What's happened to the paint here?!

pawntoc5

Help! I hired a painter to paint a custom wardrobe. The whole thing is made of MDF (green MDF) and before the paint went on, the surface was very smooth. But now, after primer + 2 coats of paint, the surface of the doors looks really bumpy and ugly?! Images of the problem here: https://imgur.com/a/WJqWJTj

I've tried looking online but can't find much. It doesn't look like the typical blistering mentioned when wood gets painted. And a friend who used the same carpenter but a different painter had a very nice finish so I doubt the wood's the problem.

Thanks in advance for any insights anyone might have!

ceredigion

Put on with a roller.

couriervanman

Looks ok to me

Aylesbury_Duck

That's a roller finish. Personally I don't see a problem but if you don't like the finish, you can sand it down and apply a new coat with a brush.

pawntoc5

And I can sand it down myself, right? The painter's saying I'll have to bring it to a professional shop to get it done (specifically said it can't be done at home because I'll need a big paint machine). I'm just thinking sanding + spray painting can surely be done at home with some patience?

Aylesbury_Duck

pawntoc5 wrote: »

And I can sand it down myself, right? The painter's saying I'll have to bring it to a professional shop to get it done (specifically said it can't be done at home because I'll need a big paint machine). I'm just thinking sanding + spray painting can surely be done at home with some patience?

You can do it yourself, yes. There are some good online tutorials that will explain how to use different types and grades of sandpaper depending on the paint type and wood underneath. I wouldn't go to the trouble of spray painting, I'm sure you can get a smooth finish with the right quality paint and brush.

What's the "big paint machine" he's talking about? A professional spray booth, perhaps? With respect, that sounds overkill for an mdf wardrobe.

-taff

I wouldn't expect a painter to take on a spray job inside the house because of the lack of ventilation, the need for masks, you can't totally get rid of dust or bugs [ thanks to the ventilation] so there's no guarantee it'll look nice when it's finished. Mind you, that's thinking about lacquer based paints, not water based paints...
He could have used a brush instead of a roller but perhaps you should have discussed the finish you wanted before he started.

If you want to try it yourself, go ahead, don't expect miracles if you are an amateur DIYer though. Loads of how-to's on youtube.

pawntoc5

Yes - now that you remind me, he did use the words "spray booth". (I also thought that this sounded like overkill when I heard it, but not knowing much about home improvement/ DIY, I didn't say anything at the time). He didn't ask what type of finish I wanted and just went straight ahead. And I didn't know better and didn't realise there was a difference on finishes until, well, afterwards. Live and learn.