Been decorating daughter's lounge this week. Previous owners were chain smokers and everything was badly yellowed. Woodchip to come off (about 3 days work in the end), new Anaglypta, with one patterned wall, white work and ceiling to be done.
She'd bought cheap paint from Homebase for the ceiling (5l of white vinyl silk under a tenner IIRC). The celling took four coats to end of yesterday, and every time the paint went on white but as it dried the old colour bled through (I don't mean it actually ran, just it dried dark/dirty).
So last night I got some Dulux. OK, it is the fifth coat, but what a difference - really seems to be covering well. (Hope I'm not being premature with this)
I think I will insist on only quality paints in future, despite she's a hard up nurse on her first mortgage. (Also will be refusing to remove any more woodchip, what awful stuff to get off!!)
Mr Bodger that lived here before certainly left me with some challenges, as well as the pervasive smell of fags, which is just about clearing (and I'm a smoker!!). Luckily it needs a new carpet as I'm sure that is also holding the smell.
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In-laws were smokers. I found the best way was a good wash down with sugar soap. Messy and smelly, but it worked.
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"In-laws were smokers. I found the best way was a good wash down with sugar soap. Messy and smelly, but it worked."
Couldn't they just launder their clothes and take a bath? :-)
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I never use "own brand" paint. Its always been useless for me, emulsion, gloss, matt, you name it all of it carp.
Only ever use Crown or Dulux, (sandtex or dulux for masonry paint)
But you do have to get all the nicotine off, it will bleed through
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 2 Dec 10 at 12:29
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Yeah Zero, wish I'd realised that before I started. The wallpaper steamer ended up leaving big yellow droplets on the ceiling which I thoughtlessly allowed to dry, then even more thoughtlessly thought I'd be able to paint over. No such luck.
I guess it's tar rather than nicotine?
At home I only use quality paints but her budget didn't stretch that far, or didn't appear to... Funny how she's in the3 Canaries at the mo while I do the work and pick up the bills!!
Last edited by: smokie on Thu 2 Dec 10 at 12:33
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The only non-brand paint I'll use is B&Qs own - which was recommended by decorators. Never had any problem with coverage or finish with it.
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Just completed one coat of the ceiling with Dulux. Still drying a bit dingy but one more coat should do the trick.
One thing I've noticed is that I am now getting spattered with small spots of paint from the roller, which wasn't happening with cheap stuff.
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One thing I've noticed is that I am now getting spattered with small spots of paint from the roller, which wasn't happening with cheap stuff.
Overcome with emulsion eh ?
I'll get my etc.etc.
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>>The only non-brand paint I'll use is B&Qs own>>
Agree.
Did the front room three or four years ago with white satin emulsion from B and Q. Original paint was yellow and, because I'm a smoker, ended up even more yellow than when first applied.
Given two coats of the B and Q and it's still very white, although to be fair, must point out I don't smoke in the house any more.
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>> I guess it's tar rather than nicotine?
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Nicotine patches.
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I use a range of paints. There's Dulux Trade, or Dulux Trade, or sometimes Dulux Trade.
Happy to use Santex on outdoor masonry.
Own brand paint may be cheaper, but you pays for it in the end. FIVE coats... or two of dulux.
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Dulux 1st choice, Johnstones second nothing else really.
As it was your lovely daughter the way i would have gone was i'll get the paint for you darling, Dulux and made life easier for me.!!
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Another vote for Dulux. More effective (and easier to clean up afterwards) even than the likes of Farrow & Ball, which cost much more.
As for woodchip, our old house was full of it. We lived with it for 12 years - applying so many coats of paint that it could probably have held up the walls - then sold up rather than attempt to remove it ourselves.
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>> The wallpaper steamer ended up leaving big yellow droplets on the ceiling
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>> I guess it's tar rather than nicotine?
Nicotine is the innocuous and harmless substance (unless taken in high doses, in which case it can be fatally poisonous) substance that is the addictive "drug" people get from smoking. No problems with it. It's the rest of the crap that's the problem - those "drops" are, effectively, creosote.
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>> The celling took four coats to end of yesterday, and every time
>> the paint went on white but as it dried the old colour bled through (I
>> don't mean it actually ran, just it dried dark/dirty).
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>> So last night I got some Dulux. OK, it is the fifth coat, but what
>> a difference - really seems to be covering well.
You may find that it peels off the previous coats. Try not to stick blu-tack, sellotape or whatnot on it.
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2nd coat of Dulux halfway on and it's looking good. Probably could do with one more but I've been doing this too long already, and have a lot to get done before I go tomorrow.
Re the cost - Dad ( currently unemployed...) has funded loads of this, including a new carpet and most of the incidentals, which have been quite extensive. I admit the cheap paint was a suggestion of mine, but not for the lounge ceiling - she decorated a bedroom and needed to change a dark wall colour to a lighter one, so I suggested the cheap stuff to kill the old colour. She got way too much hence me using it for the ceiling.
btw Homebase have an offer on Dulux whites - buy one get second half price.
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I suspect the problem is more due to lack of cleaning/preparation than the quality of the paint.
Have used Homebase/B&Q emulsion in most of my rooms and never needed more than 2 coats. I do like Dulux Satinwood for the woodwork though as water based and does not smell.
One advantage of Dulux/Crown is that you can always get the same colour made up even if its no long in their current range (just make a note of the name /number!)
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"problem is more due to lack of cleaning/preparation"
Yes you're probably right, a bit more up front would have saved considerable time. I suppose I've been decorating the same old house in the same old way for 20 years, and I know stuff will go very easily - should have thought about this one a bit more.
Mind you, the Dulux really does seem to cover better.
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I'm led to believe there is a difference in quality between Dulux and Dulux Trade, with the Trade being better. I'm prepared to be told otherwise, but if that's right it might be useful for someone.
I'm afraid I'm more of a "save for a year and pay a man to do it right" variety, as my own DIY expertise is as good as my knitting skills.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Thu 2 Dec 10 at 14:14
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You're right all the woodwork has been re-done here with Dulux Satinwood (albeit by professionals) and it looks good.
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It's too late this time but you should have used Zinsser primer on the nicotine first.
www.zinsseruk.com/Shop/Product.aspx?cId=139&pgId=432
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Looks much better after 2nd coat. Without a doubt, the Dulux is more "vinylly" i.e. plasticy, and probably therefore less prone to seepage.
Any ideas on how to make it stop snowing here? :-)
Last edited by: smokie on Thu 2 Dec 10 at 14:57
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>> Any ideas on how to make it stop snowing here? :-)
>>
Easy.
Change "here" to the Bahamas.
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Some pubs used to be decorated with paint designed to give a nicotine-stained appearance.
And there's Smokie who has the real thing and wants rid of it.
One man's meat...etc.
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you are using the roller too fast. The centrifugal force that does not exist is not throwing spots of paint off the fibres off the roller.
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I do quite a lot of painting and always use Dulux Once, regardless of whether I'm applying an undercoat or not. Similarly, when emulsioning, it's Dulux again. Cheap watery varieties are a complete waste of time and money.
If you're painting wood and prefer a high gloss finish, then Dulux is better than Crown, in my opinion.
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Beware, and make sure it is Dulux trade, purchased from a reputable decorator's merchant.
The Dulux trade supplied to the sheds is - I am reliably informed - not made to the same spec.
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I've found nicotine stains and water stains difficult to cover. It can take several coats, even using Dulux.
As mentioned above - sugar soap is very useful.
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Well I just finished first coat of the new Anaglypta using Homebase vinyl emulsion colour "Putty"). Seems to have covered v well, daylight will tell though. The thread was really initiated over the really cheap stuff, Value. As previously said, I will only use it in future for deadening old colour.
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Ah the value stuff! Yes, I always buy Homebase's regular brand an find it quite good.
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You can also use knotting.
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>> You're right all the woodwork has been re-done here with Dulux Satinwood (albeit by professionals) and it looks good.
>>
Last lot I used was absolute rubbish. It was not white but a pale pink.
This was on two totally different windowcills so it was not the preparatiion.
Satinwood varies so much from can to can.
I must admit I usually use Dulux and it usually good.
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A few years ago I began using Farrow & Ball, in addition to Dulux Trade. Expensive, yes, even with my 10% discount, but excellent coverage. I have used gallons of their 'white tie' Modern Emulsion. Slightly more sheen effect than their Estate Emulsion but a lovely warm white, works well as a contrast with pure white ceilings, and the Terre D'Egypt works well on chimney breasts as a feature colour. Have now used it in 4 houses when redecorating for friends.
I find that the saving in time by not having to put on several coats more than compensates for the extra cost.
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Sarah Beeny of Rise Hall fame says in
www.risehall.com/renovation/decoration/paint
".....we discovered that with current regulations the components of paint are pretty much the same for all the brands you will have heard of - the fact that some are twice the price of the cheaper brands is all marketing"
Hmmmm!
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I have found Dulux (we've used the mixing service recently), Laura Ashley and Fired Earth have covered walls/ceilings well. I'd avoid the value paints but have used the own brands from B&Q etc. But I think the nicotine stains have been the problem for smokie and not necessarily the paint. Five coats of anything is a lot.
Only tip I'd add is I find paint pads like those from Harris to cover walls easier and quicker than rollers and they are not so messy. Try them next time. I've tried other paint pads but the 'cheap' Harris branded ones in Tesco are the best for me.
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I would add always buy proper branded rollers and brushes - far cheaper at Builder's Merchants than sheds...
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But paint pads for me are better than rollers. I only really found out about them because of a decorator we had in. Much easier/quicker than rollers.
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I might be too heavy handed for pads as they always seem to disintegrate !
I rather like the thought of these Dulux pod things....but am suspicious.
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I have thought about the Pod things, especially as the colour we went for was a Dulux mixed colour and the paint for the Pods can now be colour mixed.
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Hmmmm indeed.
I used to like the Beeny but recently she seems to have fallen into the trap of making statements/taking positions for their dramatic effect rather than accuracy.
Mind you she wouldn't be the first journalist type to do that....
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Cheap (ceiling) paint quality - bathtub tom
