Painting questions, answered by people who paint for a living.

Every guide, newest first.

• Interior

  Best Paint Finish for Walls: Flat, Matte, Eggshell, Satin or Semi-Gloss

  The best paint finish for walls is the lowest sheen a room can live with, because each step up in gloss washes more easily and shows more of the drywall underneath.

• Interior

  How to Paint Trim: Baseboards, Doors and Window Casings

  Painting trim is careful preparation followed by thin enamel coats: clean it, fill and sand it, dull the old gloss, caulk the gaps, then brush along the length of each piece.

• Interior

  How to Paint Textured Walls Without Flattening the Texture

  Painting a textured wall is matching the roller nap to how deep the texture is, then working in small sections so paint reaches the low spots without flattening the pattern.

• Cabinets

  Painting Cabinets vs Replacing Them: Cost, Time and When Each Wins

  Painting cabinets versus replacing them is a choice between refinishing boxes that are still sound and buying new ones when the boxes are damaged, the layout doesn't work or the doors won't hold a finish.

• Exterior

  Best Exterior Paint for Humid Climates, and How to Make It Last

  Exterior paint for a humid climate is a mildew-resistant coating matched to the surface underneath it, applied only when that surface is dry and at least 5 degrees warmer than the dew point.

• Repairs

  How to Fix Chipped Paint on Walls Without Repainting the Room

  Chipped wall paint is a spot where the paint film has lost its grip, and a small one can be filled, sanded, spot-primed and blended in without repainting the whole wall.