Gloss or Emulsion first?

[TheOldFellow]

Typical interior wall. The top plaster bit is going to be emulsion painted, the wood skirting is going to get gloss.

Which is the right order for the top coats?

I have always done the gloss first, then the emulsion - on the grounds that I could wipe the wet emulsion off the gloss easier. But SWMBO says that she saw a TV program which said the best way was to do the emulsion, making a good lap over the skirting, then mask and do the gloss - it gets you a crisper line.

I can see both sides of this, but which is the 'right way'?

R.

[A.Lee]

Undercoat on any area to be glossed, then emulsion, then gloss. Probably the quickest way, as, in theory, all coats will be dry by the time you get to do the next coat.

Many people have different ideas as to which is the best way to do it. Alan.

[The Medway Handyman]

I've always glossed first for the same reason as yours. If you lap over the skirting won't the thicker layer of gloss over the emulsion lap show up?

[Steven Campbell]

The "experts" say you should work from the top down so emulsion first. Getting emulsion on the skirting is no big deal as you should be rubbing any woodwork down before glossing so any emulsion would rub off no problem.

Steven.

[Dave Liquorice]

Agreed, getting that inevitable spot of gloss of the emulsion will be rather harder than a damp cloth emulsion on gloss.

What are you going to mask with? What risk is there of the mask lifting the fresh emulsion?

[sm_jamieson]

Yep, gloss first. Emulsion lapped over gloss just wipes off, but not so the other way around ! Simon.

[Broadback]

I undercoat, emulsion then gloss. If you go over onto the emulsion slightly with the gloss it does not really show. On the other hand using a roller to emulsion will often speckle the gloss which you won't see in time to wipe if off. As regards masking the emulsion prior to glossing, I only tried that once, removing the masking tape also removed some of the emulsion, so I had to touch up!

[Dave Liquorice]

Slows you down having to get those neat edges though, gloss first just slap it on...

A damp cloth with a hint of detergent in the water will bring off roller spray spots the next day. In some ways waiting for the spray to have dried a bit is better than trying to remove them when still wet as they don't smudge but remain discrete bits of paint.

Thought it would, emulsion doesn't bomd particulary strongly to the substrate at the best of times even after drying for a long period.