Low odour professional white gloss

uknick

There's a good chance I'll soon have to redo all the white gloss in my partner's 4 bedroom house. I'd like to use a low odour paint as she is susceptible to strong smells.

When I tried a B&Q product about 10 years back it was rubbish, lumpy and poor finish. I ended up using Dulux Professional Gloss, with the associated smell.

Is there now a decent low odour gloss on the market?

Albermarle

There are two basic type of paint for indoor wood.

Oil based, also referred to as solvent based.

Or water based, which will have a significantly lower odour.

Water based will dry quicker, and there are quick dry versions which dry in an hour. Assuming it is white, then it will stay white for years longer than oil based will. Disadvantages are that it chips more easily, and if you are not quick, you can end up with brush marks.

Both oil and water based are available as gloss, satinwood or eggshell and in higher quality 'trade' versions.

If the previous paint was oil based, it can be a bit tricky to get water based paint to bind properly to it, so some extra preparation is necessary.

plumb1_2

use a quick dry undercoat water based, and then a quick dry top coat

rob7475

Dulux trade diamond satinwood is very good and doesn't smell. Not sure if they do a full gloss version but the satin looks more up to date really.

bjorn_toby_wilde

Most oil based gloss is smelly and yellows very quickly these days due to changes in the formulation because of regulations restricting VOCs.

Johnstone’s Aqua is a very good water based gloss in my experience. Also low odour, but as Albemarle said, water based paints don’t adhere well to oil based paint. If you’re not sure what it was previously painted with, use a high adhesion primer like Bullseye 123 first, then two coats of the gloss.

Both of those products are low odour and quick drying

Albermarle

Just to repeat a previous comment as a 'warning'

One advantage of oil based, is because it dries slowly, you can go over the still drying paint with your brush to even out the coat, where you have missed a bit, or there are drips, for quite some time after first painting.

With water based if you go over it again you have to be quick ( especially with the quick dry versions) or you will leave brush marks.

I think some pro decorators still prefer oil based, as it is claimed you get a better finish, partly due to the above. However I think it is also because when water based were first introduced, they were not very good, but have improved a lot.

bjorn_toby_wilde

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81882740#Comment_81882740

Very true. I still prefer oil based gloss and satinwood for the finish and it is a bit tougher. For tints I would always prefer oil based but the white just yellows far too quickly.

The Aqua Guard does dry quickly. I did a staircase this morning with the satinwood and it was touch dry within an hour. Pretty forgiving though and it goes on really well.

twopenny

I've used water based for a couple of decades with success. I'm allergic to the oil and it yellowed in a year or two.

Over oil gloss if it's well sanded.

It's come a long way, I don't get drips and providing you use a good, soft brush, I do one stretch at a time, then you shouldn't get brush marks.

It's survived dogs, don't think it would survive small children for marking but it's easy to touch up.

uknick

Thanks for all your suggestions.

I currently intend to clean the original paint with 99% IPA first (I need to remove the cat dander from the previous owner's numerous cats), then sugar soap. But from what you've all said, if I use water based, I'll also look at using a primer.

Albermarle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81882921#Comment_81882921

When I last did water based on top of gloss, the first coat was a bit uneven, but after the second coat it was OK.

However it is probably best to do it properly and put some primer on first. I think I was just being a bit lazy.

You said gloss in the OP, but most people find that a bit too shiny nowadays, and satinwood seems to be more popular. Just personal taste though.

uknick

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81883207#Comment_81883207

Agree about personal taste re style of paint. Campaign now started to convince her best look is the easiest job for me 😀 .