Residential Painting New Haven, CT: Which Paint Type Should You Use?

9 January 2021

The type of paint you need depends first of all on the surface to be painted. What medium are you going to paint?

Choosing the Right Wall Paint

A coat of paint can quickly transform your monotonous walls, easily and with minimal expense, into a pleasant living space. Decorating is more than just choosing colors, however. When choosing paint, consider the medium and the room. The ceiling of a living room and the walls of a bathroom each require an appropriate solution.

Interior Wall Paint

Preparation: Start by applying a coat of primer. The primer must prepare the substrate, hide old spots, avoid differences in absorption, and ensure good adhesion of the topcoats.


Painting the Living Room/Bedroom: After the primer (see above), apply with a roller two coats of interior paint. Environmentally friendly water-based paints have excellent covering power and are easy to clean.


Paint the Hallway/Stairwell: In a hallway or a stairwell, the paint is put to the test: every day, jackets and bags rub on the wall. If the paint is sensitive to buffing, the stains will be visible. The solution: choose wall paint that offers extreme resistance to daily wear and tear stains and friction. Also, it should clean easily.


Painting the Kitchen: The kitchen hosts a lot of activity, and the paint must be able to withstand numerous aggressions. Grease stains and condensation can damage walls every day. The solution: Choose a wall paint that offers long-lasting protection against grease, food stains, humidity, and water vapor. You should be able to wash the walls with a sponge to keep your kitchen spotlessly clean.


Painting the Bathroom: In the bathroom, you need paint that can handle moisture and stains. The solution: choose a product that is not sensitive to humidity, soap scum, or lime deposits. In addition, it should be straightforward to clean and is extremely resistant to humidity.


Painting the Ceiling: Always paint the ceiling first. You can then cover any splashes on the walls. For a perfect result without seams or streaks, it is important that the ceiling is completely covered before starting the topcoats. If one coat of primer is not enough, feel free to apply a second. For the finish, use an extra matte ceiling paint that guarantees a beautiful uniform result while hiding small irregularities.

Painting the Exterior

Exterior paint must be extremely durable and weather resistant. Day after day, exterior walls are exposed to the sun (UV rays) and rain. In New Haven, you can also expect large temperature variations. Applying one coat of an exterior primer followed by two coats of good quality exterior paint will do for exterior walls. Choose a solvent-based primer with extreme durability. It offers excellent adhesion and sticks to almost any surface. You can also use it to treat gutters, facade panels, and other smooth materials. Most high-quality paints protect exterior walls against bad weather for up to 8 years. Such paints are quite easy to clean, even with a high-pressure cleaner.


Tip: Does your home exterior have fine cracks? We recommend that you use a little more paint than the normal amount and apply thicker coats. In this way, the elastic paint layer will cover the cracks optimally.

The Bottom Line

Painting is the easiest and cheapest way to transform your home almost instantly.


If you need professional help in choosing paint and repainting your home, NHV Painters can help. We offer affordable, reliable, and durable residential painting services in New Haven, Branford, Milford, Orange, North Haven, West Haven, East Haven, and the surrounding areas. Book a FREE estimate below to get started, or call us at (203) 606-2346 to talk about your project.

Two painters at work indoors, one in a blue shirt and one in a teal shirt, with NHV Painters logo overlay.
by NHV Painters 8 July 2026
NHV Painters holds a 4.9-star rating across 521 reviews. See why Connecticut homeowners praise our interior, exterior, and cabinet painting work.
NHV Painters logo on orange banner beside a smiling man with crossed arms against a blue siding wall
by NHV Painters 26 June 2026
Glenn Williamson built NHV Painters from a Craigslist post and a paint cart. This is his story — told the way he tells it.
Diagonal weathered brown wooden planks with visible knots and grain patterns
by NHV Painters 16 June 2026
Learn what your annual deck touch-up includes and how NHV Painters' 7-year free warranty keeps Milford & New Haven County decks looking new year after year.
Glossy gray warehouse floor with yellow center lines and NHV Painters logo in the corner
by NHV Painters 16 June 2026
Learn the average epoxy garage floor cost in Milford and New Haven County, CT. Compare pricing factors, coating options, and installation costs to plan your project with confidence.
NHV Painters logo on an orange brushstroke over a rainy outdoor scene with trees
by NHV Painters 15 June 2026
Storm damage in Connecticut? NHV Painters handles drywall repair, interior and exterior repainting, and insurance-claim painting work with a 7-year touch-up warranty.
NHV Painters logo on orange brushstroke over a close-up of painted wooden deck boards
by NHV Painters 11 June 2026
What does deck refinishing cost in Milford & New Haven, CT? NHV Painters breaks down stain vs. paint pricing, peeling deck repair, and what affects your quote.
Deck with wooden boards, white railing, grill, and orange NHV Painters banner on a tree-lined patio
by NHV Painters 7 June 2026
How often should you re-stain your home's exterior in CT? NHV Painters explains staining timelines for siding, shingles & wood, plus signs it's time and what affects it.
by NHV Painters 6 June 2026
Wondering what kitchen cabinet painting costs in Connecticut? NHV Painters breaks down price ranges, what affects the cost, and why refinishing beats replacement.
NHV Painters logo over a sunset silhouette of a house in a hand
by NHV Painters 3 June 2026
Closing on a home in CT? Here's why painting before you move in saves time and money—plus a timeline from NHV Painters to get it done before the furniture arrives.
NHV Painters logo over a bright modern kitchen and living room interior
by NHV Painters 3 June 2026
Wondering what it costs to paint a condo in Connecticut? NHV Painters breaks down the factors that affect price, what's included, and how to get an exact quote.
Show More