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. There are two major categories in which paint falls in and that is oil based and water based. Stains and also varnishes also fall in these same categories.

Oil based paints have a gloss, semi gloss, or matte finish. Oil based paint happens to wear well and makes for a good cleaning surface. It is good to use oil based paint on doors, windows, or jsut about anywhere that needs to have a finish that provides a protection. You can use oil based paint on wall and ceiling if you require a tough washable surface, 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.

When painting with a water based paint it is so much easier to work with and the tools used can be washed with 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. Also by doing this it gives the paint something to stick to. The primer or the under coat that you use should be from the same manufacture. Also you can use a water based primer for an oil based top coat but it is not a great idea to use a oil based primer for a 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 oil paints usually. The quality of paint also has a factor to the amount of paint you will need also.