Ahhrrrggg..Disaster!!! Please help!

[JDLDIY]

I've been preparing a doorframe all day, filling, sanding, 2 coats of primer/undercoat with sanding in between and finally.........topcoat of Dulux quick dry satinwood. Which is where it all went wrong, because the satin has gone on awful. I mean nowhere near acceptable, with pronounced brush lines, nobbly bits (looks like dust on the surface but I cleaned it well before painting).

Is this a bad choice of paint? Would a non-quick dry paint give a better finish? I just want a smooth finish in white but not gloss. What's eggshell like?

Many thanks, this has really cocked up my weekend as I need this finished before the missus gets back or there will be hell to pay.

 

[2scoops0406]

With quick drying paint (water based) you should use a brush with synthetic bristles. So, sand down, wipe with a tack cloth, get a brush with synthetic bristles, and recoat. Good luck.

 

[JDLDIY]

Hi there, yes I did use a synthetic brush and it was a good quality one at that.

 

[Zampa]

Tough choice will water based paint...hump it on and you'l get brush marks...put it on thinly and the edge will go off quick resulting in 'flashing' and brush marks

I would advise you to put it on when the suns not on the door and the weather is coolish...that should allow it longer to flow out.

 

[JDLDIY]

Which is to never go for the quick dry finish again. I took the tin back to BQ and exchanged it for the normal Dulux satinwood and I've just finished putting it on after more sanding etc. What a difference! The finish is excellent but the trade off is that it'll take the next 16hrs before I can recoat (if necessary). It's also a shinier finish and it's taken ages to go around catching the drips, but I think it's worth the effort. It's also half the price of the quick dry rubbish.

Do you reckon I'll be able to roller it onto the flush door, or am I better advised to stick to a brush? It doesn't say you can use rollers on the tin.

 

[Zampa]

You can roll it, I use it on those pre primed compressed hardboard doors you see in new houses etc.

If you are careful you can achieve a really nice finish with a roller, that off any fittings first though to avoid painting around them

Using a brush is also ok..but use a three inch otheriwse you might have a job keeping the wet edge.

 

[JDLDIY]

Thanks Zampa, I'll be doing this later on witha roller then. Reassuring to know, enough hiccups in this job already!

 

[powerpainter]

The best way to paint a door with water based quick drying paint, is to spray it. A top quality synthetic bristle brush is pretty good, but not as easy or as fast as spraying. Starting next year, manufacturers have to phase out all solvents by 2010 so we have to get used to painting with them. The most practical spray equipment for glossing a door is an HVLP gun powered by an air turbine because you can use small quantities, say half a litre. You can also use an airless with a fine finish spray tip, but you need at least 3 litres to fill the system. Avoid a basic airspray Or "conventional" spraygun because these blow most of the paint away from the job (at least 70% is lost) If you still want to brush paint the door, Owatrol is a good additive that keeps the wet edge longer, but it is'nt cheap.

 

[JDLDIY]

Thanks Powerpainter, I haven't got around to it yet, it's my next job. Can you provide a link just to show a suitable spray gun? I was going to use a foam "gloss" mini roller.

Cheers.

 

[powerpainter]

To see an HVLP turbine powered sprayer, have a look at www.lionindustries.co.uk/hvlp.html Its an information site only

 

[JDLDIY]

Are people really spray painting the insides of houses these days? I've never heard of decorators doing that. I take it this sort of equipment isn't that cheap, or can you hire it? Sounds like a great idea, but I'll probably stick to the idea of doing it with a roller, unless the consensus is that I'll get a better result with a decent synthetic brush.

Many thanks to all.

 

[powerpainter]

Hi JDLDIY

Yes professional painters are spraying the insides of private houses. In America, DIYers own their airless to paint their houses. The best situation is empty new build, but you can still spray a single room. Part of the secret is to have quality masking tape that keeps the same tack for days and even weeks, and a tape and film dispenser. Try the American way: You gloss the woodwork first without masking the walls, then mask it before spraying the walls, finally tape and film around the top of the wall to finish with the ceiling. The greatest advantages are doing ceilings and panelled doors. Best to hire the airless equipment, or if you are a member of a DIY club, you could buy one and hire it out to members.

 

[Third_Eye]

Are people really spray painting the insides of houses these days? I've never heard of decorators doing that. I take it this sort of equipment isn't that cheap, or can you hire it? Sounds like a great idea, but I'll probably stick to the idea of doing it with a roller, unless the consensus is that I'll get a better result with a decent synthetic brush.

Many thanks to all.

In my experience "JDLDIY" spray machines are mostly used for Hospitals, Schools and Big Institutions, for when a two-tone effect is required. Spray machines are great for massive empty new-build contracts also when you have alot of meterage to hit when on price work. Not for spray painting when houses are occupied. It would be far too much hassle.

 

[powerpainter]

Hello Third_eye

When did you last try spraying emulsion with an airless sprayer? If it was more than 20 years ago, I can understand your bad experience, but equipment has changed a lot since then and it is easy to use, yes even in a private house. If there's a problem, its from the small amount of dust, because any overspray from a water-based paint lands as dust which you need to keep in the area where you are working.

You mention 2-tone paint, by which I assume you mean multi-colour or fleck paint, which is more often used in institutions and toilets, although the finer multi-tone paints are more attractive. But you cannot use airless for fleck paint any more, because the water based fleck paints are too fragile and the airless breaks up the fleck into fine particles, so you use an HVLP sprayer for fleck with a large tip and needle, usually 2.8 mm.

If you are a professional painter, you need to try using a modern airless unit in a private house, then you will see that it is possible and you can make very good money with. It will change your work: a beter finish, time saving and use less paint. If you are DIY, then hire a machine. I know what I have explained above, because we have been starting up painters with airless for the first time, every week for years, and it changes their lives and keeps their order books full.