Advice on painting

[david...@hotmail.com]

I've successfully stripped the cornice and ceiling rose in my Victorian
flat with Kling Strip which while a pain in the rear has revealed
detail I never know was there. I've then applied two coats of alkali
resistant primer/sealer (International Paints) to prevent staining of
the top coat, which my test patch proved is absolutely necessary.

My question is whether to bother rubbing down the surface before
applying emulsion. As it's a primer is this necessary? However it is
solvent based and has produced a shiny surface, which leaves me feeling
I should treat it like gloss and sand it to give it a key before the
emulsion.

Any suggestions?

Cheers
Dave

[Lobster]

david...@hotmail.com wrote:
> I've successfully stripped the cornice and ceiling rose in my Victorian
> flat with Kling Strip which while a pain in the rear has revealed
> detail I never know was there.

Makes you feel it was all worthwhile doing, eh? (well, maybe!)

> I've then applied two coats of alkali
> resistant primer/sealer (International Paints) to prevent staining of
> the top coat, which my test patch proved is absolutely necessary.
>
> My question is whether to bother rubbing down the surface before
> applying emulsion. As it's a primer is this necessary? However it is
> solvent based and has produced a shiny surface, which leaves me feeling
> I should treat it like gloss and sand it to give it a key before the
> emulsion.

Is the primer oil or water based? If the former, I'd be all the more
inclined to key it first. I've had horrible results painting water-based
paint on top of oil-based primers; the top coat 'shrivelling up' in
front of my eyes as if I was painting over a greasy surface.

TBH, either way I think my gut instinct would be the same as yours - get
the sandpaper out...!

David

[FunkMeister]

Lobster wrote:

> Is the primer oil or water based? If the former, I'd be all the more
> inclined to key it first. I've had horrible results painting water-based
> paint on top of oil-based primers; the top coat 'shrivelling up' in
> front of my eyes as if I was painting over a greasy surface.
>
> TBH, either way I think my gut instinct would be the same as yours - get
> the sandpaper out...!

The side of the pot of primer mumbles something about using brushes
suitable for solvent based paints. A small test patch of emulsion
didn't exactly shrivel up but it looks streaky - so I guess that
means sandpaper time!

I really dont mind, after spending so long stripping 110 years of
varying finishes off the plaster work its worth doing the job properly.

Thanks

Dave