Sorry, there are other threads on how to prepare new plaster, and many many other opinions I've seen on other forums (don't worry I'm not going to mention PVA). But I've just had a splendid skim plastering job done which seems great quality and I want to do the best rather than make do or average.
The plasterer left printed advice that said that diluted emulsion was OK but proprietary plaster primers provided a better base. He used Gyproc Multi-finish. It is fully dry and a good smooth surface. I will wipe down to remove dust as advised by plasterer. I want to do a good quality prep job and finish with a paint rather than paper.
On various decorating sites and forums advice is to go for a quality brand (like Dulux, Leyland, Crown), and trade range not retail. So, how do I choose one of these special high quality paints? First thing I thought I'd try was in the local diy store - Blue Hawk primer for plaster. But not a single decorator on forums mentions this.
Then reading further I find in the Dulux range as an example:
Dulux Sealer (I think from their retail range, not in the trade range)
Dulux Primer Sealer (from the Trade range, held to be better by pros, but Dulux says for "highly porous dry powdery friable surfaces", not necessary for normal use)
Dulux Trade Alkali resisting primer
Dulux Trade All purpose primer (description seems most normal for good plaster but then says needs mixing with white spirit, i was looking for something good from the tin).
Should I just forget the special sealing paints I'm told are better and use the standard technique of trade supermatt diluted 20-30% (incidentally can't understand how the two techniques compare - the primer sealers seal the new plaster to stop water being leached out of further paint, the supermatt route is high porosity?)
Or is the retail range paint just called "Sealer" the one. The sites on decorating seem to talk about "Sealer" and "Primer Sealer" interchangeably, including people who say they are experienced pros and only use the Trade range, but they seem rather different products on the manufacturers' sites.
Thanks for any advice/experience people are able to offer. It'd be a shame not to get a good paint finish, the plaster is so good.
The plasterer left printed advice that said that diluted emulsion was OK but proprietary plaster primers provided a better base. He used Gyproc Multi-finish. It is fully dry and a good smooth surface. I will wipe down to remove dust as advised by plasterer. I want to do a good quality prep job and finish with a paint rather than paper.
On various decorating sites and forums advice is to go for a quality brand (like Dulux, Leyland, Crown), and trade range not retail. So, how do I choose one of these special high quality paints? First thing I thought I'd try was in the local diy store - Blue Hawk primer for plaster. But not a single decorator on forums mentions this.
Then reading further I find in the Dulux range as an example:
Dulux Sealer (I think from their retail range, not in the trade range)
Dulux Primer Sealer (from the Trade range, held to be better by pros, but Dulux says for "highly porous dry powdery friable surfaces", not necessary for normal use)
Dulux Trade Alkali resisting primer
Dulux Trade All purpose primer (description seems most normal for good plaster but then says needs mixing with white spirit, i was looking for something good from the tin).
Should I just forget the special sealing paints I'm told are better and use the standard technique of trade supermatt diluted 20-30% (incidentally can't understand how the two techniques compare - the primer sealers seal the new plaster to stop water being leached out of further paint, the supermatt route is high porosity?)
Or is the retail range paint just called "Sealer" the one. The sites on decorating seem to talk about "Sealer" and "Primer Sealer" interchangeably, including people who say they are experienced pros and only use the Trade range, but they seem rather different products on the manufacturers' sites.
Thanks for any advice/experience people are able to offer. It'd be a shame not to get a good paint finish, the plaster is so good.