Unless you have expereince of using different paint finishes it’s going to be difficult.
Characteristics of an oil based finish are typically less visible brushmarks, a highly reflective surface and slight yellowing over time, depending on whether the surface has been exposed to direct sunlight or not.
Water-based finishes have a flatter surface with little or no reflection and more vsisble brush marks. Thye are not prone to yellowing.
Jane
I have had a leaky valve from a pipe which ran down (inside) my bathroom wall (pipe now repaired. The wall has paint blistering off (not sure if from leaky pipe or hot wall). I am going to remove paint and sand down and repaint but any advice on type of paint to use ?
Hello Our front garden wall needs painting white every year after a damp and harsh winter. It usually looks dirty, green and grubby after about 6 months after painting it. I use weather shield paint but was wondering if one of your paints would do a better job? The wall is south facing and sits by a main road in an ever expanding village. Many thanks. Kate
Not sure what ‘one of your paints’ means but anyhow…
I wouldn’t waste money painting a garden wall with a premium masonry paint since it will get just as dirty as any other cheap brand.
There are dirt-repellent finishes available for commercial use but, aside from being very expensive, they are not suitable for surfaces with no protection from internal moisture build-up, garden walls being a classic example. What you would find is a nice clean finish that bubbles and peels away as the trapped moisture forces its way out.
So the answer really is just to accept the wall is going to need redoing from time to time and to use a cheaper brand of paint in future. You could, however, use a fungicidal wash from time to time in order to mitigate the build up of green mould. For example: B&Q Exterior Fungicidal wash 1L
Rob
I have a few water marks showing through from a leak in the ceiling, would you paint the entire ceiling with the blocker or just the impacted area?
Just beyond the affected area, no need to go further.
Sandra
My son has a grotty back yard that he wants to spruce up. The ground is just concrete, not paving stones etc. He has seen that some people have simply painted over the ground in their back yards, and he thinks this could be a straightforward and affordable option. He was thinking of painting the yard grey. Are you able to recommend what sort of paint he would need for this purpose, and what preparation would need to be done? Thank you very much.
I imagine his neighbours are using a standard floor paint that is normally used for painting garage floors and such. I would recommend the same but make sure it is water based since this will make the job a lot easier. He’ll need to make sure the floor is as clean and dry as possible.
With a water-based finish he won’t need any special primers, just make sure the first coat is thinned with water just enough so it soaks into the surface but not so thin thin that it is just coloured water. A bit of trial and error on a small test area first is advisable.
Then just apply one or two more un-thinned coats to finish.
Bear in mind that moisture will still be absorbed by the concrete from the ground so, over time, you will get bits flaking off and bubbling. There isn’t anything you can do about this since it depends on the water level underground. A bit of regular maintenance will do the trick though.
Dominic
Hi there I’m getting a new front door made in sapele. The joiner is going to spray prime it using an unspecified water based primer. I’m not sure what is best to put over the top of that, I have also read that sapele really needs an aluminium primer to prevent bleed through/resin vapour making the top coat bubble? I want to make sure that the door is well protected against rot and swelling, and ideally want a heritage farrow and ball/little Greene gloss finish. But these paints dont seem to say much about how much protection they offer Vs Dulux weathershield etc? My door is east facing and relatively well sheltered with a small canopy porch thing above it. Thanks
Since you say: your joiner is ‘going to spray prime it using an unspecified water based primer’ it doesn’t matter what you do. Best have a word with him before he causes you no end of further problems.
Arjun
Hi – I’ve applied an acrylic primer to our ceiling and noticed soon after that the paint has started to crack or blister in some areas. Is this because the paint underneath may have been oil based? It’s not cracking everywhere but I’m not sure whether to just scrape back/sand and patch the areas or can I apply a bonding primer to the whole sealing to stop anymore flaking? Appreciate any help! Thanks
What you describe sounds like surface contamination, most commonly in kitchens and bathrooms. Ideally, you should wash down the surface with sugar soap solution first but, since you have already painted the ceiling this isn’t going to work.
It really depends how bad the problem is now, you may get away with scraping off the affected areas and repainting until you get a decent coverage. If it’s really bad then you may have to try and remove the whole lot, which is going to be messy.
Covering the ceiling with lining paper is another option although you may need to pay someone to do this for you. It isn’t a perfect solution but will get you to an acceptable finish.
Joy
Hi I have a large breeze block shed with rain coming through the walls. It hasn’t been painted for years. What do I need to apply as base, first and top coat ? Do I need it to dry out before starting work ? Thanks
A single skin breezeblock wall is going to difficult to make water-tight but painting might help? Also bear in mind that how the walls are constructed will be a facture as essentials such as a damp proof membrane and proper detailing around openings is often omitted.
Yes, you do need to allow the walls to dry out in depth so it is a project left until the end of summer rather than right now. You don’t need any specialist primers or finishes, ordinary masonry paint with the first coat thinned sufficiently that it soaks into the blocks and provides a key for subsequent coats.
I should re-iterate, this isn’t going to make the walls ‘water-proof’ but it should mitigate the worst of the problem.
Rachael
Hello, I’ve read I can paint my previously varnished internal doors if I use an oil based primer. Which would you recommend, and would the smell be an issue as we have 10 doors to paint in total. Thanks for you help 🙂
Since you would be covering a large surface area, odor is going to be an issue yes.
You could use a water-based system but it really depends what the doors were finished with before and whether any stain will bleed through.
Definitely worth trying a sample of a quick drying, water-based primer such as Zinsser Bulls Eye 123 (available from amazon.co.uk).
Plenty of water-based options for the finishing coats too.
If you do have a problem with stain bleeding through or any discoloration, you will have to use an oil based primer but you can still use a water-based system for the finishing coats.
Romaine
What a great site! Thank you 🙏🏼
Craig
hello. exterior roughcasting is falling off bit by bit leaving exposed brickwork underneath. it’s all going to need redone, but I am not a fan of roughcasting. Any ideas, tips, advice greatly appreciated.
Use the best quality paint you can afford, it may mean you have to use less coats. 3 should be enough.
Sonja
I have a raised flower bed made with breeze block. It has been painted before, but moisture from the soil comes through and destroys the outer surface with damp and algae and generally looks awful. I thought that if I removed the soil and painted the inside of the flowerbed wall, would this be the best answer so that I can paint the outer side of the wall. Or should I paint the outer side with stabiliser and then exterior paint ?
You will still get damp penetrating from the ground so you would be wasting your time. The only way it’s going to work is if you remove the blocks and paint all sides. You will also need to ensure that all the blocks are thoroughly dried-out first.
Kevin
Hi, I have a new flat which was decorated throughout and then new carpets fitted. Although I haven’t seen it yet I’m told there is a tide line caused by the new carpet on the stairs being lower than the old carpet. How can I remedy this without getting paint on the new carpet?
Use a good quality masking tape, 2-inch wide ideally. Press down as you apply and take time to ensure you get right to the edge.
Paint down to the level of the tape and although you can touch it with the paint, try not to as you want the least amount of paint gathering around the margins. The best way to do it is to imagine the masking tape isn’t there at all. You don’t have to paint the entire string, just enough to cover the line.
If the line is quite distinct you may need more than one coat to get a good result. For best results, use a quick-drying (water based) undercoat first.
Allow 48 hours to ensure the paint has fully dried and remove the tape. Be careful though and only remove small lengths at a time.
It takes a bit of confidence, more than anything, so try a small area first.
Chris
Some years ago a plumbing problem led to my loft flooding, and the water found it’s way down the walls of the bedroom underneath. My decorator treated the bedroom walls with a stain blocker, papered over with woodchip paper, and then painted over. From the outset there were small patches where the paper bubbled away from the walls, and now there are larger areas where the paper is coming away. Is this to be expected? Or is it more likely to be down to poor decorating, or to other problems I haven’t anticipated?
The walls haven’t dried out properly. Is this poor decorating, well, he should have known better but it’s the kind of thing that can happen to any of us.
The problem is not so much whether he should have waited longer (obvious with hindsight) but what is he going to do about it?
jj
Had my ceiling plastered , left it to dry fully then noticed small circles on surface looked it up on line and it said house has old plaster stains coming through seal with zinser, so i painted over stains with a roller waited until dry ,painted with vinyl matt emulsion , now ceiling looks patchy and uneven where the zinser was painted …help…….
Help please. I’m about to paint 2 internal wood doors, sanded to bare wood. I’ve bought, both water based, Dulux Trader QD Undercoat and Dulux QD Satinwood ….. what Primer do I use? I can’t seem to find Dulux water based primer, only water based Undercoat & Primed combined. Thanks
The primer/undercoat is fine, you can use that although you may need to thin the first coat down a little with water.
However, you need to be careful when priming doors with a water-based primer since it can lead to swelling of the wood initially. It is not certain since a lot depends on whether you are priming hardwood or softwood. Some softwood timbers are very susceptible. See the comment here: https://decorator.uk/contact/comment-page-1#comment-1076
If swelling is likely, I would use a regular oil-based primer (thinned slightly with white spirit). Allow to dry/harden for at least 3 days the run down to a smooth finish and THEN prime again with the water-based QD undercoat (no need to thin this time), then finish with 2 coats of QD satinwood.
Justin
Hi I’m thinking of painting tiles underneath 1st floor bay window, they are the original red colour but I will be painting grey. Should I use a stabilising solution before sandtex/ dulux weathershield. Many thanks
Hi there – I desperately need advice re my constantly peeling bathroom ceiling. In the 4 years I’ve lived here I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve stripped back the ceiling (as much as possible), used PVA, expensive sealant, pricey non peel paint etc. Nothing works
Not much I can do from here Morwenna. There could be multiple reasons for this to happen and, in the absence of a better description, I would be just making a wild guess.
Have you considered hiring a professional? Alas, there are some problems even the internet is not able to fix.
Beth
Hello, We are painting our hall way stairs and landing. We are having problems, it seems to bubble or bunpnin places when painting. We discovered that it could be silk paint that we are trying to paint so sanded again and then got Zinnsser 123 primer as the paint was either bunping or not sticking. I have put the primer in places and it is still bummping when i put it on? Do we need to sand the whole paint of? Or any advice? Thanks
I had a solid fuel Rayburn removed – the chimney off the Rayburn was filled in, sealed and the back wall replastered. An air vent was fitted behind and a cowl was put on the top of the chimney. Unfortunately they did not check the top of the chimney and rain water got in through a small crack in the rendering and the water leached through causing a stain on the replastered interior wall.. That has been repaired and the inside of the chimney is now dry as is the interior wall. The stain keeps bleeding through. I have tried a couple of blockers but the stain keeps coming back. Do you have any suggestions please ?
Some stain blockers are water based nowadays and, although they are generally OK, they do not provide adequate defence against very stubborn staining such as you describe.
First, ensure the chimney and plaster coating is thoroughly dried out. Then apply one or two coats of a solvent based stain blocker.
The aerosol types (such as Polycell Stain Stop via amazon.co.uk) are often spirit based which is fine. Zinsser B-i-n Primer & Sealer via amazon.co.uk is shellac based and, again, suitable for the situation above.
The aerosol is ideal for small areas.
Julia
Hi, I’m looking for some advice about my banister, it had varnish ontop and I used B&Q wood paint about 1 year ago but over time it peels off when scraped with a nail or something sharp, I’m looking to paint over it and was wondering if I need to strip the old paint or just sand it as I’m looking opt paint it a similar colour.
The reason the paint is peeling is likely a combination of surface condemnation and lack of preparation. Handrails, by their nature, have a lot of hand contact which transfers oil and grease to the surface. This needs to be thoroughly removed before any paint will adhere successfully to the surface.
Another problem is that varnish is notoriously difficult to paint over and needs much more rubbing down than would a conventional paint finish. Ideally, the varnish should be completely removed first.
However, you are where you are and nothing you do now, short of removing all the paint/varnish and starting from scratch, will rectify the problem. Any paint coating is only as good as the surface it is applied to.
Paint does harden over time though and you may have seen the worst of the problem, painting over it won’t make the situation any worse. It may mean you have to touch up now and again though.
Susan
Hi there. I’m looking for a wood gap filler for the edge of an oak floor in a neutral/natural colour, ideally with a greyish tinge. Everything I’ve seen/bought is really orange/yellow. Can you suggest anything?
Bona Gap Master offers the best range of colours although you never get the perfect match. It’s one of those things that requires a bit of trial and error.
Hi. I hung some new softwood garage doors this month (Jan) which had been painted in the house due to the weather. Unfortunately, they warped really badly after they went outside. I used Dulux Weathershield – 2 coats of preservative/primer, 2 coats Quickdry undercoat followed by 2 coats of Quickdry satin. I was really careful to ensure all areas were thoroughly covered at each stage. I’m devastated! What can I do? Maybe wait until later in the year when hopefully the warping has reduced and apply more top coats? I’m confused about breathable paint like this – does it let water vapour in as well as out? (I was expecting it to behave like Gore-tex!) Thanks – really appreciate your time.
Softwood is highly porous and, in this case, using a water-based system was probably not the best idea since, by their very nature, water-based paints have a high water content and this can cause some timbers to swell and disfigure out of shape.
Some joinery products are also made from very poor quality ‘fast-grown’ timber and sometimes they perform poorly regardless of any paint system used.
Depending how bad the warping is, you may be able to recover the situation by leaving the doors to settle for a while and making adjustments later on using an oil-based system on any areas that need priming again.
Roger
I have a pine wardrobe originally treated with tung oil and now want to paint it. Will a solvent based primer seal this adequately to paint over it?
No, the colouring of the oil will migrate through. I would remove as much of the residual oil as possible with white spirit, allow to dry out and then prime with a spirit or water based primer. This will seal the coating and then you can use a solvent based finish on top.
Graham
I have just had my house coated with a pliolote based paint and the finish has crazed all over, very fine cracks are visible and the contractor has said this was not an issue, another contractor has said that it hadn’t been given enough time between coats to cure and I would be grateful for some advice?
Darren
It does sound like the crazing is due to a second coat being applied before the first coat has dried. Pliolite paint is formulated to set quickly to mitigate the risk of being washed off during a sudden rain downfall, it doesn’t mean it has dried in depth though.
Not sure why you opted to use Pliolite in the first instance, if it was recommended by your painter then he is not only liable for the inferior standard of work but also for using the wrong product in the first place.
Bob
Recently repainted our lath and plaster ceiling dating from 1865 with F&B estate emulsion over the same paint previously applied with no problem 8 years ago and very soon after painting the paint started lifting in scales in patches. The surface revealed beneath the paint is chalky and dusty (distemper?). What should I do?
Darren
Please and thank you usually works for me.
Ruth
Hi, Our recently painted chimney shows up with streaks after using the log burner. Any advice/recommendations on how to solve this? Many thanks
Darren
As you describe it, the obvious answer is smoke contamination from the burning logs. Not sure how that could be solved to be honest?
Patrick
Are Berger paints good quality. The white top coat for woodwork we have seems very thin?
Darren
Berger was a decent brand of paint in the old days but now it is just a brand. Made in the UK by Crown and by other companies elsewhere in the world.
In theory, the quality should be at least reasonable but I wouldn’t recommend it. Not for any specific reason other than it isn’t commonly used in the trade these days.
Angela
I’ve put two white coats onto a wall to hide yellow and a coat of gray which is colour I want but the paint has literally ran off the wall six inch from bottom in a line back to the yellow??? What would cause this to happen?
Darren
Did you wash down the wall before painting? It sounds like the surface has been contaminated with something that has prevented the paint from drying. Any traces of oil or grease will do this.
Max
Hi We burnt off the old paint on the window sills back to the stone. We used dulux stabiliser then painted with Sandtex masonry. After a week it blistered and yellow stains came through. This didn’t happen on the door way areas, lintels or mullions. So we rubbed it down and tried again. The yellow stains are worse now. What have we done wrong? We would appreciate any advice on how to fix this. Thanks in advance!
Darren
The sills will have absorbed moisture over the years and this is likely the source of the problem. Even though they were painted before, water will have penetrated via hairline cracks and around the margins. Capillary action does the rest, drawing moisture deep below the surface.
The fact the paint is literally bubbling off so soon suggests a high degree of moisture that needs to escape naturally and this isn’t exactly the best time of year for that to happen either.
I would leave the sills for now and, in the Spring, scrape off as much paint as you can and then leave through the summer for the sills to have a chance to dry out. If they can be covered in some way to protect from further rainfall, all the better.
Cora
We have new timber shed and applied clear knotting to all the knots before applying Cuprinol external timber preservative in dark brown. Unfortunately the knotting is now grinning through very badly. The preservative is water repellent- what, if anything, can we do to hide the knotting stains? We are thinking the only solution would be to repaint the whole thing with something with more coverage. What would you recommend?
Darren
Firstly, if the treatment you used was water based this could have an adverse reaction to the knotting. However, if the surface remains sound (other than the knotting showing through) you should be OK. It is more likely that the preservative has been absorbed into the wood, as it should, but not where you’ve applied the knotting.
As you suggest, the only way to cover up this error is with an opaque finish. There are various products on the market and I suggest you try a few tester pots rather than recommending a particular option which (because I am not armed with all the facts) may not work.
One tip I can give you is that if you get some of the previous colour staining through you’ll need to switch from a water to a solvent-based finish, or visa versa.
Anne
How do I know if existing paintwork is water or oil based
Decorator
Unless you have expereince of using different paint finishes it’s going to be difficult.
Characteristics of an oil based finish are typically less visible brushmarks, a highly reflective surface and slight yellowing over time, depending on whether the surface has been exposed to direct sunlight or not.
Water-based finishes have a flatter surface with little or no reflection and more vsisble brush marks. Thye are not prone to yellowing.
Jane
I have had a leaky valve from a pipe which ran down (inside) my bathroom wall (pipe now repaired. The wall has paint blistering off (not sure if from leaky pipe or hot wall). I am going to remove paint and sand down and repaint but any advice on type of paint to use ?
Decorator
With so little information to go on, no.
Kate
Hello Our front garden wall needs painting white every year after a damp and harsh winter. It usually looks dirty, green and grubby after about 6 months after painting it. I use weather shield paint but was wondering if one of your paints would do a better job? The wall is south facing and sits by a main road in an ever expanding village. Many thanks. Kate
Decorator
Not sure what ‘one of your paints’ means but anyhow…
I wouldn’t waste money painting a garden wall with a premium masonry paint since it will get just as dirty as any other cheap brand.
There are dirt-repellent finishes available for commercial use but, aside from being very expensive, they are not suitable for surfaces with no protection from internal moisture build-up, garden walls being a classic example. What you would find is a nice clean finish that bubbles and peels away as the trapped moisture forces its way out.
So the answer really is just to accept the wall is going to need redoing from time to time and to use a cheaper brand of paint in future. You could, however, use a fungicidal wash from time to time in order to mitigate the build up of green mould. For example: B&Q Exterior Fungicidal wash 1L
Rob
I have a few water marks showing through from a leak in the ceiling, would you paint the entire ceiling with the blocker or just the impacted area?
Decorator
Just beyond the affected area, no need to go further.
Sandra
My son has a grotty back yard that he wants to spruce up. The ground is just concrete, not paving stones etc. He has seen that some people have simply painted over the ground in their back yards, and he thinks this could be a straightforward and affordable option. He was thinking of painting the yard grey. Are you able to recommend what sort of paint he would need for this purpose, and what preparation would need to be done? Thank you very much.
Decorator
I imagine his neighbours are using a standard floor paint that is normally used for painting garage floors and such. I would recommend the same but make sure it is water based since this will make the job a lot easier. He’ll need to make sure the floor is as clean and dry as possible.
Here is one example: https://www.wickes.co.uk/Ronseal-Diamond-Hard-Floor-Paint—Satin-Slate-2-5L/p/153832
Anything similar will do.
With a water-based finish he won’t need any special primers, just make sure the first coat is thinned with water just enough so it soaks into the surface but not so thin thin that it is just coloured water. A bit of trial and error on a small test area first is advisable.
Then just apply one or two more un-thinned coats to finish.
Bear in mind that moisture will still be absorbed by the concrete from the ground so, over time, you will get bits flaking off and bubbling. There isn’t anything you can do about this since it depends on the water level underground. A bit of regular maintenance will do the trick though.
Dominic
Hi there I’m getting a new front door made in sapele. The joiner is going to spray prime it using an unspecified water based primer. I’m not sure what is best to put over the top of that, I have also read that sapele really needs an aluminium primer to prevent bleed through/resin vapour making the top coat bubble? I want to make sure that the door is well protected against rot and swelling, and ideally want a heritage farrow and ball/little Greene gloss finish. But these paints dont seem to say much about how much protection they offer Vs Dulux weathershield etc? My door is east facing and relatively well sheltered with a small canopy porch thing above it. Thanks
Decorator
Since you say: your joiner is ‘going to spray prime it using an unspecified water based primer’ it doesn’t matter what you do. Best have a word with him before he causes you no end of further problems.
Arjun
Hi – I’ve applied an acrylic primer to our ceiling and noticed soon after that the paint has started to crack or blister in some areas. Is this because the paint underneath may have been oil based? It’s not cracking everywhere but I’m not sure whether to just scrape back/sand and patch the areas or can I apply a bonding primer to the whole sealing to stop anymore flaking? Appreciate any help! Thanks
Decorator
What you describe sounds like surface contamination, most commonly in kitchens and bathrooms. Ideally, you should wash down the surface with sugar soap solution first but, since you have already painted the ceiling this isn’t going to work.
It really depends how bad the problem is now, you may get away with scraping off the affected areas and repainting until you get a decent coverage. If it’s really bad then you may have to try and remove the whole lot, which is going to be messy.
Covering the ceiling with lining paper is another option although you may need to pay someone to do this for you. It isn’t a perfect solution but will get you to an acceptable finish.
Joy
Hi I have a large breeze block shed with rain coming through the walls. It hasn’t been painted for years. What do I need to apply as base, first and top coat ? Do I need it to dry out before starting work ? Thanks
Decorator
A single skin breezeblock wall is going to difficult to make water-tight but painting might help? Also bear in mind that how the walls are constructed will be a facture as essentials such as a damp proof membrane and proper detailing around openings is often omitted.
Yes, you do need to allow the walls to dry out in depth so it is a project left until the end of summer rather than right now. You don’t need any specialist primers or finishes, ordinary masonry paint with the first coat thinned sufficiently that it soaks into the blocks and provides a key for subsequent coats.
I should re-iterate, this isn’t going to make the walls ‘water-proof’ but it should mitigate the worst of the problem.
Rachael
Hello, I’ve read I can paint my previously varnished internal doors if I use an oil based primer. Which would you recommend, and would the smell be an issue as we have 10 doors to paint in total. Thanks for you help 🙂
Decorator
Since you would be covering a large surface area, odor is going to be an issue yes.
You could use a water-based system but it really depends what the doors were finished with before and whether any stain will bleed through.
Definitely worth trying a sample of a quick drying, water-based primer such as Zinsser Bulls Eye 123 (available from amazon.co.uk).
Plenty of water-based options for the finishing coats too.
If you do have a problem with stain bleeding through or any discoloration, you will have to use an oil based primer but you can still use a water-based system for the finishing coats.
Romaine
What a great site! Thank you 🙏🏼
Craig
hello. exterior roughcasting is falling off bit by bit leaving exposed brickwork underneath. it’s all going to need redone, but I am not a fan of roughcasting. Any ideas, tips, advice greatly appreciated.
Decorator
Well, either keep repairing it or remove back to the brickwork and refinish as you please.
Sarah
What stain blocker would i need to use for condensation marks on walls?
Decorator
Oil or spirit based. Zinsser Covers Up (from amazon.co.uk) is ideal for small areas.
Doug
Hi, I want to paint a ceiling with white emulsion but it’s an old Artex ceiling which had been painted Black. Can you advise please. D.
Decorator
Use the best quality paint you can afford, it may mean you have to use less coats. 3 should be enough.
Sonja
I have a raised flower bed made with breeze block. It has been painted before, but moisture from the soil comes through and destroys the outer surface with damp and algae and generally looks awful. I thought that if I removed the soil and painted the inside of the flowerbed wall, would this be the best answer so that I can paint the outer side of the wall. Or should I paint the outer side with stabiliser and then exterior paint ?
Decorator
You will still get damp penetrating from the ground so you would be wasting your time. The only way it’s going to work is if you remove the blocks and paint all sides. You will also need to ensure that all the blocks are thoroughly dried-out first.
Kevin
Hi, I have a new flat which was decorated throughout and then new carpets fitted. Although I haven’t seen it yet I’m told there is a tide line caused by the new carpet on the stairs being lower than the old carpet. How can I remedy this without getting paint on the new carpet?
Decorator
Use a good quality masking tape, 2-inch wide ideally. Press down as you apply and take time to ensure you get right to the edge.
Paint down to the level of the tape and although you can touch it with the paint, try not to as you want the least amount of paint gathering around the margins. The best way to do it is to imagine the masking tape isn’t there at all. You don’t have to paint the entire string, just enough to cover the line.
If the line is quite distinct you may need more than one coat to get a good result. For best results, use a quick-drying (water based) undercoat first.
Allow 48 hours to ensure the paint has fully dried and remove the tape. Be careful though and only remove small lengths at a time.
It takes a bit of confidence, more than anything, so try a small area first.
Chris
Some years ago a plumbing problem led to my loft flooding, and the water found it’s way down the walls of the bedroom underneath. My decorator treated the bedroom walls with a stain blocker, papered over with woodchip paper, and then painted over. From the outset there were small patches where the paper bubbled away from the walls, and now there are larger areas where the paper is coming away. Is this to be expected? Or is it more likely to be down to poor decorating, or to other problems I haven’t anticipated?
Decorator
The walls haven’t dried out properly. Is this poor decorating, well, he should have known better but it’s the kind of thing that can happen to any of us.
The problem is not so much whether he should have waited longer (obvious with hindsight) but what is he going to do about it?
jj
Had my ceiling plastered , left it to dry fully then noticed small circles on surface looked it up on line and it said house has old plaster stains coming through seal with zinser, so i painted over stains with a roller waited until dry ,painted with vinyl matt emulsion , now ceiling looks patchy and uneven where the zinser was painted …help…….
Decorator
…help….
Barry
Help please. I’m about to paint 2 internal wood doors, sanded to bare wood. I’ve bought, both water based, Dulux Trader QD Undercoat and Dulux QD Satinwood ….. what Primer do I use? I can’t seem to find Dulux water based primer, only water based Undercoat & Primed combined. Thanks
Decorator
The primer/undercoat is fine, you can use that although you may need to thin the first coat down a little with water.
However, you need to be careful when priming doors with a water-based primer since it can lead to swelling of the wood initially. It is not certain since a lot depends on whether you are priming hardwood or softwood. Some softwood timbers are very susceptible. See the comment here: https://decorator.uk/contact/comment-page-1#comment-1076
If swelling is likely, I would use a regular oil-based primer (thinned slightly with white spirit). Allow to dry/harden for at least 3 days the run down to a smooth finish and THEN prime again with the water-based QD undercoat (no need to thin this time), then finish with 2 coats of QD satinwood.
Justin
Hi I’m thinking of painting tiles underneath 1st floor bay window, they are the original red colour but I will be painting grey. Should I use a stabilising solution before sandtex/ dulux weathershield. Many thanks
Decorator
What is it do you think needs stabilising Justin?
Short answer, no.
Morwenna
Hi there – I desperately need advice re my constantly peeling bathroom ceiling. In the 4 years I’ve lived here I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve stripped back the ceiling (as much as possible), used PVA, expensive sealant, pricey non peel paint etc. Nothing works
Decorator
Not much I can do from here Morwenna. There could be multiple reasons for this to happen and, in the absence of a better description, I would be just making a wild guess.
Have you considered hiring a professional? Alas, there are some problems even the internet is not able to fix.
Beth
Hello, We are painting our hall way stairs and landing. We are having problems, it seems to bubble or bunpnin places when painting. We discovered that it could be silk paint that we are trying to paint so sanded again and then got Zinnsser 123 primer as the paint was either bunping or not sticking. I have put the primer in places and it is still bummping when i put it on? Do we need to sand the whole paint of? Or any advice? Thanks
Decorator
Sorry, I don’t know what you mean by ‘Bumping’?
Wendy
I had a solid fuel Rayburn removed – the chimney off the Rayburn was filled in, sealed and the back wall replastered. An air vent was fitted behind and a cowl was put on the top of the chimney. Unfortunately they did not check the top of the chimney and rain water got in through a small crack in the rendering and the water leached through causing a stain on the replastered interior wall.. That has been repaired and the inside of the chimney is now dry as is the interior wall. The stain keeps bleeding through. I have tried a couple of blockers but the stain keeps coming back. Do you have any suggestions please ?
Decorator
Some stain blockers are water based nowadays and, although they are generally OK, they do not provide adequate defence against very stubborn staining such as you describe.
First, ensure the chimney and plaster coating is thoroughly dried out. Then apply one or two coats of a solvent based stain blocker.
The aerosol types (such as Polycell Stain Stop via amazon.co.uk) are often spirit based which is fine. Zinsser B-i-n Primer & Sealer via amazon.co.uk is shellac based and, again, suitable for the situation above.
The aerosol is ideal for small areas.
Julia
Hi, I’m looking for some advice about my banister, it had varnish ontop and I used B&Q wood paint about 1 year ago but over time it peels off when scraped with a nail or something sharp, I’m looking to paint over it and was wondering if I need to strip the old paint or just sand it as I’m looking opt paint it a similar colour.
Decorator
The reason the paint is peeling is likely a combination of surface condemnation and lack of preparation. Handrails, by their nature, have a lot of hand contact which transfers oil and grease to the surface. This needs to be thoroughly removed before any paint will adhere successfully to the surface.
Another problem is that varnish is notoriously difficult to paint over and needs much more rubbing down than would a conventional paint finish. Ideally, the varnish should be completely removed first.
However, you are where you are and nothing you do now, short of removing all the paint/varnish and starting from scratch, will rectify the problem. Any paint coating is only as good as the surface it is applied to.
Paint does harden over time though and you may have seen the worst of the problem, painting over it won’t make the situation any worse. It may mean you have to touch up now and again though.
Susan
Hi there. I’m looking for a wood gap filler for the edge of an oak floor in a neutral/natural colour, ideally with a greyish tinge. Everything I’ve seen/bought is really orange/yellow. Can you suggest anything?
Decorator
Bona Gap Master offers the best range of colours although you never get the perfect match. It’s one of those things that requires a bit of trial and error.
More details here and colour options here…
https://www1.bona.com/en-gb/webchannel/professional/coatings/fillers/
You can buy online from amazon
Andy
Hi. I hung some new softwood garage doors this month (Jan) which had been painted in the house due to the weather. Unfortunately, they warped really badly after they went outside. I used Dulux Weathershield – 2 coats of preservative/primer, 2 coats Quickdry undercoat followed by 2 coats of Quickdry satin. I was really careful to ensure all areas were thoroughly covered at each stage. I’m devastated! What can I do? Maybe wait until later in the year when hopefully the warping has reduced and apply more top coats? I’m confused about breathable paint like this – does it let water vapour in as well as out? (I was expecting it to behave like Gore-tex!) Thanks – really appreciate your time.
Decorator
Softwood is highly porous and, in this case, using a water-based system was probably not the best idea since, by their very nature, water-based paints have a high water content and this can cause some timbers to swell and disfigure out of shape.
Some joinery products are also made from very poor quality ‘fast-grown’ timber and sometimes they perform poorly regardless of any paint system used.
Depending how bad the warping is, you may be able to recover the situation by leaving the doors to settle for a while and making adjustments later on using an oil-based system on any areas that need priming again.
Roger
I have a pine wardrobe originally treated with tung oil and now want to paint it. Will a solvent based primer seal this adequately to paint over it?
Decorator
No, the colouring of the oil will migrate through. I would remove as much of the residual oil as possible with white spirit, allow to dry out and then prime with a spirit or water based primer. This will seal the coating and then you can use a solvent based finish on top.
Graham
I have just had my house coated with a pliolote based paint and the finish has crazed all over, very fine cracks are visible and the contractor has said this was not an issue, another contractor has said that it hadn’t been given enough time between coats to cure and I would be grateful for some advice?
Darren
It does sound like the crazing is due to a second coat being applied before the first coat has dried. Pliolite paint is formulated to set quickly to mitigate the risk of being washed off during a sudden rain downfall, it doesn’t mean it has dried in depth though.
Not sure why you opted to use Pliolite in the first instance, if it was recommended by your painter then he is not only liable for the inferior standard of work but also for using the wrong product in the first place.
Bob
Recently repainted our lath and plaster ceiling dating from 1865 with F&B estate emulsion over the same paint previously applied with no problem 8 years ago and very soon after painting the paint started lifting in scales in patches. The surface revealed beneath the paint is chalky and dusty (distemper?). What should I do?
Darren
Please and thank you usually works for me.
Ruth
Hi, Our recently painted chimney shows up with streaks after using the log burner. Any advice/recommendations on how to solve this? Many thanks
Darren
As you describe it, the obvious answer is smoke contamination from the burning logs. Not sure how that could be solved to be honest?
Patrick
Are Berger paints good quality. The white top coat for woodwork we have seems very thin?
Darren
Berger was a decent brand of paint in the old days but now it is just a brand. Made in the UK by Crown and by other companies elsewhere in the world.
In theory, the quality should be at least reasonable but I wouldn’t recommend it. Not for any specific reason other than it isn’t commonly used in the trade these days.
Angela
I’ve put two white coats onto a wall to hide yellow and a coat of gray which is colour I want but the paint has literally ran off the wall six inch from bottom in a line back to the yellow??? What would cause this to happen?
Darren
Did you wash down the wall before painting? It sounds like the surface has been contaminated with something that has prevented the paint from drying. Any traces of oil or grease will do this.
Max
Hi We burnt off the old paint on the window sills back to the stone. We used dulux stabiliser then painted with Sandtex masonry. After a week it blistered and yellow stains came through. This didn’t happen on the door way areas, lintels or mullions. So we rubbed it down and tried again. The yellow stains are worse now. What have we done wrong? We would appreciate any advice on how to fix this. Thanks in advance!
Darren
The sills will have absorbed moisture over the years and this is likely the source of the problem. Even though they were painted before, water will have penetrated via hairline cracks and around the margins. Capillary action does the rest, drawing moisture deep below the surface.
The fact the paint is literally bubbling off so soon suggests a high degree of moisture that needs to escape naturally and this isn’t exactly the best time of year for that to happen either.
I would leave the sills for now and, in the Spring, scrape off as much paint as you can and then leave through the summer for the sills to have a chance to dry out. If they can be covered in some way to protect from further rainfall, all the better.
Cora
We have new timber shed and applied clear knotting to all the knots before applying Cuprinol external timber preservative in dark brown. Unfortunately the knotting is now grinning through very badly. The preservative is water repellent- what, if anything, can we do to hide the knotting stains? We are thinking the only solution would be to repaint the whole thing with something with more coverage. What would you recommend?
Darren
Firstly, if the treatment you used was water based this could have an adverse reaction to the knotting. However, if the surface remains sound (other than the knotting showing through) you should be OK. It is more likely that the preservative has been absorbed into the wood, as it should, but not where you’ve applied the knotting.
As you suggest, the only way to cover up this error is with an opaque finish. There are various products on the market and I suggest you try a few tester pots rather than recommending a particular option which (because I am not armed with all the facts) may not work.
One tip I can give you is that if you get some of the previous colour staining through you’ll need to switch from a water to a solvent-based finish, or visa versa.