Hi I have had my property replastered and have applied mist coats throughout. I created my mist coats using the Armstead Trade Matt Emulsion and doing a 50/50 mix. Now that the mist coating is done, I would like to finish painting the ceilings prior to new flooring going down. What paint would you recommend for finishing off the ceiling? How many coats should I be looking to apply on a ceiling? At a guess, I was thinking of doing x2 mist coats on the ceiling and then x1 coat of the recommended paint to finish. Any advice would be appreciated. Cheers IM
Usually 1 mist coat - it will dry patchy, it's meant to, it's just to seal the plaster not leave it looking pretty ! Then 2 full fat solid coats of your chosen emulsion Leyland Trade Dulux Supermatt Valspar Cats **** (aparantly) Check the ceilings after mist coat for any blemishes / nicks / etc as these will show up brilliantly after the mist coat (that's another talent that a mist coat has) easy to miss these marks on bare plaster Depending on finish you want, you may decide to fill these areas (if any, depending on quality of plasterer) Mist coat any patches of filler Very light sand down, around 180 paper, just to remove any rough bits (de nib) 2 topcoats Stand back and admire your handywork Cup of tea or maybe something stronger - you deserve it Good idea before painting to caulk junction between ceiling and wall (or coving) ? Just helps stop any future cracks that can appear around this area
What caulk do you recommend Dave? Have never caulked before, so will endeavour to find a YouTube video on this.
I always use this caulk Mike; http://www.screwfix.com/p/evo-stik-trade-decorators-caulk-white-380ml/82728 Plenty of others available and also personal preference but I find the evo-stick has a great consistency, smoothes over well, resists cracking and paint crazing, and generally a good product. Says paintable in an hour but recon always better to leave longer to fully dry and depends on size of bead and room temp You don't need a great big dollop as you want to maintain that 90 degree angle between wall and ceiling junction. You don't want a visible bead like the seal around a shower tray. Small bead then smooth over with a damp finger or moist sponge. Keep a bucket of water to hand with a squirt of washing up liquid and use this for your finger or sponge. Caulk is water soluble (unlike silicone) So its easy to rinse off and work clean. Have a go and work out bead size needed and you can work at least a meter length at a time. Too much caulk or raised edges after smoothing can easily be cleaned away with a scraper and damp sponge Caulk before painting as it dries slightly grey. Again, unlike silicone, caulk can be over painted with emulsion, gloss, and all other paints Enjoy
Thanks for the advice lads. The Armstead has been good for the mist coating. If I was to use it for a top coat, I am guessing my paint to water ratio would be around 80/20? As I am a novice painter, I was thinking of getting the Dulux Supermatt for my ceiling topcoats. As it looks like the highest quality, thought it would give me the best finish. Since I have started using Purdy brushes my coverage and cutting in has got much better. I have found the YouTube channel of the Idaho Painter to be very good. He has close up videos using a GoPro to show his cutting in technique.
I've just used about 150 litres of Armstead Mike and it's performed very well. You can use it straight out the tub or put a splash of water in if you find it too thick. The white has better opacity than the leyland and although a touch more expensive will save you time.