I'm struggling with paint. I've been using a high-gloss Behr enamel for our trim work in our house.
This photo shows a door on the left that was rolled on, and the casing on the right, which was brushed on.
I don't mind brush strokes (not that they are intentional, but I do find they give a bit of interest) but rather it's the light/dark spottiness I get everywhere.
I can't tell what causes it. I don't think it's coverage, as all surfaces were primed (white) and then got two coats. It's as if the paint, as it dries, splotches like this. I'm about to apply a 3rd coat, but it's frustrating to paint trim with 3 coats.
It seem like every coat I give it, the problem persists.
Any ideas as to what the issue is? Can I improve my technique? Lousy paint? Something else?
(Ignore the blue tinge…that's just a side effect of the iPhone's camera).
Best Answer
Latex paints have a known attribute that allows certain things to persistently come through the paint even though you try applying multiple layers.
I once had a problem of a wall that had a poster glued to it by a previous owner. I removed the poster and apparently the glue residue, however small it was, kept changing the paint I applied over that area.
Another time I was trying to paint a door that had been finished with an oil based product. I had worked diligently to strip and sand off the old finish before painting. Unfortunately the old finish had penetrated the wood to varying degrees in different spots. The paint I applied to the door was not uniform even after four or five coats - hard to remember exactly how many as it was 25 years ago.
The fix for both of these problems is to apply a sealer / primer product like Kilz before applying the final paint. One needs to make sure the surface is properly prepared before applying the sealer / primer. Light sanding can help and washing with a strong solution of hot water and TSP can help.