Paint Preparation

Posted: 02 August 2009 by Dulux

Tags: colours, paint

Interior & Exterior Surfaces

• It is essential that paint is applied to a clean surface. For the best result use Selleys Sugar Soap and a scrubbing brush to remove dirt and grease from walls, rinsing with water, and then allow to dry.
• However, if the paint has peeled and bubbled it will need to be removed with a wire brush or scraper and then sanded. Wipe down before painting. For badly deteriorated paint, a paint stripper maybe needed such as Selleys Kwik Strip Smart.
• For faster painting, remove door handles.
• Remember to cover up flooring, decking, paving and furniture with canvas drop sheets.
• When repainting doors, window frames or trim ensure that the gloss surface of oil based enamels are sanded until matt before applying Dulux 1 Step Acrylic Primer Sealer & Undercoat. Water based paints or enamels do not need to be sanded providing they are in sound condition and a water based enamel topcoat is being applied. The best way to test if the enamel is oil or water based is by rubbing the enamel with a cloth dipped in methylated spirits. Water based enamels will stain the cloth, oil based enamel won’t.
• Be sure to use an interior filler such as Selleys Spakfilla Interior for interior surface repairs. It is important to overfill any cracks with Spakfilla before sanding back to a smooth surface and applying a primer undercoat. Using a sanding sponge around trim to shape uneven surfaces will also help to achieve the best results.

Prep Coats
Prep coats are important as they protect and prepare the surface to be painted with a topcoat. Primers on the other hand adhere to timber surfaces and contain stain inhibiting tannin blockers, while an undercoat is ideal for preparing plasterboard. The easy alternative is Dulux 1 Step Acrylic Primer Sealer & Undercoat. Being a three in one sealer, primer and undercoat it saves time and money.

TIP: If repainting a surface that is in good condition a prep coat is not required providing the surface is clean. When painting exterior surfaces note that Weathershield is self priming, therefore does not require a prep coat.

How Long Will it Take?
As a rule it will take around six hours to coat a 4m x 5m room and two days to paint the entire room including drying time between coats. To save time use Dulux Once as it only requires one coat, not two, that’s six hours saved per room.

Clean Up
To begin the clean up remove as much excess paint as possible by brushing or rolling out on newspaper. Be sure to wash brushes, rollers and other equipment in water. It is vital to rinse equipment well and if necessary, straighten brush bristles with an old comb. To save time, mess and water use a Rota Cota Rolla Cleana to clean roller covers.

Left-over Waste Paint
If you have any left over waste paint, dispose of it in an environmentally friendly way using Dulux Envirosolutions Waste Paint Hardener. It turns unwanted water based paints into solid waste for easy household disposal. Simply pour the Waste Paint Hardener into the remaining paint and stir until it solidifies. Leave for 2 hours with the lid off. Now you can easily remove the hardened paint from the can, wrap it in newspaper and dispose of it via your domestic waste.
Remember steel cans are recyclable, check with you local council on the best way to recycle them.