# Semi Gloss on the ceiling too !



## jason123 (Jul 2, 2009)

We were reffered to an older gentlemen by a maintenance department. Fair enough, a dollar paid is a dollar earned. I went by to talk to him and see what he wants. He says “I want you to paint everything from the ceilings to walls”. Not a problem standard two bedroom apt. “Don’t worry” he tells me. “ I have the money , I had a good job”. I start imagining that he’s my pops as he rambles on about this or that, Sometimes your just there to listen. I had to snap myself out of this trance like state. 

A little while later Im over at his place to finalize everything. “what kinda paint should I get”. I shot him the standard flat on ceiling eggshell on walls semi on trim. Oh ya I forgot to mention hes hard of hearing.

Day before the job he says “ ya I got the paint ALL SEMIGLOSS”. Oh my word .I read one time on a painting forum ( insert paint talk name here)that you just don’t put eggshell on the ceiling let alone semi gloss AAAAAAHHHHHHHH. I’m calling the maintenance dept his neighbor, “he bought semi gloss, he bought semi gloss”. Im not going to tell him nothing!? I mean he did buy the paint I said we’ll buy the paint not a problem. 

Secretly im dying to see this semi gloss apt. Cant wait. Funny with semi gloss when painting large areas you cant tell if its dry or not because its always shiny. It went on so smooth not mention it covered real well.

So I bump into this gentlemen after he gets back he went away on a trip that’s when we painted the place. He say “what do you think of the place” I say “I love it”. I felt it certainly wasn’t that taboo after it was finished. It did look great beside it felt like a fortress. A semi gloss fortress. Real easy to clean. Im not saying I will recommend it to my next customers but I wont forget it.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

jason123 said:


> We were reffered to an older gentlemen by a maintenance department. Fair enough, a dollar paid is a dollar earned. I went by to talk to him and see what he wants. He says “I want you to paint everything from the ceilings to walls”. Not a problem standard two bedroom apt. “Don’t worry” he tells me. “ I have the money , I had a good job”. I start imagining that he’s my pops as he rambles on about this or that, Sometimes your just there to listen. I had to snap myself out of this trance like state.
> 
> A little while later Im over at his place to finalize everything. “what kinda paint should I get”. I shot him the standard flat on ceiling eggshell on walls semi on trim. Oh ya I forgot to mention hes hard of hearing.
> 
> ...


 

I'll just bet this guy gets up there to clean that ceiling.


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## painterdude (Jun 18, 2008)

Years ago I painted a lot of ceilings semi gloss or gloss oil.....the old Italian women used to wash the ceilings every spring, especially the kitchens and baths. I'm sure 2 generations later that's no longer done. Semi in the kitchens and baths, sure if they are in good condition, but lately I talk folks into lo-sheen whenever possible after pointing out the construction imperfections and how shine shows them off.


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## slickshift (Apr 8, 2007)

jason123 said:


> We were reffered to an older gentlemen by a maintenance department...etc...etc...


LOL
I'm thinking the PT posts you _should_ have remembered were the "never let the HO buy the materials" ones
I forget if "H/O buys the wrong product" is reason #7 or #12, but it it's in there
But hey (still chuckling), if the customer is happy...!

Reminds me of a house I looked at when in the market to buy
On the first walk-through with the Realtor I noticed the semi- ceiling in the kitchen and thought "Well that would be the first thing to go...easy enough for me to fix though"
Ended up I didn't hit that until two years after I moved in!
Every other wall and ceiling was done pretty quick, it's not that it was a "Shoemaker's Kids" thing (eg: the Shoemaker's Kids have raggedy shoes; the Car Mechanic's wife drives a smoke-spewing beater; etc.)...it's just that...well...it kinda grew on me
It _was_ in good shape, and it did reflect nicely the blue CVT floor-like a 10% tint ceiling....but 10% of the floor!...an interesting effect
Then there was the unfortunate Spaghetti Sauce Explosion of '06
It _was_ easy enough to clean up the ceiling (maybe that's the Italian Housewife Connection)
So...who am I to judge? < grins > < shrugs >


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## HeatherP (Mar 27, 2008)

Just finished a 3 month reno paint. Inside the house the paint choices were beautiful. HO chose flat for the walls and high gloss white for all the cornice, trims, base and doors...was initially against such high gloss, but it looks terrific. Then she decides that she wants the inside of the garage ceiling, walls and trim in high gloss white. Needless to say it is horrible....

PS by the way, I did everything in my power to try to dissuade her, even went so far as paint the first coat in just a satin...she wasn't happy with that...not reflective enough for her!


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## jason123 (Jul 2, 2009)

chrisn said:


> I'll just bet this guy gets up there to clean that ceiling.


Between traveling and crosswords what else is there to do.


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## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

I have painted many a non-flat ceiling.

Very typical in baths and kitchens. 

And then there was the aluminum paint (ala radiators) I did on a bed room ceiling once (I think I mentioned that on another thread)

I have seen BLACK semi on a ceiling. Not my cup of tea. 

But you know what they say, "In matters of taste, there can be no argument"

Anything with a sheen on a ceiling makes prep VERY important.


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## Last Craftsman (Dec 5, 2008)

I agree with Slickshift about which threads would have been good to remember.

In any case, for me I don't look at it as an absolute rule that can never ever ever be broken.

It's more like establishing a protocol and precedent of what will work bets.

The purpose of the protocol and the precendent is to guarantee that the vast majority of times, it will be getting done the correct way.

For me there are occasions that are exceptions to the rule, and if a customer just absolutely refuses repeatedly, I would do something like paint their living room ceiling in semi gloss.

However I would let them know that I would be making a note the fact that I recomended flat for the ceiling, and that there may be many visible imperfections that can bee seen as a result of using semi-gloss on the ceiling.

Having to do something on a very *rare* occasion is fine, the goal is to do everything in your power to make it so that the vast majority of times, things go how you expect them to, and what you think is in the customers best interest.


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## nEighter (Nov 14, 2008)

painterdude said:


> Years ago I painted a lot of ceilings semi gloss or gloss oil.....the old* Italian women* used to wash the ceilings every spring, especially the kitchens and baths. I'm sure 2 generations later that's no longer done. Semi in the kitchens and baths, sure if they are in good condition, but lately I talk folks into lo-sheen whenever possible after pointing out the construction imperfections and how shine shows them off.


oh man nuff said.. son's mom is half Italian :no:


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## Rcon (Nov 19, 2009)

The only time I have painted semi on a ceiling was in a restaurant kitchen. It looked horrible but I understood why they'd do it. Doing semi ceilings, walls and trim in a house or apartment would make me feel like I was in a house of mirrors.


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## chrisn (Jul 15, 2007)

slickshift said:


> LOL
> I'm thinking the PT posts you _should_ have remembered were the "never let the HO buy the materials" ones
> I forget if "H/O buys the wrong product" is reason #7 or #12, but it it's in there
> But hey (still chuckling), if the customer is happy...!
> ...


You had one of them too? Wow!:laughing:


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## jason123 (Jul 2, 2009)

Good thing about these particular places is that the walls are a nightmare My gf lives at the complex. they must of have some first class plaster guys there back in the day. 
Plaster one day come back and paint, nothing more. Seems like an oxymoron though so for sure paint the place with a lower sheen then but????

Big point for me Is Im not so against it now. As much as I was before!


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