Exterior Paint - Smooth or Textured

My experience of plain/ textured paints (principally Wickes) is that the difference lies only in the addition of very small pieces of texturing agent in the paint, which are barely detectable when they are being applied, with the result that there is little visible difference in the finish obtained. As regards the longevity of the coat, I couldn't say, but doubt if there is a great deal of disparity.

Regards

Pilgarlick

I looked into this issue as well, and was advised on this newsgroup that the added gunk which allegedly makes the paint textured does nothing by bulk up the paint - so you get less actual paint per litre - and furthermore the textured gets dirtier quicker. Search the archives of this ng for more; especially for posts by Max Bone, the paint 'guru' of uk.d-i-y who sadly seems to have stopped posting here now.

I actually have a mixture of both textured and smooth Sandtex paint on the outside of my house, and you can't tell at all which is applied where.

However - do yourself a favour and don't mention "pebbledash" and "paint" in the same sentence! Unless it's already been painted before - in which case you're stuffed - you'll find that painting the stuff is incredibly hard work, getting paint in all the crevices and cracks. We had an extension built, pebbledashed to match the existing house, and I spent most of the summer painting the bloody thing, and it nearly crippled me. (It's somewhat easier after it's been painted the first time, obviously.)

Don't think so, although using the textured stuff would preclude use of a sprayer if you decided to go down that route once your wrists are aching like your hands are about to drop off.

hth David

According to the tins I've read the purpose of the texture is to fill fine cracks. In nearly three years with a Crown Decorator Centre I've sold loads of smooth but hardly any textured. If you want white or magnolia Crown branches have Sandtex smooth on offer at £9.99 plus VAT. (Selling loads of pliolite-based masonry paint now that the weather's turning but that's more expensive.)

Whats that then and why with weather - is it too late to get my house painted this year?

Freefall

!^NavFont02F00EF0008MGA1HGF072DD

Keep it dry for 15 minutes after application and it won't wash off if/when it rains. Sold 40 gallons to a contractor doing council houses yesterday.