Paint?

[Cliff Stannebein]

I am attempting to paint a kitchen island white.

I have had a very bad experience with VALSPAR MEDALION ARYLIC latex (can't eliminate brush marks)

Please give me recomendations for a top quality paint brand.

Thank You, Cliff Stannebein

[Rob Cunningham]

I have used Muralo Paints Ultra Waterborne and Benjamin Moore WB Impervo. IMO the Muralo flows out a little better when brushing.. They are both acrylic enamels.

[Jim Becker]

You don't want something that is "latex" for cabinetry...choose a 100% acrylic product, such as those that Rob mentioned or Sherwin Williams ProClassic 100% acrylic. If you can spray, than you open things up to products like Target Coatings EM6000 which is now available in white as well as clear coat.

[Cliff Stannebein]

I don't know the difference between "latex" and "waterborne".

I am using, per company recomendation, VALSPAR MEDALLION
"finest quality 100% acrylic latex" for kitchen cupboards.

I want (have) to brush this island. (small cubby holes and many corners)

With the absolute correct environment, the finest brush I can buy,
with and without thinning, with and without flotrol, this paint can not be applied without brush marks even though it says so on the can. (factory customer service simply
replied "Oh no! you have to use a short knap roller" ??

I want to start using a readily available and reputable brand paint that is water based.

Thanks for the responses, Cliff

Cliff

[Phil Phelps]

Spraying is the only thing that eleminates brush strokes. However, you can do a pretty good job by brushing, but you need a superior paint to begin. I especially like the Benjamin Moore line of paints. Many architects, museum curators, and restorators demand Moore paints. And, an alkyd paint will lay out much better than water base paint. If your going to bursh the cabinet, I'd use Moore's Satin Impervo and cut it with paint thinner about ten percent. You'll need to sand down the brush strokes you already have with a ROS and then use an oil base primer, also from the Moore line. Use a good, china bristle brush to apply alkyd paints. You can sand between coats with 220-300, and get a really smooth finish. As I said, spraying is your best option.
If you use a short nap roller with either latex or alkyd, you'll end up with a stipple finish which is not acceptable on cabinets or furniture. If you're brushing, I don't care who you are or what brand of water base paint you use, you'll never make it look as good as an application of alkyd paint.

[Jim Becker]

I don't know the difference between "latex" and "waterborne".

Latex is a water borne finish but not all water borne finishes are latex. 100% acrylics are not latex; they tend to be a harder finish and don't have undesirable things like "blocking" (when things sitting on the painted surface "stick"), etc. The marketing names don't help a whole lot with this confusion, too--consider that the paint you bought says, "100% acrylic latex" which could be confused with "100% acrylic" (sans the latex designation)

[Tom Veatch]

Cliff, I'll second Phil's suggestion of an alkyd enamel. A few summers back, I installed a "through the wall" A/C unit in my shop and painted the trim around the opening with (IIRC) Sherwin Williams "Ultra Hide" Semi-Gloss Alkyd. Only paint I've ever been able to lay on with a brush and have the brush strokes virtually disappear.

Recently completed an assembly table with a "paint grade" plywood base. Finished off the can of paint on that project with the same results - brush strokes virtually indetectable without looking really, really close. And I don't claim to possess any extraordinary finishing skills.

But, as Phil said, brush strokes are a fact of life if you don't spray. Alkyd comes as close to getting rid of them as I've been able to do.

[Prashun Patel]

I've used Insl-X Cabinetcoat a couple times to good effect. Available at Ace.

[Neal Clayton]

Cliff, I'll second Phil's suggestion of an alkyd enamel. A few summers back, I installed a "through the wall" A/C unit in my shop and painted the trim around the opening with (IIRC) Sherwin Williams "Ultra Hide" Semi-Gloss Alkyd. Only paint I've ever been able to lay on with a brush and have the brush strokes virtually disappear.

Recently completed an assembly table with a "paint grade" plywood base. Finished off the can of paint on that project with the same results - brush strokes virtually indetectable without looking really, really close. And I don't claim to possess any extraordinary finishing skills.

But, as Phil said, brush strokes are a fact of life if you don't spray. Alkyd comes as close to getting rid of them as I've been able to do.

agree, and i think there's a lack of knowledge out there about the basic properties of finishes and paints. i had to learn the hard way myself, because i couldn't find any reliable basic information either.

here's my observations cliff...

1) any fast drying paint or finish will be more difficult to apply than a slow drying paint or finish. simple gravity...a slow drying finish has more time to level itself. the same applies to slow drying varnishes.

2) latex paint is not suitable if anything other than more paint will ever touch it. as jim said, it's sticky. i don't even like it for interior walls.

3) there are good acrylics if you know what you're looking for and more commonly oil enamels, no other consumer grade paints will have high abrasion resistance....like having pots and pans thrown on them. what kind of paint is on your large tools? i'll give you a hint: not latex. apply the same logic.

4) the same applies to primers. "when should i use a water based primer?". if you avoid latex paints, never. one simple solution begats another ;).

of course the paint store will sing the merits of latex paint to you. every other time i send my helper to the paint store they try to peddle latex paint off on him when he's picking up more oil enamel. they're told to by their management since the margins for them are higher. water costs a helluva lot less than mineral spirits. that doesn't make them better....well better for the paint store maybe, but not better for your paint job.

[George Octon]

You don't ned a primer if it's already been painted. It's already been primed. Sand out your brush strokes and go from there. Satin Impervo is a good idea, Sherwin Williams Pro Classic to. Also the oil is much easier to sand,