Paint recommendations please

MrsBre

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I have a few rooms in my house that need to be painted, hall, living room, kitchen and bedrooms. I also have to varnish some pine doors and skirting and then paint some white doors and skirting located in the older section of the house. I would appreciate any advice regarding brands of paint. I have used Dulux in the past but when looking for advice during my lunch hour one colleague recommended Farrow and Ball, another Colour Trend, another said they were expensive so maybe stick with the Dulux. I used Satinwood in the past and liked it so may use that on the white doors, I think it was by Dulux, do other companies do Satinwood?
I would rather pay more for the paint if it will last longer.
Thank you in advance for any advice/recommendations.
 
Why change a winning team - if Dulux served you well in the past then there is no reason to change.
Just some info you probably don't need:-
1. If you intend painting varnished wood (doors, skirting etc) to Satinwood White wash down with detergent and hot water beforehand.
2. Paint with a wood primer (white). No need to use sandpaper before or after.*
3. Paint a good quality white undercoat (Dulux). Leave for about 8 hours.
4. Paint with white Dulux Satinwood.
Remember to use decent quality paintbrushes and clean at the end of each day's painting with white spirit before further cleaning with Fairy liquid. Leave to dry before next use.
*If you are painting over gloss paint you will need to sand down and clean with white spirit before applying white Satinwood.

The Obvious that Many Forget:- When you have several rooms to paint it appears as a daunting task especially if working on your own. Paint one room at a time and complete before moving on to the next room. Give yourself a time limit for each room and try and adhere to it. If you can rope in a helper then your job is halved. Use protection for floors and carpets; don't skimp on using masking tape. Remember to paint the ceiling before painting the walls.

Remember:- Any eejit can put up paint, it's the preparation that takes more time.
 
Leper, most paints now days are water based, so wash brushes in warm soap water
Take your time, don't rush. Any eejit can paint but based on the prep work I need to do to get a room ready to clean up after previous owners of our house, there must be a lot of eejits out there!
Quality brushes are key. Clean and look after them they will serve you well.
 
Having repainted a lot of walls and all doors and skirting during lockdown the one thing I will say is that I have found the water based Satinwood while so easy to use, no smell, easy clean, quick drying etc but not durable! Even if I knock off a door with my nail (which are short) when opening closing it can knock off little bits. The skirtings have taken a bashing from the vacuum, yes I should be more gentle but it's amazing how easily it has taken off bits, I could literally scrape it off with my nail if I wanted to.

It attracted me obviously because they say it won't go yellow and was recommended by the paint shop but it is going to need repainting every bit as soon as if I was painting again because the were gone off white, it also needed way more coats for good coverage even though it is much easier to use.
 
I've recently discovered an exterior wood paint called Tikkurila from the Painthub (an online retailer in Carlow). really really good but not cheap. I believe they do interior paint as well
 
Colourtrend is brilliant. They have a shop in Celbridge and are brilliant at providing colour advise for free. The paint is extremely good quality and one coat is normally enough..
 
My thoughts having done quite a bit of house painting the last few years -

  • I find the Dulux water-based paints excellent (no smell, wash brushes in good old water etc) and would steer clear of any solvent based paints now except in special circumstances (metal work etc).
  • I'm not a fan of the satin finish paints for wood work. Because they're slightly matt they pick up marks and dirt much more easily and are not as easy to clean. Dulux water based gloss all the way for me
  • Agree on the brushes, get decent ones. I find these angled brushes great - https://www.woodies.ie/paint-decora...hes/dulux-perfect-edges-2-angle-brush-1087685. They're often on special in packs of three
  • If you're going to paint again the second day, you can wrap your brushes up tightly in clingfilm or a freezer bag. Key is to wrap them tightly.
  • Take the time to wash your brushes well, use a metal scrubber on the handles, they'll last for years
  • For the walls we used the Dulux Light&Space range in most rooms. It's definitely more expensive, but the rooms really are brighter afterward, worth the money if your house is a little darker
  • Again get a decent roller for the walls, I found the Dulux ones good - https://www.woodies.ie/paint-decora...perfect-cover-medium-pile-roller-tray-1085291
  • Again you can wrap the roller if doing a second coat the next day, but again critical to clean it really well and scrub the paint tray. Any paint left behind will soften the next time you use it and leave lumps on the walls
  • Take the time to masking tape off window frames etc to give a sharp edge. Regular masking tape is too adhesive to be used on painted walls, it almost always ends up peeling some off. You can buy lighter stuff, or just use the angled brush above carefully.
  • I'd also loosen sockets/lightswitches so you can paint slightly under them, but don't if you're not comfortable with electricity.
  • You'll get a vastly better finish if you take the time to go around and fill holes/damage and sand before you start. It's a great skill to learn and not hard at all. Be warned that many of the pre-mixed fillers dry VERY hard and are a pain to sand, you're better off just buying a box of the powder and mixxing up a couple of tablespoons at a time (https://www.woodies.ie/polycell-multi-purpose-polyfilla-powder-450g-513137). You'll need a filling knife (https://www.woodies.ie/paint-decora...-tools/woodies-basics-2-filling-knife-1123762) sorry) to apply it and make smooth, then a sheet or two of 120-grit sand paper.
  • You'll generally need two coats of the gloss and two coats on the walls with the roller. If you're changing colour significantly you may need a third or even just a third around the edges on the walls to properly cover the old colour
  • A good audiobook or Podcast helps a lot!
  • Edit: Woodies can be expensive, links above are just to show the products, shop around!
 
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With the exception of the paint brand ;) - @Zenith63 is spot on there.

I'm guessing the woodies links were for ease of reference, but if you are shopping for painting kit the better quality trade merchants are worth checking rather than the DIY stores.

I paint radiators and skirting the same paint as the walls; doors and architrave are in white.

Everything washable with soap and water. Can't beat it.
 
get the best paint you can afford, so F&B or Benjamin moore, stay away from anything oil based.

Get a decent painter.
 
I've recently discovered an exterior wood paint called Tikkurila from the Painthub (an online retailer in Carlow). really really good but not cheap. I believe they do interior paint as well
I'm very familiar with Tikkurilia too. Its a large railway station outside Helsinki. The paint company comes from there. With vast timber industry, exterior paints for wood would be very high quality.

Finnish companies often use their home town as their names e.g. Nokia, Kuhmo and Outokumpu ( once owners of Tara mines)..

Fiskars tools, makers of axes/saws and kitchen scissors also are Finnish and the company originated from.....Fiskars !

Alll excellent quality products but expect a price premium.
 
I'm very familiar with Tikkurilia too. Its a large railway station outside Helsinki. The paint company comes from there. With vast timber industry, exterior paints for wood would be very high quality.

Alll excellent quality products but expect a price premium.

we have it on our ceilings, its excellent at giving even coverage and a super finish. My painter is excellent as he is genuinely interested in his craft and is always looking for the newest paints that are best for various requirements.
 
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