Preparation is the most important part of painting.
1. Remove all dirt grease etc by washing with sugar soap, rinse with water and allow to dry.
Remove any old loose or peeling paint by sanding, scraping or wire brush (if preparing old painted surfaces beware of lead based paint and take precautions)
2. Fill any holes or cracks with appropriate filler (flexible- wipe with wet cloth or Rigid –sand smooth)
3. When you have clean sound smooth surface apply preparation coat of paint. To ensure paint sticks properly to glossy surfaces sand to a matt finish.
4. Dust surface down thoroughly.
5. You are now ready for the top coats.
6. Follow directions on the labels, If you need extra advice phone Dulux Customer Service 0800 800 424
7. All ways stir paint thoroughly
8. Full drying time should be allowed between coats (see table below). Don’t paint when the air or surface temperature is below 10c If acrylic paint not flowing out leaving brush marks add Dulux hot weather thinners.
Paint systems
Fillers
Fill any imperfections, paint doesn’t have filling properties like fillers.
Primer
Adheres to surface, high build, easy sanding (metal stops rust and oil stops stains).
Sealer
Stops other coats sinking into surface (oil stops stains and binds lose particles together).
Undercoat
Gets the surface ready for topcoats, obliterates darker colours. Helps fill minor imperfections.
Top Coats
The only visible part of the paint system. We recommend two coats to ensure complete coverage.
Oil Based
Hard wearing, water resistant, high gloss, goes yellow with age and heat, use oxygen to dry. Will be dry to touch within 4 hours and you can recoat the next day.
Water Borne
Excellent exterior durability, touch dry in 20 minutes and you can recoat after 2 hours. Air movement to dry. Low odour.
Both oil and acrylic take 3 to 7 days to “cure”
Gloss levels
85%-100% Full gloss, High gloss
Acrylic Gloss 85% Harder wearing, shows imperfections, scrubable
20%-50% Semi gloss, Satin, Hard wearing, scrubable.
5%-20% Low sheen, eggshell, fashionable sheen washable.
0%-5% Flat, matt, hide imperfections, spongeable
Sanding
Choosing the right sandpaper can mean the difference between an excellent result and one which is just average.
Course for fast removable of old paint, plaster and rough bear timber. (40-80 grit)
Medium to remove course sanding marks, scratches and round off sharp edges. (180-280 grit)
Fine for sanding undercoats and old sound coats. (300-400 grit)
V-Fine for sanding between finish coats. (800-1200 grit)
What to paint with:
Rollers (Tip: with new rollers make sure you wash before use)
5mm pile for gloss, semi gloss paints on smooth surface.
8mm pile for semi gloss, low sheen and matt on walls and ceilings.
12mm pile for low sheens and matt on walls with a texture surface.
20mm pile for rough surface.
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Brushes (Tip: Soak new hogs hair brushes before use)
12mm-25mm for small job’s eg. chairs.
38mm for furniture, skirting and trellis.
50mm for doors and windows.
63mm for outdoor furniture.
75mm for fence posts, steps and trim.
100mm walls, roofs, fences, floors.
View Application Paint Guide
How do you extend the life of your paintwork?
Broadly, the answer lies in allowing the paint to cure properly in the first place, then knowing how to remove dirt, grease, mould etc, without marring the paint surface. So if little fingers drew on or otherwise disfigure your newly painted wall within a few days of it being finished, you should resist the temptation to wash it straight away. Instead, give it up to a week to cure then wash it down to your satisfaction.
Don’t use rough abrasives; stiff scrubbing brushes or harsh caustic preparations. These will gloss or polish the surface resulting in obvious highlights. Instead use warm water to which a mild detergent has been added. Apply the solution to the affected area with a soft cloth, or soft bristle brush where the marks are particularly stubborn. Having cleaned the affected area, you should then proceed to wash the whole surface and rinse to eliminate any patchiness.
