Decorator /Painter on the Forum ?

[pmcgsmurf]

Any decorators / painters on the Forum ?

 

[Deleted member 37751]

I’m not either but I’ve got a decent bit of knowledge on some aspects - what do you want to know?

 

[pmcgsmurf]

I’m not either but I’ve got a decent bit of knowledge on some aspects - what do you want to know?

Just some advice on an empty house the kids are about to paint.

Walls are replastered.
Ceilings are smoke/nicotine stained.
All skirtings and most of the doors with facings etc. plus radiators are removed.

Nothing in the house, no flooring etc. so paint splashes are not a concern.

We were planning on:

Cleaning ceilings and and remaining paintwork (cupboards) with Sugar Soap from Screwix.

Giving the ceilings a coat of Zinsser BIN to seal in any stains.

Painting the ceilings with a mat emulsion.

Then doing the walls (recently replastered) with 2~3 coats of a cheap emulsion (may need done in a year/two due to plaster being quite fresh).

Was wondering on advice for best equipment to buy:

Roller (size 12~18"), thinking bigger is better with a few smaller ones, 4"/9"?
Extension pole?
Paint bucket/skutle as opposed to a tray?
Decent brushes, tapered best for edging?

Was just going to buy these from Screwfix but don't want to end up buying rubbish stuff.

 

[Smart320]

I am not a painter but due to rebuild on our Georgian house going well over budget I repainted all walls and ceilings in the house which had been freshly plastered. Used Screwfix trade white emulsion ( big tubs, 10 L ? ) very good coverage indeed , just watered the first coat down a little then 2 coats. All done with a large roller and extension pole , they sell a kit with 6 replacement foam rollers and the trough and pole, still looking good 4 years later

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Thanks, that's exactly where we are.

The refurb is well over budget with almost the entire house ripped out.
We cant save on plasterer/joiner/plumber/bathroom/kitchen as these really need tradesmen.

Thought we'd save on the painting or at least the emulsion on walls/ceiling as well as the cleaning with sugar soap etc.

What size roller did you use?

 

[Deleted member 37751]

As tempting as their deals can be, don’t buy from Screwfix or B&Q et al, go to a proper painting and decorating merchants; the paint they sell is thicker and although you might pay more per litre you’ll need less coats which will be cheaper in the long run. All paints aren’t equal if you ken my meaning.

Drill them for info too, all the ones I ever used when I was property developing have gladly offered suggestions and little trade secrets.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

The refurb is well over budget with almost the entire house ripped out.
We cant save on plasterer/joiner/plumber/bathroom/kitchen as these really need tradesmen.

Thought we'd save on the painting or at least the emulsion on walls/ceiling as well as the cleaning with sugar soap etc.

The painting certainly is one area where if you’re quite finicky you can do a good job; investing in good brushes like Purdey will also help make your job a whole lot easier.

 

[Smart320]

Before I bought Screwfix trade paint I tried branded Crown emulsion and Dulux , coverage was not as good!

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Before I bought Screwfix trade paint I tried branded Crown emulsion and Dulux , coverage was not as good!

The branded paints you buy from Screwfix and B&Q etc are a DIY paint and quite thin, they don’t sell that type in painters merchants - it might have the same brand on the tub but it is different quality.

 

[Smart320]

Thanks, that's exactly where we are.

The refurb is well over budget with almost the entire house ripped out.
We cant save on plasterer/joiner/plumber/bathroom/kitchen as these really need tradesmen.

Thought we'd save on the painting or at least the emulsion on walls/ceiling as well as the cleaning with sugar soap etc.

What size roller did you use?

They sell a kit, think they were about 18 inches long, 6 yellow foam rollers that could be unscrewed from the head , they wash well . My professional painter who did the exterior came in and helped with the stairwell said he was very impressed with the quality of my painting ! Used eggshell finish on all the woodwork ( lots of it was new wood . Did however buy good quality paint brushes.

 

[Smart320]

The branded paints you buy from Screwfix and B&Q etc are a DIY paint and quite thin, they don’t sell that type in painters merchants - it might have the same brand on the tub but it is different quality.

The branded paints were bought from my local specialist paint wholesaler who mixed all my external paints for both render and wood to a particular colour. The Screwfix trade covered bare plaster walls in one priming coat and two normal. Doubt any emulsion will cover in only 2 coats coats on fresh plaster, I stand to be corrected by a professional

 

[kit17]

Good advice from SPX on buying paints from a decorating centre rather than B&Q etc , far better quality.
For Trim stay away from Oil based paints , they tend to go yellow after a few years . The modern water based acrylic hybrid paints are better imho.
I personally prefer Zinsser Cover stain , I’ve seen BIN fail on some stains, beware though both paints stink to high heaven. You’ll need good ventilation and wear a mask , that stuff is Evil.
+1 for Purdy Brushes , massive Rollers are a good idea , although can be quite heavy once full of paint and fatiguing if using all day.

 

[Chrishazle]

+1 for Brewers, been using their paints for years, excellent - plus the advice you get from them is also invariably excellent. Many times I've gone into them with a problem and come away with the cure - including "how to"!

 

[Darrell]

Preparation is key.

 

[Piff]

For new plaster you are better to start with "contract" emulsion. Avoid "vinyl" emulsion as it can "skin" on the surface rather that sinking into the plaster.
In new houses I use 2 to 3 coats of contract emulsion - but it is not as durable as vinyl emulsion.
In my own house I would use 1st coat of contract emulsion followed by subsequent coats of vinyl emulsion.

 

[Will]

I’m not a decorator but I repainted our house throughout 10+ years ago now.

What I would say though is that when I went to refresh the paint in our front room a few years ago I noticed a massive difference in the emulsions that are sold to the public nowadays, compared to what I’d used in the past.

I noticed the ceiling (matt white) looking a little patchy, even after two or three coats. And coverage with the light coloured emulsion on the walls was terrible.

Turns out that a reformulation in the paint (lower VOC) means although there’s less fumes when painting, the quality of the finish and durability are affected. I found an older can of paint from when I’d last decorated (everyone has old paint in their shed, right?) and the VOC content has changed to what you can buy nowadays.

I used proper Trade emulsion paint when I repainted one of the bedrooms a couple of years later, no such issues. You also get that classic ‘sweet’ smell from the paint that I assume is the solvents not present in DIY paints. The VOC content seems to be the same as on older paint I have used.

So the advice about Trade paints being superior to DIY paint is spot on.

The other thing I noticed is that modern DIY paints are really poor durability wise. They mark easily and if you wipe them with a damp cloth the paint comes away which doesn’t seem to happen with older paints or the current trade ones

 

[gaz_l]

This reminds me of a letter in Viz, many years back:

'Makers of Dulux "Once". I think the word you're looking for is "Twice"'..

Cheers,

Gaz

 

[Deleted member 126251]

.......and then you can always do what I did and buy a spray gun (Wagner) .....

I asked Valspar what the difference between trade and "idiot" paint is and basically, they said trade is more runny and ergo more difficult to apply but covers quicker. Apparently us DIY numpties want a non-drip paint that is a pain in the ass to apply. Personally I see it as a marketing con to make DIYers pay more. I'd purchased a can of 'idiot' paint and needed more - there was no stock (of idiot paint) and Mrs Valspar offered me the trade (base colour) and said..they are the same....who knows.....................

 

[kit17]

.......and then you can always do what I did and buy a spray gun (Wagner) .....

I asked Valspar what the difference between trade and "idiot" paint is and basically, they said trade is more runny and ergo more difficult to apply but covers quicker. Apparently us DIY numpties want a non-drip paint that is a pain in the ass to apply. Personally I see it as a marketing con to make DIYers pay more. I'd purchased a can of 'idiot' paint and needed more - there was no stock (of idiot paint) and Mrs Valspar offered me the trade (base colour) and said..they are the same....who knows.....................

That’s what I used when I had my own Property services company - a sprayer , I had a Graco, with all the the different tips extensions etc I must of spent a good £2.5k on the kit but I easily got my money back. The finish is better and it takes less time. I sprayed everything, walls, ceilings and Trim. I went on a course to learn how do it properly as you do get a quite few problems and it can horribly wrong, if you don’t know what your doing, technique, temperature, viscosity, pressure and tip size all effect the finish. Plus you’ve got to get good at masking ( and enjoy it because you do shed loads) otherwise you will suffer from overspray and paint pulls from the masking tape. But once you know what your doing it’s an amazing bit of kit. The money maker is in the trim, I would take all the doors off and stand them up at a 90 degree angle to each other with a wooden batton screwed across the top of each of them to stop them failing over. Then I could do each coat on about 6 to 7 doors in about 5 minutes. I used Tikkurila paints which are very fast drying and give an excellent finish and high scrub rating. I always did 1 primer and 2 or 3 top coats depending on specs and a quick sand in between coats with the festool sander.
As said before preparation is king but the finish you can get with a sprayer is in a different league than brush and roller if done correctly.
Same with Window sills , Skirting boards etc can all be done much quicker too.
With ceilings you can do something called cross-hatching where you basically put two coats on in one go , as its horizontal the paint won’t run , so you spray the whole ceiling one way then go straight over it again the other way. They say one coat of the sprayer is like two coats of the roller , due to how the paint is atomised , so you get excellent coverage.
I think In the future most decorating will be sprayed.

 

[Deleted member 126251]

That’s what I used when I had my own Property services company - a sprayer , I had a Graco, with all the the different tips extensions etc I must of spent a good £2.5k on the kit but I easily got my money back. The finish is better and it takes less time. I sprayed everything, walls, ceilings and Trim. ...........

Yes indeed loads of prep. I'd have preferred an airless to the HVLP. However having spray painted the entrance and upstairs (10 door frames & 3 windows) the finish on both the satin and matt surfaces is fabulous. I've also sprayed 3 doors and it looks like a professional job - just waiting for warmer weather to do the other s - doing them in the garage.