Lacquer over emulsion?

The Medway Handyman

unread,

Oct 18, 2014, 7:24:19 AM10/18/14

to

My daughter has been decorating their master bedroom which features some
very serviceable built in wardrobes.

They are melamine in a fake wood grain and she wanted them to match the
painted walls. She called the Dulux helpline who suggested a 'difficult
surface primer'. She has sanded them & applied 2 coats of the primer,
followed by three coats of emulsion and they look fantastic.

The problem is, the surface is fairly delicate and scuffs/scratches easily.

I reckon a coat of some kind of clear lacquer would help. Don't like
the idea of varnish in case it yellows.

Any suggestions?

--
Dave - The Medway Handyman www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

newshound

unread,

Oct 18, 2014, 7:46:25 AM10/18/14

to

I'm not sure that it would. Sounds to me like the issue is lack of
adhesion of the emulsion (my emulsion on shuttering ply wardrobe
interior is very durable). A tough lacquer is just going to pull the
emulsion off if scuffed.

polygonum

unread,

Oct 18, 2014, 7:51:33 AM10/18/14

to

On 18/10/2014 12:24, The Medway Handyman wrote:

Have often used one of the tough flooring grade acrylic varnishes over
emulsion. Very pleased with the quality of the finish even after about
10 years. No obvious yellowing. Little, if any, surface damage. I always
used rollers - the gentle orange-peel effect looks OK to my eyes.

The actual product I used was bought from Screwfix and was produced by a
company somewhere in Essex.

--
Rod

The Medway Handyman

unread,

Oct 18, 2014, 9:59:47 AM10/18/14

to

She described it a 'soft'.

I think the adhesion is OK.

stuart noble

unread,

Oct 18, 2014, 12:50:33 PM10/18/14

to

I'd use Rustins Clear Plastic Coating. *Genuinely* clear and
non-yellowing. Also incredibly tough, but the emulsion will always be
the weak point in the finish. I'd sand it to death before applying the
varnish. Call it shabby chic :-)

newshound

unread,

Oct 18, 2014, 1:02:33 PM10/18/14

to

On 18/10/2014 14:59, The Medway Handyman wrote:

Doesn't "soft" sound a little bit like "too thick" to you? I would still
worry slightly about putting "hard on soft" even if you are right about
the adhesion.

Not saying you are not right about that, you can't really tell from a
distance. You can test for adhesion by applying, and then pulling off,
suitable sticky tape, if you have a hidden area which you could sacrifice.

I suppose "soft" might also mean "not cured properly", but that's not
something I'd normally associate with primer or emulsion.

stuart noble

unread,

Oct 18, 2014, 1:06:41 PM10/18/14

to

Just to add that a little of that stuff goes a long way, and the 250ml
size would probably be plenty. Apply sparingly with a rag if you don't
want a mirror finish

polygonum

unread,

Oct 18, 2014, 1:11:38 PM10/18/14

to

This is not the product I used, but reviews seem good:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-quick-dry-floor-varnish-gloss-2-5ltr/36459

--
Rod

meow...@care2.com

unread,

Oct 19, 2014, 12:08:13 PM10/19/14

to

On Saturday, October 18, 2014 6:11:38 PM UTC+1, polygonum wrote:

> This is not the product I used, but reviews seem good:
> http://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-quick-dry-floor-varnish-gloss-2-5ltr/36459

I've mostly found their no nonsense products to be bottom scraping quality, and too often just not capable. I'm sure there are exceptions, but I wouldnt often gamble on buying them.

NT

polygonum

unread,

Oct 19, 2014, 2:26:20 PM10/19/14

to

You might be right. But it is made by a company with a long history of
paint making - Leyland/PPG - and a reasonable product reputation.

--
Rod