1.   Among his finishing kits, Lauren sells an aging-fading glaze that will add years of dirt and smoke to those pesky newly painted surfaces.

2.   A large piece of painted surface with a figure of St. Agatha was converted into the pillar of an old kitchen.

3.   After washing, painted surfaces usually can be revived by wiping them with a clean cloth dipped in a mixture of equal parts of mineral oil and mineral spirits.

4.   Cedar bleed, the dreaded brown stains that appear on a painted surface, are a New England plague because so much red cedar is used for siding.

5.   Cobalt blue and ultramarine blue, which are used sometimes, give a metallic cast to painted surfaces.

6.   Colors with a gloss finish will appear darker and show up any imperfections in the painted surface.

7.   Decoupage, what Crater does, is cutting out images and gluing them upon a painted surface that then is further embellished by paintbrush.

8.   Filling the pores is best done on bare wood, but I think it can be done on a painted surface as well.

9.   I am considering bleach or paint thinner, but I want to avoid harming the painted surfaces and bleaching the carpet.

10.   If you live in an older home and have small children, it is important to carefully examine all the painted surfaces in your house.