# Product Knowledge

- [Identifying Professional-Grade Paints](/archive/field-notes/product-knowledge/identifying-professional-grade-paints.md): Beyond the Label: What Makes a Paint Professional-Grade?
- [MPI #44: What It Tells You (and What It Doesn’t)](/archive/field-notes/product-knowledge/mpi-44-what-it-tells-you-and-what-it-doesnt.md): Using MPI data to spot minimum durability—and decide what else matters on the job.
- [10 Criteria for Great Products](/archive/field-notes/product-knowledge/10-criteria-for-great-products.md): Not every great product changes the industry. But every industry change begins with one.
- [A Primer on Primer: Why the Best "Primers" May Not Be Labeled as Such](/archive/field-notes/product-knowledge/a-primer-on-primer-why-the-best-primers-may-not-be-labeled-as-such.md): If a paint creates better adhesion than a primer, which product is doing the priming?
- [The B Test: A Field Study on Primer Sealing Performance over Drywall and Joint Compound](/archive/field-notes/product-knowledge/the-b-test-a-field-study-on-primer-sealing-performance-over-drywall-and-joint-compound.md): An independent evaluation of 32 primers reveals systemic failure in porosity sealing over drywall.
- [Spackle vs Joint Compound](/archive/field-notes/product-knowledge/spackle-vs-joint-compound.md): What's the difference?
- [What Are You Paying For?](/archive/field-notes/product-knowledge/what-are-you-paying-for.md): Contractor Grade vs. Premium Paint
- [Spraying Water-Based Coatings](/archive/field-notes/product-knowledge/spraying-water-based-coatings.md): Why Matching Equipment-to-Coating Matters More Than Technique
- [AAA Transfer Efficiency](/archive/field-notes/product-knowledge/aaa-transfer-efficiency.md): Why 87-90% Claims Require Conditions No One Provides
- [Why Shellac Primers Don’t Belong on Kitchen Cabinets](/archive/field-notes/product-knowledge/why-shellac-primers-dont-belong-on-kitchen-cabinets.md)
- [The difference between a bonding primer and shellac primer](/archive/field-notes/product-knowledge/the-difference-between-a-bonding-primer-and-shellac-primer.md)
- [How to Achieve Smooth Finishes on Cabinet Doors with a Roller](/archive/field-notes/product-knowledge/how-to-achieve-smooth-finishes-on-cabinet-doors-with-a-roller.md)
- [The PVA Primer Problem](/archive/field-notes/product-knowledge/the-pva-primer-problem.md): Paying to Make Your Job Harder
- [Can I use TSP?](/archive/field-notes/product-knowledge/can-i-use-tsp.md): Some Technical Data Sheets warn against a cleaner most painters use
- [Oil-Based vs. Acrylic Primers on Exterior Wood](/archive/field-notes/product-knowledge/oil-based-vs.-acrylic-primers-on-exterior-wood.md)
- [Production Rates](/archive/field-notes/product-knowledge/production-rates.md): The Real Story in Numbers