Paint for flexible sealant.

[davecooper]

What is the best paint to use on flexible but paintable sealant? My bathroom fitters have used it around the edges of ceiling cladding and I have emulsioned the sealant along with the walls as the colour of the sealant was grey and the ceiling and walls are white. I was in a hurry to get the bathroom finished (guests) and I half expected the emulsion to crack which it has. What can I do about this now? I should just add that the emulsion has adhered to the sealant very well, it has just started to crack.

 

[DiyNutJob]

The best is likely a primer. It adds volume and adhesion. At a regular distance, it might even resemble white emulsion. Emulsion can go on top if needed. It costs nothing to try/test.

 

[opps]

If it was a regular decorating caulk, cracking is often quite common. Some brands and paint combinations are worse than others.

In cases where cracking is a constant issue, I apply shellac based paint over the caulk and then the emulsion over that once the shellac has dried. If I am using something like Farrow and Ball emulsion, I know it will crack and automatically use the shellac first.

 

[davecooper]

If the primer is white or near white then I would leave it at that. I would mask the wall and ceiling about 10mm out so any slight shade difference wouldn't matter. I would still have a neat strip around the top.

 

[opps]

If the primer is white or near white then I would leave it at that. I would mask the wall and ceiling about 10mm out so any slight shade difference wouldn't matter. I would still have a neat strip around the top.

White shellac pint is more of a creamy colour, sorry.

 

[davecooper]

No problem. I will probably look at using an external flexible wood primer like Ronseal flexible wood primer and undercoat or Rustins equivalent. Can only try. The thing is, no one else would ever notice the cracking but now I know it is there, I need to sort it out.