Peeling Farrow & Ball masonry paint over 2 part wood filler

Joined
21 Oct 2020
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Country
United Kingdom
Hi, we’ve had the brick/masonry/sand and cement windowsill on a Victorian bay painted with Farrow & Ball masonry paint. The builder we use insisted on using a Ronseal two-part wood filler to fill in some of the cracks that were present in the sill. He had raked out the cracks and filled with this and when sanded and then overpainted the areas which have had this filler in the paint is peeling after 6 months. Farrow & Ball said that the filler shouldn’t have been used, which I know. Is there any way without just removing all the filler and filling with sand and cement of making the paint not peel? What could I use as a barrier between the two or something that would prevent the masonry paint from flaking? The other option is to just give it a gentle rub and an extra coat on these areas every six months and the bay is on the ground floor but I would prefer a more permanent solution hopefully without having to remove the filler.

Any ideas?

Thanks
 
Sponsored Links
Apart from the paint peeling, is the woodfiller otherwise sound, or is it loose/cracking where it joins with the cement?

Come to think of it, was it new woodfiller he used, or some ancient stuff he already had for years? That may be the cause.

You just be able to remove as much paint as you can, and use a primer over the filler first.

Farrow and Ball isn't as good as good as people like to believe - many of their paints peel.
 
Last edited:
I think if you sand it down so the peeled paint is removed you can then prime the area before re painting. It sounds like the builder just put the masonry straight on top of the filler where it would have been better to use a primer or at least thin the masonry right down to mist over the filler!
Another thought is that the filler may not have been fully hardened before painting!
 
Sponsored Links
Hi, we’ve had the brick/masonry/sand and cement windowsill on a Victorian bay painted with Farrow & Ball masonry paint. The builder we use insisted on using a Ronseal two-part wood filler to fill in some of the cracks that were present in the sill. He had raked out the cracks and filled with this and when sanded and then overpainted the areas which have had this filler in the paint is peeling after 6 months. Farrow & Ball said that the filler shouldn’t have been used, which I know. Is there any way without just removing all the filler and filling with sand and cement of making the paint not peel? What could I use as a barrier between the two or something that would prevent the masonry paint from flaking? The other option is to just give it a gentle rub and an extra coat on these areas every six months and the bay is on the ground floor but I would prefer a more permanent solution hopefully without having to remove the filler.

Any ideas?

Thanks

I am a decorator. If I was presented with a smooth, previously glossed window sill, I too would use 2 pack filler. Why? Because it feathers out better than any other filler (including epoxy fillers).

I could use one of the excellent exterior Toupret powder based fillers but you would be able to see a very, very slight step between the filler and the old gloss.

Farrow and Ball only make water based paints. Personally, if a customer says that they want me to use their paints, I try to convince them to get the colour mixed in another brand, unless it is a really matt/chalky coloured finish. I last used their paints in march. I had had forgotten how awful they can be. It was a Victorian house. I used oil based paints on the picture rails/skirtings/architraves. 3 days after applying the OB eggshell, the F&B paint was fisheye-ing.

IMO, your builder/decorator is not (necessarily) at fault, other than not perhaps using the overpriced F&B primer, but if that was the case, why didn't F&B say that rather than passing the buck and maligning him? I do not recall ever seeing anything in their literature that says you should not paint over 2 pack fillers. I would suggest that you push the point with F&B but in my own experience they just pass the buck. By way of a contrast, the last time I had a problem with Dulux trade paints, they sent out vouchers to my customer to replace the 15L of emulsion that she had purchased.

My professional advice would be to paint the sills with exterior oil based undercoat and gloss (after sanding to provide a key).

I appreciate that might not be what you want to hear though. Nevertheless, it is the advice of someone that has been decorating for over 30 years and does not advertise, relying solely on word of mouth.
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Back
Top