Can anyone advise please? I've tried the FAQ but unless I'm losing my sight, I can't find an answer for this one...
I've just had walls newly plastered. The plasterer said to my wife that the walls should be prepared with three coats of watered-down white emulsion prior to painting. My question is; what ratio of water to emulsion should I use?
Thanks for any help, Simon
A bit excessive.
I would use a special new plaster paint, such as Dulux Trade Supermatt. I would then apply one coat thinned down and then another coat at full strength. Officially you should then use a third coat, but the paint is of such high quality that this is rarely necessary.
Christian.
Thanks for your help Christian.
Simon
Watering paint down is a pain. You have to stir it for quite a time to get any kind of uniformity, and then it slops everywhere, runs up your arm etc. I've used undiluted Crown emulsion on new plaster without problems. Best to apply the first coat sparingly though. Dulux is just too thick IMO.
I can't say I've ever done it with that kind of precision. I just decant the paint into a pot/tray (I do this even when not diluting). Then I give it a slug from the glass of water I'm drinking and stir it for about 15 seconds with a brush.
Christian.
It's debatable why thinned emulsion is always recommended for the first coat. I've heard various explanations, but the one that seems most sensible to me is that the dry plaster sucks the liquid out of the paint quickly, which makes it difficult to spread the paint out evenly with a brush, and you end up with heavy brush marks. I'm sure it's not vital to mix the water and paint in definite proportions, only to thin it down sufficiently to make it brushable on the "hot" plaster.
Peter
Three coats of watered down sounds a lot - he wasn't trying to persuade you his mate should paint it instead was he?
I used Wickes trade - diluted with a generous splash of water (it doesn't take much to make it a lot wetter).
In one place I never got further than that for a year, and it looked ok, but nothing more. But with a top coat on that (coloured Wickes trade in this case) it looks really good.
The white seems to make a very good undercoat for the coloured paints, as well as being significantly cheaper (you will get through a *lot* of paint for that first coat, even diluted).
I just had my walls replastered and my plasterer said nothing about painting it with watered down emulsion.
Is it really necessary?
What difference will it make if I just do it with full strength emulsion?
TIA
If it isn't too late do it with watered down emulsion. It may be OK but the plaster will suck the water out of the emulsion and leave what's on the wall too dry too soon. AIUI that could lead to flaking.
No its not too late it was only plastered today.
You should always give new plaster a watered down coat first, what th trade call a "p**s coat" . If you just put a full strength coat o there is a real possibility of the paint flaking off. Ive seen i happen many times, and you often dont know its happening until you tr to repaint a wall and the new paint starts to bring off the old stuff
Pro decorators will always do it
-- Nick H
LOL - It's always been called a Mist Coat as far as I know, but maybe that's polite rhyming slang! :)
Peter
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