Interior Alternatives

As far as the wainscoting goes, I sure am learning a lot about interior paints. Actually, way more than I wanted to. Latex, oil, primers, low VOC, no VOC. The list goes one. So far, there is only one thing I'm sure of, and that is that everyone's got a different story to tell. It's amazing how people see things so differently, and being the neurotic, anal-retentive OCD sufferer, I don't do well with so much information. Too many darn choices.

The initial information was that we had to go oil based on the primer and then latex on the paint because the wood has a dark stain on it. Others have told me that you can just put a latex coat over it and then paint. However, two sources that are reliable mentioned that oil can seep through a latex primer, especially if it's a light color. I'm going with that information.

This necessitates something that will seal the wood, and of course oil works best with oil. My Mentor mentioned that there should be some latex products out there that will fit the bill, and to do some investigating. Yikes!

I called around, and again, everyone has told me something different. I finally called a few companies, and have thus far arrived at the following plan.

Rustoleum makes a line of primers call Zissner, and one in particular is called Smart Prime. It is a latex primer that seals and is supposed to do the job. One that is on, I'd go with a low VOC or no VOC paint. With VOC, lower is better, none is best. Benjamin Moore makes a paint called Natura that is better for the environment and has no VOC. Say no more. I've also learned that there are even organic paints made with all natural ingredients, but it gets crazy when you do the searches, and at some point you just have to make a choice. I'm also leaning to B Moore's exterior latex stain (Arborcoat) as an alternative to Cabot's oil based stain.

So I did, and that's where it stands, at least for today. Things could change by the afternoon, however, so stay tuned. Until then, thanks for reading.