TIL most people don't know how to read a paint can label

I was helping a friend paint their living room in Portland last month, and they just opened a new can of Behr Marquee and started stirring with a random stick. I had to stop them and point out the part on the label that says to stir for a full five minutes, not just a quick swirl. The paint needs that time for the solids at the bottom to fully mix in, or your color and finish will be off. I learned this the hard way after a ceiling job where I got weird shiny patches because I was lazy. Now I see it all the time, people just giving the paint a few turns and calling it good. It seems small, but it really does make a difference in how the paint goes on and dries. What's the most basic step you see people skip that ends up messing up the whole job?

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4 Comments

the_nancy5mo ago

Honestly, watching people skip the primer step hurts my soul (it's a game changer).

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ruby_wright5mo ago

Shiny patches from lazy stirring" is so real. People skip cleaning the walls first.

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harris.andrew5mo ago

Watch them skip the prep work every time. That initial clean is what makes the paint stick evenly. You can't just dive in and expect a smooth finish.

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johnson.river3mo ago

And @ruby_wright is spot on about the cleaning part too. I learned that lesson the hard way when I tried to repaint my kitchen without wiping down the grease first. The paint started peeling in patches within a month. Now I always do a full wash with TSP substitute and let it dry completely before even touching the primer. Made a huge difference on my last living room project. What kind of prep work have you found makes or breaks a job?

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