Don't have the tools or skills to paint yourself? Come in and see the staff at PaintZone, we can help you with the best tools and equipment needed, as well as offer the best advice to make sure you get the best result
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When in doubt: read the directions
Always read and follow the directions on the paint tin. Almost all the information you need to know about the product you are using is on the can itself.
If in doubt - stop and give us a call on 9480 5698
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Renovating your floors as well as repainting your walls?
WATCH OUT - Some floor clears (particularly solvent based polyurethane's) will react with acrylic wall paints and fresh plastering. This reaction results in a dirty brown stain appearing throughout the paint work.
If you're not sure what type of floor clear will be applied, always allow at least a two week period between painting your walls and applying floor clear.
 
Testing paint to see if it is oil or water based
Sometimes its handy to know whether oil (enamel) or water (acrylic) based paint has been used on a surface. An easy test is to use Methylated Spirits (ethanol or ethyl alcohol). Apply some methylated spirit onto a rag. Choose an inconspicuous part of the painted surface to test. Rub the methylated spirit onto the painted surface.
ethylated spirit will dissolve acrylic paint films, this will result in the paint film and colour coming off onto the rag. Also, the area that was rubbed will be sticky as the acrylic dissolves.
Generally, methylated spirits will not adversely affect an oil based paint.
 
 
Washing surfaces before painting
If the surface to be painted requires washing, consider using old fashioned (and environmentally friendly) Cloudy Ammonia. Its available at most supermarkets and is an effective low cost cleaner. Just follow the directions on the bottle. Unlike detergents (like sugar soap) Cloudy Ammonia does not leave an oily residue on the surface and thus does not need to be rinsed off.
If the surface to be cleaned is extra greasy, a sugar soap maybe required. Remember to rinse off the sugar soap and to let the surface dry thoroughly before commencing to paint.
 
Preparing pre painted Walls and Ceilings
Generally, walls and ceilings that have been pre-painted with a water based (acrylic) flat or low sheen do not require an undercoat. Two coats of a ceiling white for ceilings or low sheen for walls applied straight onto the pre-painted wall will suffice.
If painting over a glossy painted surface, then the surface must be sanded and an undercoat applied prior to the application of the top coats.
If painting water based (acrylic) paint over oil based paints, then an undercoat should always be applied after sanding the old paint film.
 
Priming new (bare) exterior surfaces
All new or bare external surfaces such as timber, masonry, brick, steel and galvanized iron should be primed or undercoated before painting. Be sure to select the correct primer for the job. Remember, undercoats and primers will degrade quickly when exposed for prolonged periods to sun and weather. Make sure that the topcoats are applied as soon as practical after an exterior undercoat or primer has been applied.
Choosing the right primer / undercoat:
- Acrylic primer or Acrylic Sealer Undercoat: can be used on bare timber & weatherboards; bare masonry & cement sheets; concrete & cement render.
- Oil based primer or oil based undercoat can be used on bare timber - particularly timbers that exhibit tannin bleed (eg. cedar and some pines)
- Oil based metal primers should be used on bare metal and steel
- Galvanized Iron primer (acrylic) should be used on galvanized steel
 
Preparing exterior pre-painted weatherboards and timbers
As a general rule, when preparing pre-painted exterior surfaces such as weatherboards, the first step is to remove all flaking, blistering and loose paint.
Sometimes, just removing the loose and flaking paint is not enough.
The most common reason that paint on newly painted weatherboards and other exterior surfaces blisters and peels is due to poor preparation. Usually, its not that the new paint film that has failed but the "old" paint underneath that has lifted off to cause the blistering and peeling.
Even if the old paint appears to be sound, it is strongly recommended you give the whole area a good sand or even use paint stripper. to remove as much of the old paint as possible. If there is any old paint left on the surface, you may need to use a filler to smooth off any bumps or steps.
 
Preparing Woodwork that has a glossy paint finish
New paint will not adhere well to glossy surfaces. Before painting these surfaces it is essential that the surface is sanded lightly to reduce the gloss level and then a coat of either water or oil based undercoat applied. Once the undercoat has dried (2 hours for water based and 18 hours for oil based undercoat) two top coats can be applied.
Paintzone recommends that a suitable paint for woodwork is applied rather than applying "wall paint" onto these surfaces. Ideally a gloss or semi gloss enamel (oil based) paint will provide a durable and professional finish. For convenience, water based Trim Gloss and Semi-gloss provide a tough water based finish for interior and exterior woodwork and trim (ideal for windows and doors).
 
Preparing new plaster
Always use a quality sealer undercoat on bare plaster. Using a premium quality undercoat instead of a trade quality means that one application (one coat) of undercoat will do the job.
 
Using Masking Tape
Masking tapes are a great way to ensure that paint stays on the wall and not on the skirting boards. There are two basic types of masking tape: low tack tape and normal tack tape.
Low tack tapes have less "adhesive" and are significantly more expensive than normal tack tape. Low tack tapes are ideal when masking freshly painted surfaces as they are less prone to lift the paint film from the substrate.
It is important to remove any masking tape as soon as the painting task has been completed. This means not leaving the masking tape in place between coats.
 
Using fillers and patching compounds
Fillers will usually adhere better to an undercoated surface. Follow the directions that came with the filler. Make sure that once the filler has dried, that the patched area is sanded smooth and is flush with the surrounding area. Wipe up with a damp cloth before painting. For large patches, "spot" undercoating or priming will ensure that the top coats won't bubble or flake.
 
 
Ceilings
Ceiling paints provide a dead flat finish for your ceiling. This will give your ceiling a flat, smooth professional look. Remember, ceiling paints are not "washable" - that's why they are generally priced significantly lower than top coats.
 
Walls
The flatter the sheen on the paint, the more it hides imperfections. The glossier the sheen on the paint, the more serviceable and washable the surface becomes - but glossier finishes also highlight imperfections......
Its all about the right balance between hiding imperfections and having a washable surface.
Using a high quality low sheen acrylic paint - like Taubmans Living Proof Silk Low Sheen or Haymes Ultra Premium Low Sheen acrylic means that you will have a tough, scrubbable finish on your walls, in the colour scheme that's ideal for your home.