the overall position was ruined! 

I figured out a challenging lesson: Have confidence in my gut and go with what is effective. Use a deglosser, then use a bonding primer, then utilize the paint.

My paint has stayed put and is vacuum-cleaner proof as very well!


Power sander sanding a wood board
Sand away any imperfections right before portray wood. (3 Echoes Content material Studio)

Tracey’s Guidelines

  • Hardly ever dismiss proper surface area planning. If you do, the paint will occur off. Get the floor good and cleanse and sand any failing areas.
  • Use stain-blocking bonding primer if painting about a stain. If you don’t, the stain will increase up to the floor and make coloration inconsistencies.
  • Fork out consideration to the re-coat time. A whole lot of men and women think dry time and recoat time are the similar. Typically, recoat time is lengthier than dry time. If you never wait the proper amount of money of time recommended by the producer, the paint will adhere to itself and in no way thoroughly dry. You stop up with genuinely tacky, sticky paint that’s just about unattainable to resolve.  

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