Paint = confused.com!!

missdiy_2

Help me please!!

Hiya, I'm new to the world of DIY and am painting most of my house, my friends say they'll help, but I have no idea whic paint or brand of paint to buy.

I'm going for a the same colours in my bedrooms (1 wall in mocha, other walls in each room in almond white). The previous owners left quite a few holes from curtain rails etc, which I've been told to use Polyfiller for (is this stuff good?), but I'm not sure which paint to use after filling in the holes.

What's the difference between them all? And which is best for wall with filled in holes, don't want them to show up, and am confused about all the differences between the paint out there.

Been told to use kitchn and bathroom paint, for moisture etc.

Please can someone tell me what's the difference between matt, silk, satin, eggshell, soft sheen and what's emulsion??
As you can tell, I'm clueless!
Also, any reccommendations on where to get the best priced paint, and which brand?:eek:

abankerbutnotafatcat

Hi, I'll start the ball rolling with some explanation of different paint types that I've picked up.

There are different paints for different surfaces and the main two for house decoration are for walls/ceilings and for wood/metal.

The ones for walls/ceiling is called emulsion, it's water- based, easy to work with, quick to dry and comes in different finishes which basically describe how much shine is in them. There is also an option of toughness (I.e. being wipe clean) available although that shouldn't be an issue for a bedroom.

Matt/ flatt matt means no shine and it is the most favoured option currently. Silk has a sheen and, someone will correct me if I'm wrong, has some vinyl in it which can make it tougher.

Paint for metal/wood is more complicated and you need to consider undercoat too (and primer for bare wood). Traditional wood/metal paint is oil based and is smelly, sticky and takes ages to dry and to get off brushes and things it shouldn't be on. This paint is usually called gloss and is high shine but eggshell is a period type mid sheen oil based paint.
Nowadays there is a choice of non-oil based wood/ metal paints which are easier to work with and quicker to dry. Satin has a mid-sheen.
There are various types of wood/ metal paint such as one coat, non-drip, quick dry. When buying check the drying time and if you're using a base coat then make sure it is of the same type i.e. both oil-based.

phill99

You don't need to use kitchen and bathroom paint. This is simply silk emulsion Nader a different name, just tick to silk emulsion for kitchens and bathrooms and it will be half the price and exactly the same job. Remember if professionals don't use it, then it's not worth using.

Abankerbutnotafatcat gives a good explanation.

Leif

The tube and tub plaster fillers I tried were rubbish, including Polyfilla and a Unibond product. They are also hard to sand. Buy one in powder form. Easi-fill is excellent, it is widely used by builders and plasterers, it is easy to mix and apply and easy to sand. When filling small holes, brush away any lose material first, and try not to put in more filler than needed, it saves sanding time later. If there are ridges, apply the filler over a wider area, so you smooth over the ridge and hide it. Best leave to dry overnight whatever the instructions say.

To add to the previous informative post, oil based wood paints have the advantage that the paint flows better, and stays 'open' longer i.e. wet, so it is easier to paint a large surface, without having to blend a wet area into a partially dry area, which looks poor. If you use OB paint, buy a Brushmate and a few refills. You stick the dirty brush in the box, and it can be stored for months, ready to use next time you paint. (Best to clean the brush when you've done though as the pads do wear out, and your brush will be ruined if that happens.) OB paints can be smelly, and many white ones go yellow, or did, due to new EU regulations. I would avoid gloss, as it is known to yellow faster. Apparently Sikkens Satura OB paint either does not yellow, or yellows more slowly, as it does not use linseed oil. I can confirm that in one year it does not yellow, whereas Dulux gloss goes pale yellow.

Water based paints have almost no smell, do not yellow, and brush cleaning is easy. But is it harder to get such a good finish, they are not as tough, and sometimes you need far more coats. I tried a Dulux WB wood paint and it was very thin, I did not like it. Ronseal Diamond White was good, but I was unable to apply it without drips (presumably poor technique on my part). There are many brands of WB paint. A pro decorator might be able to advise which is/are the best.

Crudely speaking there are two kinds of wall emulsion, normal and acrylic. The latter costs a lot more, but it is easier to clean, and tougher, but the matt is not as matt (it reflects more light). The advantage of matt paint is that it hides wall imperfections better than silk, as it reflects less light. Personally I like matt. I prefer to use a microfibre roller on a short handle, others may disagree.

By the way, buy good brushes, otherwise you will be picking bristles out of the wet paint. And avoid cheap rollers, I bought some cheap Harris sleeves, and the wall was covered in small fibres from the sleeve, vile. Microfibre sleeves avoid that, and give a more even finish.

Oh, and Dulux light and space paint really does make a room look brighter, so I am told.

Leif

I found this.

http://diydata.com/materials/paints/paints.php

For bathrooms and kitchens, you can use acrylic paint, and I think the matt form is lower sheen (reflectivity) than a vinyl silk emulsion.

nikki1520

If you have a builders merchant near you, the "same" paint is of better quality and is cheaper than at the diy retailers - even for brands like Dulux

lama_pdx

That is some excellent advice above. I like the colours you've chosen too!

I've done a lot of painting in my house lately. In addition to the above advice, a few tips I can share are:

1. Apply a layer of lacquer on the top surfaces of shelves, windowsills, and mantels, for durability.
2. For ceiling edges and wall corners, don't bother with tape, as that can really create a mess. Use a small hand brush.
3. If you're painting baseboards and there's a carpet, then *do* use tape. Use painter's tape that is 2 inches wide. Place 1 inch along the bottom of the baseboard and place the other half of the painter's tape on the carpet. Use a butter knife or your fingers to tuck the top half of the tape under the baseboard while leaving the bottom half on the carpet.
4. Most paint shops have knowledgable staff--just tell them what you want to acheive and they'll be able to advise you.

I hope it goes well!

gibson123

Really good advice here, only 5 things to add.

Don't wash brushes and rollers until all the painting is done, in between painting sessions, cover in clingfilm to keep them wet.

Also if you have awkward areas to paint round like doorknobs, cover in tinfoil rather than tape.

Don't expect paint to cover anything up, sort out the surface first, so dirt, grease, small holes and cracks need to be dealt with before painting.

Before starting get all your favourite tunes blasting away.

Open the windows.

lama_pdx

Yes, on the windows!

We recently had our basement tanked and I went down there and painted the walls yellow and the floor white. (It looks AMAZING by the way if I do say so myself.) But there was not much (any) ventilation there and when I painted the floor I was in a hurry to get it done in one day, so didn't take fresh air breaks. I got it done on time, but the next day I had such a bad headache I had to leave work early.

So, don't do that.

katejo

phill99 wrote: »

You don't need to use kitchen and bathroom paint. This is simply silk emulsion Nader a different name, just tick to silk emulsion for kitchens and bathrooms and it will be half the price and exactly the same job. Remember if professionals don't use it, then it's not worth using.

Abankerbutnotafatcat gives a good explanation.

Don't you mean matt?

myhooose

From my limited experience.

Don't use cheap paint, as more coats are required. One coat paints never seen to work.


For oil based gloss work, sand, wipe down with sugar soap solution then plain water, prime unpainted wood, use quality undercoat, then use quality gloss. I read somewhere the undercoat is softer and helps to prevent the paint from chipping.


For wall ceilings
Power filler is easier to use. The chaep stuff from toolstation etc is fine. depending on your walls most of the work can be in the preparation. Wash down the walls with sugar soap and with plain water before painting. Most of the time is spent cutting in, take your time with this.