painting over silk finish emulsion ?

stevewestern · 13 Jan 2014

I recently quoted for a job that had silk emulsion on the ceilings.
I suggested that it was rubbed down, then given a coat of Zinsser 123plus then 2 coats of vinyl matt.

I guess this is slightly over the top, but I don't like to cut corners, and have not had to do it before, so wanted to be sure the job was done well.

Seems I was the only one to suggest any prep as none of the other quotes mentioned it and were way lower than mine.
So, how would you do it - was I way OTT ?

Robbie uk · 13 Jan 2014

Nothing wrong with that. You could use oil based undercoat if the ceiling isn't badly stained and then the matt. Your right in thinking it needs something to get rid of the shine of the silk first..

stevewestern · 13 Jan 2014

Cheers Robbie.
I have been doing this sort of work for many years but have never come across this situation for some reason. 123 plus is something I use for so many jobs, but given that my quote was about 40% more than the next closest I was wobbling, feeling that I was doing something wrong.

As for using an oil based undercoat - I try to steer clear of anything oil based most of the time due to the drying times as well as the smell and headaches - how soon we all forget how we used to live with them every day !

I guess I may be better off without this job..

dcdec · 13 Jan 2014

I would have specified the job in a similar way. I'd probably go for a coat of gardz instead of the 123 or OB u/c, its just a binder coat really so there's quite a few options.

So try and take some gratification that after the 'bloke from the pub' has left the paint will crack, flake and peel.

stevewestern · 14 Jan 2014

dcdec said:
I would have specified the job in a similar way. I'd probably go for a coat of gardz instead of the 123 or OB u/c, its just a binder coat really so there's quite a few options.

So try and take some gratification that after the 'bloke from the pub' has left the paint will crack, flake and peel.

Thanks for that dc - I wouldn't have thought of using gardz - I bought a gallon of it a while back but have never tried it 'cos i don't really know when it can be used aside from the drywall thing and after stripping wallpaper.

As for the quote - I have since discovered that there was a quote that was along the lines of mine, but at almost twice my price, but the other 2 were around half of my price - lets hope I meet the bloke in the pub and he can buy me a drink - anything for the crack (as well as the flake and peel !)

Robbie uk · 14 Jan 2014

You always need to make sure that the materials are covered properly in the Estimate/quote as most of them are quite expensive and it doesn't seem much when you say " yeah it just needs a coat of sealer " to the customer !!

stevewestern · 14 Jan 2014

Oh yes..!
I did detail it all, with links to show what things like 123 cost.
Too many times I have allowed £15 for some paint forgetting that the days of £15 a gallon paint are long gone..

Robbie uk · 14 Jan 2014

Its surprising how much paint has gone up in the last couple of years

emilybronte · 15 Jan 2014

I agree Gardz is th best option for priming silk emulsion, but tbh I have repainted 'silk' walls in the past with matt vinyl emulsion with no prep. other than usual rubbing down, with no problems at all. No flaking, peeling etc.

Was I just lucky?

aclifford · 21 Jan 2014

A friend of mine, who works in the cleaning business, advised me to use matt on ceilings and silk on walls.

Bosswhite · 21 Jan 2014

stevewestern said:
Oh yes..!
I did detail it all, with links to show what things like 123 cost.
Too many times I have allowed £15 for some paint forgetting that the days of £15 a gallon paint are long gone..

I have the same problem, there are some small jobs where the paint used costs more than the labour these days,
Customers dont understand the price of paint.

emilybronte · 25 Jan 2014

aclifford said:
A friend of mine, who works in the cleaning business, advised me to use matt on ceilings and silk on walls.

There is never a good reason to use anything other than matt on ceilings, but I disagree about the silk on walls.

I know why your friend said that (because there's a perception it's easier to clean). But silk is decidedly old-fashioned-looking these days - a bit old-folks-homey. Unless that's the effect you want, go for a washable/wipeable matt finish such as Little Greene's Intelligent Emulsion, or Dulux Endurance. They are more expensive but so much better than ordinary, cheap matt emulsion which can come off when wiped.

Zinsser Permawhite can be tinted to quite a good range of shades and is the best kitchen and bathroom paint I've ever come across.

If you actually want a bit of a sheen to it, go for 'soft sheen' rather than full silk, which is seriously a bit naff.

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painting over silk finish emulsion ?

aclifford

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