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Best Exterior Trim Paint Finish to hide flaws?
I know high gloss is out as it would accentuate the flaws in the old sills.
Does anyone have experience with Eggshell vs. Semi-Gloss for exterior trim - what is best for overall look and hiding flaws?
thanks for any tips!
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Phil on -
I use satin for everything outside. Eggshell I use for interior walls, satin for interior woodwork. Semigloss shows a lot of flaws. High gloss is period appropriate, since all the old oils were that way, but they faded in both gloss and color over time, so a match of a newly painted house will not be a match for a house with a 5 year-old paint job. Also, when our houses were new, not only was the oil glossy, but they were in fact New Houses, so they didn't have the roughness to worry about. As I am in the middle of stripping and staining a door, sanding wood trim for repainting, caulking, etc., I suspect that the original owners would be much more horrified that a future owner was doing his own painting work, rather than being focused on the level of shine.
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Permalink Reply by Anne Dailey on -
I like gloss (or semi gloss for trim) because of the durability. The flaws show the house has age and character
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Permalink Reply by McCall Emerald on -
I think the first thing you need to do is fix the sills so you don't have very rough surfaces. There are good instructions online for fixing weather checking and so on to end up with a relatively smooth and lasting surface.
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Permalink Reply by Nick on
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I use flat exterior paint on everything but handrials, doors and other misc pieces of trim that come into contact with people's hands. A flat paint has many benefits: it hides flaws and patches, it adheres and covers well and it is less 'rubbery' than higher gloss finishes. Flat finishes are less likely too peel, in my opinion, given all other things equal.
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Permalink Reply by Bill Hendrickson on -
I agree about fixing the flaws if you want a good look. Take a look at the infrared paint strippers. They remove the paint without the mess and do not affect the wood.
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