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Wainscoting is interior paneling that begins at the baseboard and continues about three to five feet up the wall. While many homeowners like to accentuate this surface, others prefer to make it blend in with the rest of the living room. Each option is best achieved by applying the appropriate type of paint. - When homeowners want their wainscoting to blend in with the rest of the living room, they should coat the entire room with a single color of satin latex paint. The relatively low sheen of satin paint keeps the wainscoting from dominating the rest of the living room. Satin paint is more muted than gloss or semi-gloss paint. It also is more difficult to clean, making it inappropriate for wainscoting in high-traffic areas.
- Many homeowners are proud of their wainscoting and consider it a principle accent in their home. When homeowners want to accentuate the wainscoting in their living room, they should paint the drywall with satin and the wainscoting with a different color of gloss latex paint. Gloss paint provides an attractive sheen that can make wainscoting pop. It also is much tougher than stain and a lot easier to clean. Light colors are appropriate for new, flawless wainscoting. Darker colors help hide minor flaws in older, worn wainscoting.
- Satin paint may not be appropriate for homeowners with young children, because it is not resilient enough to endure heavy duress. Semi-gloss paint offers a good compromise for those who require a tougher finish but don't want the wainscoting to be too overbearing in their living room. Semi-gloss is more muted than gloss paints but possesses similar durability.
- Paint will not adhere to bare wood, plastic or vinyl wainscoting. Do-it-yourselfers should apply a coat of latex primer, prior to painting. Nonporous plastic and vinyl wainscoting should be sanded prior to priming. This helps to promote adhesion, resulting in a durable finish.
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