Oil based v acrylic eggshell
Most paint companies have oil based eggshell and acrylic based eggshell in their range. What are the differences between the two, which brands are best? Does it even matter that you can’t tell from the photo whether this door and frame were painted in acrylic or oil eggshell?
There are endless debates about the pros and cons of xyz brand of oil v acrylic paint, and the plus and minus of application and VOC and brushmarks and drying times.
We could go the Harry Hill route and call outright for a fight between acrylic and oil eggshell, and a fight between brand A and brand B . However, if you are feeling a little bewildered, and a lot of professionals tell me they don’t know where to turn next, can I suggest a predictable acrylic eggshell paint and a predictable oil eggshell paint that should leave you with a nice finish and a calm feeling in most scenarios.
Little Greene Paint company offer one blindingly obvious choice of oil eggshell and when I want a fab acrylic eggshell… I turn to Little Greene too.
Horses for courses
It is sometimes said that my choice of products is a bit narrow or fanciful, because I am some sort of posh kitchen painter, whose clients don’t care how much things cost. I wish! I can assure you I do paint new architraves, scabby old glazed doors and peeling windows, and I do have to get a move-on, as time is definitely someone’s money!
I am not saying that Little Greene eggshells are great for absolutely every scenario, (because that isn’t true – Mythic, Sikkens Tikkurila etc all have their place) but if any of the following scenarios apply, you should cut out the thinking and worrying, and consider Little Greene if:
– you want to use oil based eggshell, but you are having trouble with drying times with new formula brands
– the water based / water-borne eggshell you use runs madly, or doesn’t cover
– you find that water-based eggshell is particularly brushmark stringy
– you or your clients are looking at “Farrow and Ball” colours, or F&B eco eggshell
(ie for almost all general decorating work, especially in older properties where an eggshell paint finish is required) go Little Greene.
When to specify oil eggshell v acrylic?
On standard interior woodwork (trim, doors, skirtings) I would recommend the acrylic eggshell almost every time.
I only use oil based eggshell on hand painted kitchens, or where a heritage spec is required on interior woodwork. I am not big on exterior painting, but the Little Greene eggshells are specced for interior AND exterior surfaces. Good luck using Dulux eggshell outside!
Does acrylic eggshell look different to oil based eggshell
At first glance, the finish of Little Greene acrylic eggshell might look identical to oil – nice and full and deep. Close up, and definitely side by side, picky painters and discerning clients will see that there is a plasticy sheen to the acrylic compared to the oil. The above door and frame are in acrylic eggshell. The doors below are oil eggshell painted.
Little Greene oil eggshell compared to other brand oil eggshell
The flat sheen of LG oil eggshell sets it apart aesthetically from all acrylic and most other oil based eggshells (one exception is Paint Library, which is also made by LG.) And fundamentally it is the sheen, I believe, that differentiates a genuine traditional oil finish from other eggshells from other companies.
Your perception of the sheen may be that brand xyz are all the same, once they have flatted down on curing, and some may say that my thinking is flawed and all eggshell is “traditional”?
In my experience, clients who want traditional paint finishes, do see the difference between a sheeny Dulux and a more understated Little Greene hand-painted kitchen.
In terms of numbers, Dulux, Leyland, Johnstones of the 20th century are about 30% sheen, and LG from 1778 onwards is 20%.
Johnstones oil based eggshell is highly rated by a couple of specialist kitchen painters in my network, so I have no problem proposing that as a higher sheen option.
With Dulux oil paints of any sheen, even the brilliant Sikkens range, I regularly hear of issues with drying times – ie they don’t dry by the next day. A similar problem is going on with Farrow and Ball’s eco hybrid (water-borne alkyd) eggshell.
Little Greene oil eggshell is totally predictable for drying, coverage, filling ability, flow – and that is why I think it “shines” above the rest.
Is acrylic easier to use than oil based eggshell
Absolutely acrylic eggshell is easier to use than oil eggshell.
– Acrylic eggshell flows on fast, dries to the touch within an hour, sands well, fills well.
– Oil based eggshell flows on pretty fast, is touch dry in 4-6 hours, and dries overnight. Filling and sanding is a great experience!
So on the surface, acrylic is way way better to use than oil-based in terms of getting things painted. Acrylic eggshell is easy to use too, but there are two big caveats before you diss oil eggshell.
a) Do you know how to use acrylic eggshell? – a lot of professional painters still don’t know or are very uncomfortable using acrylic eggshell. Brushmarks, runs, over-brushing… Use LG and leave your troubles behind!
b) Do fast drying times really help? As long as a kitchen takes the best part of a day to paint, there is absolutely no practical application advantage of acrylic eggshell over oil. Using the oil system, I would have no problem painting today, and sanding and topcoating tomorrow. I physically could not do all that any quicker with acrylic. Of course if you have a tiny kitchen, then maybe you can do 2 coats of acrylic in a day, but ordinarily, that isn’t the case.
And a more important point than either of those 2 considerations – oil eggshell has body, and 3 coats of oil will enhance surfaces other than MDF or metal better than 4 coats of acrylic. (I do have an all water-based system that will equal an oil eggshell finish, but it takes a lot more than an undercoat and 2 topcoats.)
Brushes for using Little Greene acrylic eggshell
When I say that a lot of painters seem to have trouble with acrylic eggshell, what I think is going on is that their choice of brush is letting them down. I would be shocked if a decent painter could not get a good end result using a Wooster Alpha brush and Little Greene acrylic eggshell straight from the tin. (This Picasso brush is brilliant too.)
How to apply acrylic eggshell by brush
This is probably too general, but in general terms, you lay it on fairly liberally, brush out very quickly and lay off with a dry brush, no fussing.
I hate to say this because it sounds condescending, but I taught Ingrid of Lilou Interiors how to apply the acrylic eggshell in 2 minutes. On a door with minimal cutting in, you couldn’t tell the difference between her work and mine. I can do 2 doors to her one and I don’t get covered in paint, but you get the idea, it is user friendly.
Interesting tip too – Ingrid is not a time-served painter, but has used a lot of acrylic enamel in the US, but was never shown how to apply it, (where was Jack Pauhl when needed!) Treating it like oil paint, she never found the end results particularly pleasing.
On glazed doors or panelling, you need to be careful and I tend to cut in to joints where I think I cannot keep the wet edge going. So it isn’t rocket science, lash it on, lay it off, and no worries about unexpected runs. And for coverage, one LG acrylic primer undercoat tinted to the colour of the topcoat, plus 2 topcoats. Lovely.
Painting over previously painted oil paint in good condition, do not skimp on acrylic primer undercoat, otherwise you are on your own with poor coverage and stringiness – not to mention dodgy adhesion. Unlike Farrow and Ball, I would not expect any issues using some other brand of primer undercoat.
Brushes for using Little Greene oil based eggshell
The Wooster Alpha is excellent. I saw Cornwall kitchen painting specialist Colin at Plush Painting using it with glee and he achieved a beautiful finish.
I generally roll and tip doors with a 1.5″ Wooster Alpha.
On larger areas, I am warming to a 3″ Wooster FTP.
Lee of Lees Decor in Leicestershire loves using his Wooster natural bristle brush with oil eggshell.
Conclusion
Each to their own, and I am always looking at new paints to try out, but at a time when paint companies are changing their formulae with their socks, and creating all sorts of application issues for everyone, look for a solid base to work from on your journey to nirvana paint world. Therefore I would suggest you start at Little Greene, Wooster Alpha or Picasso brushes and work out from there.
VOC levels of oil paint v acrylic paint
I was just asked about the VOC (polluting off gassing) of oil v acrylic eggshell.
To nail down the pollution in your home to minimal levels, you should go for acrylic as opposed to oil. In LG case, their eggshell is actually Toy Safe.
Little Greene Oil eggshell is vegetable oil based now, I believe, so it is less pungent than the original formula, but it is still high in VOC.
I am sure this will go down like a lead based balloon, but I would say that unless there are genuine acute health reasons like asthma or allergies, the eco case for acrylic eggshell v oil eggshell around the home is quite weak.
Paint causes about 2% of the world’s pollution and of that, only a fraction of paint in the home, for decades, has been high VOC oil eggshell paint on trim and kitchen doors. The vast majority of paint is on walls and ceilings and that is almost exclusively water-based, which does almost no harm in situ to painters or homeowners. Every bit helps, and acrylic eggshell is great to use, but it won’t stop the planet from fizzing and dying.
Please share it on Twitter, Facebook, or print it out for reference. Thanks.
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53 comments to “Oil based v acrylic eggshell”
I’ve found the acrylic eggshell technique to be very effective.
thanks great blog and technique
Acrylic eggshell on furniture and cabinets really??? Hope u topcoat with a waterbased poly.. We do a lot of kitchen cabinets and furniture built ins etc… We use oil or waterborne semi gloss never eggshell unless topcoat end with a clear. Way to soft to hold up to wear and tear. The higher the sheen the harder to perfect eggshell is not at all difficult .
Hi Nick, I don’t see where I wrote for pros to use acrylic eggshell on furniture and cabinets, the opposite, I would specify oil for kitchens, acrylic eggshell elsewhere.
Having said that, I think US and UK paints have different sheen levels, at least based on what we know from Mythic, ie “your” eggshell is certainly matter than we would expect from “our” eggshell paint. Agree, semi gloss (for Mythic acrylic enamel) is probably the sweet spot for heavy use on kitchen cabinets.
The waterbornes are getting very interesting. Some very clever “best of both worlds” paint coming along.
I believe the real issue for VOCs is the health of the painter in an unventilated environment and our lack of understanding of the ‘Danish Painters syndrome’ but it is worth searching on google if you are at all concerned.
very nice paint, i agree with Robin. i would like to say that , a paint should be environment friendly and not harmful for health and for children in the house, some paints are smelly and they are not suitable for the home where kids are.
I am a total acrylic paint fan used most of them and its a win win win all the way for me, However a question I cannot seem to answer is acrylic vs oil – how long does it take for white paint to discolour for both – I am thinking oil is 3-5 years before a new coat is required but how long for acrylic????? or is it a case current acrylics have not been given enough time to show their true colours – get it! Thanks Ross
Hi Ross, acrylic resin based paints have been out commercially since the 60’s. Whites wont yellow. If they are hybrid (oil content) they are prone to yellow, because of the alkyd resin effect. Acrylic trim paint that is low sheen on exteriors may well pick up dirt and look dull down but that “discolouration” can be wiped off.
Yellowing oil paint, it has always yellowed but since 2010 some formulations have beaten all records!
If I am painting a bed frame would acrylic or oil be best?
Apologies for slow response. If you have sealed the wood particularly any knots with a shellac based primer to prevent bleed-through from knots, then you can use either oil or water based paints to finish. What is the bed made of?
I have a waxed, pine bedframe that I want to make over. I plan on sanding it down, priming with a shellac based primer and then using acrylic based eggshell. Is this the best way to go about it?
Hi Dani, that sounds like a good plan, except I would probably try a quick test to remove the wax with a degreaser before sanding. This is purely because the wax may well clog up a lot of abrasive and be quite time consuming to sand off.
If you use Krud Kutter Original or Fluxaf Pro Clean wax should scrub off quite well and then sanding is a breeze.
At the end of the day, the quickest way to bare and clean wood is the aim.
Shellac primer plus acrylic eggshell, that will work.
We are doing a DIY Decorator of the Month competition the next 12 months, so why not take a before and after and send it me with an explanation of what you did, you could be picked as a winner. There will be a very good monthly prize, details to be announced next week!
Hi
I am about to paint some pine bedroom furniture (over 10 years old) and have just bought little greene oil based eggshell. I also bought a trade primer undercoat which I realised afterwards is waterbased, first question is is this ok? Second question is I was recommended perdy brushes, again will these be ok? And finally do I have to treat the knots of the wood first given the age of the furniture?
I plan to sand down the furniture first, your help and advice would be much appreciated
Hi there – a little off topic but I have recently experienced quite a lot of dragging and issues laying off Little Greene Intelligence Matt on my wood work (skirting/architraves etc. I am a professional painter and have followed good practice – currently in process of returning product to stockist to swap for Intelligence Eggshell – but client wanted Matt finish on wood. I have used the Intelligence Eggshell with small amount of floetrol on the walls – lovely! I used the matt for the ceiling and it was drying fairly quickly but I did not experience the same issues as the wood. Any ideas?
What was the base coat for the Intelligent matt emulsion on the timber? Too porous a surface, it could have been causing the excessive drying. You could dull down an eggshell sheen with dead flat decorator varnish to give the customer exactly what they want?
Thanks Andy, good tip. I think that despite the woodwork being of sound nature, using Little Greene primer really helps to create a consistent base for the top coat. I would recommend this as it will save loads of time, which I’ve learnt somewhat the hard way! Since going back to the stockist and taking with Little Greene, I have now been able to achieve a great finish! Fantastic product but by no means is it self under coating like some other brands of paint. Must be used in a more traditional way, which makes sense. Expensive but gives a super high quality finish when used correctly! Thanks!
Many thanks for this article, it has helped me plump for LG arcryc eggshell for my doors and skirting etc. I have had satinwood recommended to me but it doesn’t seem to be available in the same range of colours that LG offer and they don’t do satinwood anyway. I will be painting over some woodwork already glossed (badly, not by me!) and some varnished woodwork. Which basecoat should I use? I have heard good thinks about Zinsswr bullseye, would this do. I want to do a ‘proper’ job but this is the first time I have ever done skirting woodwork etc, and I have 4 kids and 4 dogs so the simpler the better!
Also, I am planning to paint my kitchen cupboards, currently very dated pine with quite a few knotches, fiddly bits etc. Can I get away with ESP to prep and will I need a primer too? Finally (!) would you recommend LG acrylic or oil eggshell for the kitchen, or Tikkurila Feelings Furniture paint?
Hi, I would concentrate on getting the badly glossed paintwork sanded smooth. This will make the finish smoother (assuming it doesn’t peel ) and also ensure a good key for the first coat of paint.
In this situation I would go for an oil based high adhesion primer plus 2 coats of acrylic eggshell.
Therefore sand down all surfaces. Abranet 120 with the starter kit should be good, attached to a Henry type vacuum. If the surface rubs down smooth and it is sound, dust off, spot fill any deep dings and dents with Toupret TX110. Sand the filler, remove dust, and apply one coat of Otex primer. When dry look for any imperfections and try catch them with a fine surface filler. This is the stage where attention to detail raises standards from normal to good.
Rub down filler, spot in with the primer. When dry apply any caulk to cracks along the top of the skirtings or edges, and when dry, apply 2 coats of eggshell.
If you are first sanding and getting a lot of peeling paint, the usual approach is to stop, dust off and apply the high adhesion primer. When dried overnight, do a thorough rub down. The primer should bind down the weak topcoat, and when you sand hard, sand down to a better base to continue from. When sanded, you could do a skim fill, i.e. don’t try find the imperfections, apply a thin coat of Toupret TX 110 over the whole surface,, when dry, repeat, and when dry, sand with 180 grade abrasive. It will be super smooth.
Now you are ready to paint. 1 x LG primer undercoat, apply caulk, and finish with 2 topcoats of LG eggshell.
So, one or 2 coats of tinted oil primer, depending on condition of old gloss, fill, caulk and 2 coats of LG eggshell.
I would advise getting the primer tinted to the same colour as the acrylic eggshell.
Hi Andy, thanks so much for that, I have found that whole sanding ststem on Amazon for £44.99, Inhave a small ‘mouse’ sander but it’s not up to much. The hose idea is genius! So, just to order my samples and find the ‘right’ pale cream shade of eggshell! I am nervous about using oil based, but the last time I used oil based paint was gloss circa 1994! I am a renter not a homeowner you see, so have lived in houses that either I wasn’t allowed to decorate or didn’t want invest too much time and money. However, we are expecting to stay in this new property long term and have free rein to decorate how we like so I figure if you’re going to do it, do it well. Plus, the house used to have a nursery run from it and the colours were all bring pink and bright blue, and my landlords have just slapped (very messily) magnolia on the walls and white gloss on the skirting, then when I said I wanted to decorate, stopped where they were, leaving the odd section of picture rail and front of one door bright blue. Oh, and there are three and a half doors (the other side of the blue door is untouched) that are new and will need eggshelling, I assume I won’t need to prime these, they are wooden coated with a matt finish that picks up every fingermark etc like crazy, I assume they come primed ready to paint? I am hoping the eggshell lives up to Little Greene’s promise of being hardwearing and wipeable after all this hard work!
And please excuse my typos, I do know how to spell but am typing this on my phone!
I need to repaint an ornate plaster fireplace which houses a gas fire with “real looking” logs and coals. I know it was previously painted with eggshell but not sure if it was acrylic or oil based. Any recommendations?
Many Thanks
Hi Andy,
I am upcycling a pine kitchen table and chairs bought from a charity shop. So far I have sanded them down. I want to paint the legs and chairs and leave the top wood. Please could you confirm what my quickest (I am trying to do it by Fri when my husband gets back from a business trip), safest and most hard wearing option is for paint bearing in mind 3 young children will be eating at it. Also what would you seal the table surface with? I am in the UK. Thanks in advance, Emma
Hi
I have bought an unfinished pine dolls cot for my little girl and I want to paint it white.
I have already painted it with primer and now need to move on to the white. Would you recommend water based eggshell over oil based?
Many Thanks
Emma
I believe Little Greene acrylic eggshell is Toy Safe, that may tick the boxes for best use, and user friendly to apply. I don;t know what primer you have used, but I find the undercoat plus 2 topcoats is a more solid result than using the eggshell straight over conventional primer.
Thank you Andy!!
Hi, I am planning on using ESP on my melamine kitchen cabinets, then three coats of Johnstone’s oil based eggshell, mixed to a Fired Earth colour, using mohair rollers. I’m not planning on using an undercoat over the ESP. I looked at Little Greene but the colour I wanted wasn’t available and Fired Earth don’t have an oil based eggshell. Do you think I’ll need a topcoat of varnish? Durability is the most important thing for me. Does this all sound like a decent idea to you, or is there anything glaringly awful in what I’m proposing? I’m nervous of the sheen with the Johnstone’s but as I’m doing a colour mix, I don’t know what other choices I have. I’d really appreciate your feedback. Thanks. Harriet
Over the years I’ve used a few brands of paint but I have to say Little Greene acrylic eggshell is my all time favourite. Easy to use and as you say totally reliable. Vast range of colours too. Whenever I paint furniture with LG
Hi.I chose LG oil based primer and oil based eggshell for my furniture. I finished doing the priming, I cleaned my brush with white spirit, then thoroughly cleaned with washing up liquid and rinsed over and over again leaving the brush nice and clean. ( a recommended brush) But part way through using the topcoat, I noticed that the paint in the tin had some white streaks in the paint. No matter how much I stirred, it was still there. have I contaminated the paint somehow. I can’t understand why, especially when I was so thorough with my cleaning. I have to admit that I dipped my brush in a little white spirit a couple of times before going into the tin, as I was finding it hard to keep the flow going. ( bad arthritis in the hands) Doing this, is that the reason why I had the white streaks? Not sure yet how the finish will look in the morning when I go and look. I have learned one thing though, I must use a paint kettle/container in the future. I would really like to know why I got the white streaks. I’m wondering that this may be what happens with this paint? A reply would be much appreciated. But it’s a bank holiday weekend, so a reply after that would be great. Enjoy! Patsy.
I am going to paint some dining furniture, Can you tell me if I can spray LG oil based paint using a compressor.
Regards
Hi, from the Little Greene data sheet:
Conventional spray
Thin with up to:
25%(v/v) white spirit
Tip size:
1.60 to 2.00 mm (62 to 78 thou)
Air pressure:
0.28 to 0.41 MPa (40 to 60 psi)
Airless spray
Thin with up to:
10%(v/v) white spirit
Tip size:
0.28 to 0.54 mm (11 to 21 thou)
Pressure at tip:
12.6 to 19.6 MPa (1800 to 2800 psi)
This is a terrific website but I am in Canada and do not have access to the paint brands that you favor. Benjamin Moore, Pittsburgh, Para, Farrow and Ball are the most available. I am painting a factory finished, well made pine bedroom set. It has a soft satin varnish and I want the paint to stick! I am an experienced painter.
Hi, once the surface has been degreased and / or sanded, you have access to Zinsser adhesion primers? From there you can apply any of those paints you mention.
Those are some interesting paint finishes and effects on your site.
I.ve just put a second coat of crown trade white full gloss on doors and they now look a creamy colour.
Sorry. Can anyone suggest where I went wrong. I cleaned my brushes in white spirit would that effect it .
Hello. I’m about to start redecorating our new house from top to bottom! The woodwork (skirting, doors, etc) are painted in oil-based eggshell. I am tempted to repaint with LG acyclic eggshell, but realise this will need sanding/priming. If I use oil eggshell, what do I need to do? For example, will I still need something like Zinsser 1-2-3 before the eggshell? Or can I just sand and paint with oil eggshell LG? The existing eggshell is in pretty good nick, just don’t like the colour! Thanks.
Hi, it would be best to sand the painted timber surfaces first to give yourself the best chance of a good finish. If the paintwork is currently in good condition, clean it down to remove any grease and dust, and when dry, sand thoroughly with say 180 grade Abranet. Complete any filling and sanding back smooth, caulk any cracks. Oil eggshell is ready to go on.
For more than an overview, search for “sanding” “cleaning” and other keywords to fill in the gaps. You are welcome to join the forum if you have more questions.
Re: post above. Oh, and best brush? Got a Wooster Alpha… Thanks a million
Hi, what a great website. I plan to upcycle some pine furniture in cream in situ in our mobile home in Spain. following your guidance I have tried to buy cream acrylic eggshell as I am a relatively competent but not a professional painter & the pieces are quite large. The retailer in Spain has suggested an oil based satin paint from Crown(much used in Spain apparently) which he can mix to a cream colour rather than an acrylic egg shell as his stock of this is very limited (rarely used in Spain), only available in white & he is not confident it would take a tint. Need a good finish as going to rent this home out. What’s your view please on oil based satin versus acrylic eggshell for upcycling pine items.
In my experience, Europe has plenty of high quality acrylic paints that have long been ahead of UK trade paints, Spain is no exception. Google IBERSA or Titanlux for synthetic (oil) or water borne esmaltes. adios 🙂
I have a problem with oil generally.It seems tom have a knack of attracting dust particles.
Little Green oil find does not flow particularly well and , like all oils the dust always appears in although you have made evry precaution.I have been using Tikkurilla and feelings..and was loving it ,until a client was persuaded by the retail that Little green oil was the best for her kitchen.
help.
Hi Andy
I was just wondering what you thought of dulux diamond eggshell? I think they’ve improved it as it’s not as stringy and brush marky! As it used to be .. I use marble white or Wiltshire white as I’m not convinced the mass produced brilliant whites off the shelf cover as well but it levels out almost like oil based… Its slightly flatter than LG wb but I’m impressed, I’d be grateful if you tried it and shared your thoughts? Thanks for your blogs and I await your response, cheers.
Hi. Really hope you can help me. I am an absolute beginner and am planning to paint some old pine drawers which I think have been waxed. I am going to clean with flufax then sand.
Where I’ve got confused is do I need to prime all the wood with BIN or just the knots, and use coverstain for the rest?
Do I not use quality brushes for priming?
Are fox brushes suitable for use with an acrylic eggshell paint?
Can I paint directly onto the primer?
Many thanks
Apply BIN all over using a disposable brush if this is a one off project. Then use Fox (good brushes) for 2 – 3 acrylic topcoats straight on to the primer. Don gotget your rubbing down between coats, tack rags and filler, good luck
Hi, I have a question about exterior eggshell paint I’m hoping you can help me with. I have new windows in a powdercoat finish being fitted in September. To retain the character of my house I have opted to keep the existing chunky wooden window seals and have the aluminium windows placed on top. The exterior colour of the windows is Ral 7016 and I would like to get an exterior eggshell to paint the wood to match. The only exterior finish I can find is satin or gloss. Can you recommend an eggshell exterior that you can tint? or do you think the satin will look ok with the powdercoat finish of the windows? I am unsure of the sheen level. Thanks
Sikkens, Tikkurila to name but 2 premium paints that can be tinted. Sheen levels I cant help with, that ould require some test pieces for you to decide.
Hi I’ve read a few of your blogs and after doing so I’ve totally convertEd to waterborne paints. I’d have no fear in recommending the picasso brush range as the finished achieved is second to none. I live in Ireland and these topics you talk about don’t seem to concern most painters over here but me being a perfectionist I always want to be better. Thanks very much for all your advice not just in this blog but all off them. Because every situation requires a different approach and you seem to cover them all. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for reading and implementing some of the ideas.
Hi I’ve just got a new kitchen installed and has come preprinted from then workshop. I have already given it two coats of Leyland undercoat. I’m letting it cure now as I want to apply a water based finish. I have used farrow and ball water based eggshell before, using the same process only I used zinsser as a primer before I undercoated. My question is having already used farrow and ball already and achieved a really good finish would you still recommend little Greene over this as the problems you earlier discussed with drying times and tackiness were not an issue for me.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
It is not unheard of to have Leyland paints tinted to F&B colours to save money. If money saving is the aim, stick to all Leyland undercoat and topcoats, so if anything were to go wrong, you have some come back.
The F&B drying issue seems to not happen if you use F&B primer undercoat.
If you had no issue before with Zinsser primer plus Leyland undercoat and F&B eggshell, and you can reproduce the same conditions, you should get the same end result. If the F&B eggshell does somehow not dry as expected, you would have no comeback on F&B.
I would recommend Little Greene eggshells if nothing else, for peace of mind, in that they seem to play consistently well over good quality primer-undercoats from other brands.
TOTAL BEGINNER ALERT
it was time to update our 35 year old Ducal Pine (now orange ) dresser rather than chuck it out
Ive machine sanded it down (what a joy sanding is i love it and want my own sander!!!) to an unrecognizable clean pine and intend to varnish/wax top and paint the rest white.
Please just tell me exactly what to buy and I will follow it to the letter.
I should point out although I am a beginner husband is good at painting-that may influence what you recommend .Absolutely love the site and have loads of this orange pine stuff to recycle
Patina for the top, and Zinsser BIN for first coat to ensure a sealed base for the rest. Then go waterbased, say Little Greene primer undercoat x 2 and Little Greene Intelligent eggshell x 2. Obviously lightly sanding between coats. Once he has applied and sanded the Zinsser BIN, your husband has the best gig. He might want to try a little trick to get the undercoat and topcoat paint to flow out: wipe a damp (barely wet) microfibre cloth over the surface before applying the paint.
Hi Andy
I posted here last year and was just gonna update on on the process that I used. As I said before I am totally converted to waterbased paints with the exception of undercoat. I feel I have to use oil based at some stage in the process so I use it before the top coat mainly because it has more body to it something I feel waterbased lack at the minute unless of course you have any recommendations. Well anyway I’ve painted my kitchen just over a year now with this same process and I have to say it’s looking as good now as the day it was done, bearing in my I did let the undercoat cure before applying the waterbased topcoat. I have noticed you mention a problem with farrow and ball drying times, this was not an issue for me as I felt the oil undercoat gave me more play time with the topcoat. I’m currently painting my brothers kitchen using the same process and I’m fairly confident I will have no issue with regard to the manufacturer’s specifications on how to apply, as you well know the are only gonna stand over their own product if you use the proper procedures. . But I know in my heart of hearts that’s only to get you to use their full range of products which in reality aren’t always the best for the job. I would love to post an image up here of his kitchen of a before and after especially in a year or two as I know regardless of what the manufacturer’s say that it will be in good condition as I will stand over my own work and don’t need them to tell me how to do my job.
Thanks for taking the time to update your project. Steady and thorough wins the day.
I’m increasingly leaning towards sticking to one paint brand throughout a waterborne system, if at all possible. Water based paint formulations are pretty complex, and do differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. If there were a problem and someone else’s products are in the mix, it is hard for them to analyse what has gone wrong.