Been researching and reading so many posts my head is spinning.
Here’s what I’m thinking
Rustoleum professional oil based paint
Hardener
Penetrol
Is paint thinner necessary if I use penetrol?
What proportions of each mixative?
Also been battling whether to spray or roll. I’m ok with the texture rollers leave, but is spraying really that much better for the crevices and hard to roll spots?
Spraying will be a bit easier...but more involved (taping, overspray, etc.). And if you add Penetrol, you should not need to thin...but...read the paint label thoroughly for the best info.
I sprayed. I thinned a bit with xylene. prep is a total pain, but I compared the finished look between rolling with a good roller and the sprayed finish looks much better in my opinion. I used a HVLP (high volume low pressure) sprayer, but I saw a guy use a wagner type electric sprayer on youtube. my wagner says water based paints only but I am not sure how one of those would do. luckily you have 3 weeks to research it!
We rolled ours with mini rollers and Sherwin Williams paint and primer. Got it all done for less then 500. We are pleased with the results and it seems to be holding up well!! Preparation is the main ingredient to a good looking job!!