Paint finishes

[satans worm]

HI

I am at the stage of needing to paint our new build and just need some advice.

Firstly, for the initial coat, we were going to buy the cheapest paint possible and water it down to a 50:50 mix, is this ok or would PVA/water be better?

Plus any ideas who supply the cheapest paint!! (have noticed Wickes sell 'new plaster paint' is this any good or just watered down emulsion!)

Next is the paint finishes, so many from silk, vinyl, eggshell, matt etc plus combinations of these, can someone advise what the order of finishes are from gloss to matt!

Thanks for you help

SW

[silver.fox.2008]

Silk finishes leave a slightly shiny look. Would avoid it in places like the hallway or living room. Maybe best suited for kitchens and bathrooms?

IMO matt finishes are better as the light doesn't shine off them as with the silk finish.

[Trevelyan]

Emulsion tends to come in either (Vinyl) silk or matt. Silk is a slightly glossy finish (makes the walls look like they're slighly damp in my opinion) while matt is .. well matt really. It used to be that silk was a better choice if you wanted to be able to wipe the walls, but most matts seem to be washable now anyway. Dulux also do a limited range of Soft Sheen finishes, which fall between the two.

Wood & metal paint is usually Gloss, Eggshell or Matt which are fairly self explanatory (eggshell falls between Gloss and Matt).

Glossy/Silk finishes will highlight any imperfections, so if you've got uneven walls you're better off going with matt...

Edited by Trevelyan on Friday 12th September 16:51

[JVaughan]

avoid silk and vinyl silk like the plague.
when we moved into our new house, the previous owner had decided to "kill" the colour on the walls for us by painting every room with silk emulsion.

result .. took us 3 coats in each room to get rid of it.

Go for matt every time. If new Plaster, give it a 50:50 coat and let it dry first. If you dont, the wall will just keep soaking the paint up as quick as you can put it on.

2 or 3 coats should cover a fresh plastered wall.
No need to use PVA / Unibond unless you plan on plastering over existing paint/ other finishes. You can but its just a waste of money.

When painting ceilings .. if plastered, again, go for white ... it looks awsome in matt when dry.

[satans worm]

Thanks, matt it is then!

[JVaughan]

To be honest, Wikes / B & Q own brand ( comes in big plastic tins ) is as good as you'll need.
I think B & Q call it Trade Emulsion. dilute first and finish off with a nice thick coat of un-diluted after a few coats. give it 2 - 3 hours min between each coat and youll not go far wrong.