# Streaks on the wall??



## diylady (Mar 7, 2007)

Hi, I finished painting the first room in my house and it came out great and I only have 8 more to go. I do have a question before I start room #2 I used 2 coats of benjamin moore eggshell finish and it looks great until you look sideways at the wall with the window at the far end of the wall. i can see it is streaky in some spots(shinier in some spots than the others). The guy at the paint store said that it is caused because I used eggshell that I could aleviate it if I used flat paint. But I don't want to use flat!! Is there a way to minimumize/avoid the streaks using an eggshell finish??Or is it just the price I have to pay for using eggshell?? Also i'm not really sure when you should use wood puddy verses spackle when filling holes in my molding. I used spackle in the room I painted already, is that O.K.??Thanks for the advice!!!


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## slickshift (Aug 25, 2005)

You do have to be more careful with eggshell, but that's all
You have to remember to mix it well and often
And use quality roller sleeves (I'd recommend 50/50 wool/poly or at least Purdy White Doves)and apply it carefully (no squishing out paint like it's a sponge or running them till they are dry)
Always finish a section with up and down strokes

With those things in mind you should be getting any sheen changes

If you are re-painting latex over latex, lightweight latex spackle is fine
Putty would be better for oil or stain
Though some prefer putty for re-paints


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## joewho (Nov 1, 2006)

diylady said:


> Hi, I finished painting the first room in my house and it came out great and I only have 8 more to go. I do have a question before I start room #2 I used 2 coats of benjamin moore eggshell finish and it looks great until you look sideways at the wall with the window at the far end of the wall. i can see it is streaky in some spots(shinier in some spots than the others). The guy at the paint store said that it is caused because I used eggshell that I could aleviate it if I used flat paint. But I don't want to use flat!! Is there a way to minimumize/avoid the streaks using an eggshell finish??Or is it just the price I have to pay for using eggshell?? Also i'm not really sure when you should use wood puddy verses spackle when filling holes in my molding. I used spackle in the room I painted already, is that O.K.??Thanks for the advice!!!


In addition to slicks advice:
With eggshell the very last stroke should be rolled, lightly, all in one direction. Up or down.


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## Dusty (Aug 9, 2006)

I had this happen too and the advice to roll the last coat in one direction only worked. It also happens with flat paint and does seem more noticable the darker the paint.

I use wood filler on trim although the other will also work when you just can figure out what you did with the wood filler.


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## diylady (Mar 7, 2007)

I have to mix it well and often?? Even if i just purchased it from Benjamin Moore, and they mixed it well?? How often is often?? Can I roll the whole wall and then go back and roll the whole wall either top to bottom OR bottom to top??Thanks


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## joewho (Nov 1, 2006)

You should be able to see if the paint needs mixing. Slick pointed that out as a way to nail down the streaking problem.

Rather than rolling out the whole wall and going back, do this:

Roll out about 2 or 3 roller widths, then go back and do all up or all down on the wet paint. Then move on, overlapping your work by a 1/2 roller width, again, 2 or 3 roller widths wide. When you roll the last strokes, top to bottom is easiest, you will be able to see the uniformity of the nap pattern on the wall. The walls should be completely covered before the final strokes. Use light pressure on the final (top to bottom) strokes, since all you're doing is making the pattern uniform. This will also get rid of any tracks left by the roller ends.

If you try to do an entire wall before the final strokes, it will be dry where you started. Or it will be semi-dry and not suitable for going over at that time.

Hope this info helps.


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