Dulux matt drying patchy

[smoggette]

Hi all,

After having a good look through the posts already I didn't find an answer to this so hence I'm posting.

I've been in my house for a yar now, a new build, and now that the walls have had some time to dry out I'm hoping to do some decorating in the next few months. So far all that is on the walls is the builders standard magnolia wash over everything, and I was advised to let the walls dry out before decorating which is what i have done (and being mid terrace in a well insulated house means everything has dried out quite fast - there's a fair few cracks that need filling in first too).

We're planning on using the Dulux colour mixing system as we can get the best matches for the decor and prefer the matt finish. However when using the tester pots we had mixed I've noticed that the small sections we've done using a brush have dried very patchy in the light (natural and artificial). This isn't the first time this has happened with the Dulux matt paint - when redecorating my old bedroom at my parents house a few years ago now (on walls which were about 18 year old by then so well dried and painted before) I did about 4 coats in total and had to resort to a soft sheen to get an even finish.

I was just wondering if anyone else had found this problem with the Dulux matt paint and if anyone could offer any advice or alternatives - different brand/method of application etc. I'd prefer a matt finish but I know the patchiness will drive me nuts so will I just have to resort to a soft sheen finish instead?

Thanks for any help/tips/advice you can offer.

 

[Zampa]

Dulux trade matt emulsion is a very thick, dry paint...you can add water to it to ease the flow, paint conditioner like owatrol or even acrylic scumble glaze.

The retail stuff is a bit thinner.

If you used those small tester pots with the built in brush you will have problems...the brushes are too small, short and stiff....which will lead to brush marks

(I wonder how many of the pros here have had to sand the edges of foot square 'dollops' of paint on the wall after a customer has been at it with the match pots?)

Best thing to do is pour it out and put it on with a normal brush.

Oh..another reason they have probably gone patchy is the stuff the builder used was probably non vinyl..and it has absorbed a lot of the moisture from the paint as you have applied it.

 

[Growler]

(I wonder how many of the pros here have had to sand the edges of foot square 'dollops' of paint on the wall after a customer has been at it with the match pots?)

It can be a nightmare and sometimes, no matter what's done to it, you can't shift the mess.

Orange/yellow/ red.... always at eye level.

 

[D.S.D]

(I wonder how many of the pros here have had to sand the edges of foot square 'dollops' of paint on the wall after a customer has been at it with the match pots?)

Yep, life would be soooooo much easier without customers

 

[Zampa]

I wonder how many of the pros here can use the quote box when cutting and pasting ?

 

[smoggette]

Thanks for the tips so far. I actually did use a proper brush to apply it - it's the choose a colour and they mix it for you paint I was using rather than just the standard tiny tester pots and i tried to do a largish area fairly evenly painted usisng a proper brush just to see if i was happy with the colour before i go and get a large tin of the colour mixed. I don't know if the base paints they use for the colour mixing are dfferent to the off the shelf colours?

I did wonder if it may partly be down to new plaster and a this coat of whatever the builders apply leading some of the patchiness, but what seems strange is it's the second time i've had this with the dulux matt finish - the last time being on walls which had been painted before and prepped properly.

I did notice the paint seemed to dry very quickly on the wall when i was applying some of the test paint, so i presume thats justt he joys of new plaster soaking it up. Is it worth persevering or am I best just plumping for the soft sheen finish instead if this will give me an even coat? With not having a large budget I a) don't have the money to pay a pro to do it so I'll be doing it myself (although I'm fairly good at getting an even coat) and b) I don't want to buy a load of paint and end up having to fork out more for new paint because the finish is awful.

Thanks again for any advice or tips offered.

 

[Zampa]

As you seem to hav a good eye for defects you mat not like the finish soft sheen gives on new plaster..anything with a sheen thends to highlight any surface imperfection..

Would you consider matt?

 

[smoggette]

matt is the finish I'm after - but it is the dulux matt paint which is causing the problem (see the topic title ). I'd prefer a matt to a sheen finish - and it does concern me the sheen finish mightt show up loads of imperfections on new walls which currently appear pristine.

The problem is that the matt finish seems to be drying really patchy, and this is the second case I've had this happen (the first time resulted in return trip to get the same colour in the soft sheen which seemed to even the finish up - this was at my parents house on older walls which had been painted before as opposed to my walls which are fairly new and only have the coat the buildrs left on). Hence my wondering if the sheen would leave a smoother finish.

I'm unsure if it is just the dulux paint that's the problem. I'm usuing the dulux colour mixing service at b&q, so is it maybe down to the base paint dulux provide to which the pigments are mixed in? There is a little DIY store not far away who also do the dulux colour mixing service but i think they use the contract base paints (think it might be leyland or something, i just seem to remember it being a green and white tin) instead of the dulux base paints. would this be a better option as reading through other posts I've noticed quite a few people saying that the trade paints tend to be thicker leading to more problems??

maybe i'm just too finicky and my painting technique isn't as good as i thought it was ...

also if it is a case of just making the best of it, is there any other tips that will help achieve a less patchy finish e.g. would a roller be better (and what pile) or a brush?? my parents always used paint pads for decorating but i noticed general opinion seems to favour the roller for getting a better finish.

 

[Growler]

It probably wont be trade Dulux that's getting mixed. My "educated" guess is it's rich matt.
A roller would be better, working swiftly. You seem to be putting a small amount over an already chalky substrate and playing around with it. This will result in the problems you're having.
You could try Leyland paint or Macphersons... there's not much to flash in Macphersons if you can get it where you reside.
Difficult to teach technique from a keyboard.
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quote / I wonder how many of the pros here can use the quote box when cutting and pasting ? quote///


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Not me.

 

[Zampa]

It probably wont be trade Dulux that's getting mixed. My "educated" guess is it's rich matt.
A roller would be better, working swiftly. You seem to be putting a small amount over an already chalky substrate and playing around with it. This will result in the problems you're having.
You could try Leyland paint or Macphersons... there's not much to flash in Macphersons if you can get it where you reside.
Difficult to teach technique from a keyboard.
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quote / I wonder how many of the pros here can use the quote box when cutting and pasting ? quote///


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Not me.

Obviously

 

[joe-90]

You are doing it all wrong.

Get a decent short pile roller and a roller pole. Water your paint down about 5%. Work quickly covering a good size area. As your roller runs out of paint, run it lightly over your work to remove any stipple. Then get a good brush and do your 'cutting in' (detail stuff). Then another roller coat.

You should then have a perfect finish in every way.

 

[smoggette]

ok thanks for the advice. I'll have a look at the local deco store and see what they use for the paint mixing and see if i get a better finish, and i'll give it a go with the roller - probably did play with the paint to much trying not to leave big brush marks!!

thanks again!