In this day and age there are so many different paints to choose from that anybody that only slightly know what to choose can walk away with a headache. Paint falls into two main categories, oil based and water based. Stains and also varnishes also fall in these same categories.
Paints that are oild based come in gloss, semi gloss, or matte. Oil based paint happens to wear well and makes for a good cleaning surface. Oil paint is good to use on doors, windows, or anywhere that needs a protection finish. If you need a good washable surface you can also use oil based paint on ceilings and also on walls, like paint brushes usually. It is never a good idea to paint over top of wallpaper because it makes it harder to remove from the wall.
Water based paint is much easier to work with this is because the brushes and all painting tools can be cleaned using only water, which is similar to oil paints to most people. When painting your ceilings or walls water based paint is a good choice and also good for textured surfaced outside.
On any new surface it is a good idea to use an undercoat or a primer. This will help because it will prevent the paint from being absorbed. It will also provide a surface for the paint to stick to. The primer the you choose should be manufactured by the same company. For a hint you can use water based primer for oil paint but you can’t use an oil based primer for water based paint. The coats of paint that you will need depend on how porous the surface being painted is and the thickness that the paint is applied, like paint brushes usually. The overall quality of the paint has a big factor too.
