Little green make good paint but at their prices, and depending on the quantity you need, you could take a look at Benjamin Moore scuff X eggshell. It's water based and dries to a very durable and attractive finish. It's only available in a few shops and in one gallon tins but they deliver and can match many colours. Well worth looking into. If you choose to use it apply with a soft synthetic brush.
Internal redecorating - paint
- Thread starter Ponty
- Start date
Armstead vinyl matt is decent paint at a reasonable price.
We use it on all rented properties, don’t go anywhere near vinyl silk as it will highlight every imperfection on the walls due to its shine. I would not use contract! It’s not as hard wearing and is normally only used on new plaster.
johnstones brilliant white oil-based satin covers really well, no need for undercoat.
Do not get Dulux once one coat satin, it’s only called once because nobody ever buys it twice.
We use it on all rented properties, don’t go anywhere near vinyl silk as it will highlight every imperfection on the walls due to its shine. I would not use contract! It’s not as hard wearing and is normally only used on new plaster.
johnstones brilliant white oil-based satin covers really well, no need for undercoat.
Do not get Dulux once one coat satin, it’s only called once because nobody ever buys it twice.
cctaylor
pfm Member
@Mike Reed It took a wee while to get the legalities sorted out after my mum died. The boundaries on the ground didn't match the deeds drawn up when the house was built in 1987 for example. Took quite a while clearing stuff from the attic both parents and grandparents stuff. Dad was a model engineer, a couple of tonnes of scrap metal to take scrappies. Emptying the tools and other stuff took some time. I was surprised how much emotionally I was involved in a property only lived in for 3 months. We also had our own house to sell and a new one to move into. Then Covid came along. So time seemed to run away with us. We eventually got it on the market in August but had a few viewings but no real interest for months. Started thinking of letting it, not an ideal letting property, slightly old fashioned layout, large unruly garden etc. Then at end of March things suddenly fell into place with two interested parties. The house is now sold. The buyers only ever saw a video! Much braver than I would have been.
You are right about Moray, there is a good letting market with RAF Lossiemouth, both servicemen/women and civilian contractors. The house would have let eventually but we didn't really want to become landlords especially of a house we had emotional connections to.
You are right about Moray, there is a good letting market with RAF Lossiemouth, both servicemen/women and civilian contractors. The house would have let eventually but we didn't really want to become landlords especially of a house we had emotional connections to.
I did our garage ‘personal’ timber door with this about 10 yrs ago. It was about £25 nearly for the tin (can’t remember 500ml or 1 litre) but it’s still bright white, exposed East facing, so has been through all weathers. It’s quite watery going on but once you realise that and don’t obsess about trying to get a thick coat on first time, it’s very durable and a lovely finish which looks great against uPVC windows and white garage door.
Mike Reed
pfm Member
Yes, I've had a number of Johnstones' paints; all exc. value.
Very droll; I like it.
Once a king, always a king, but once a knight
is enough.
hifinutt
hifinutt
a wise decision ... its quite a hassle letting these days , tax returns , boiler servicing , minimum epc , etc etc
I doubt very much that anyone with a rental property is using Farrow & Ball paint, or Little Greene. Unless they are mad and have money to burn. Armstead standard issue will do the job, as will any of the standard paints. Wickes do a good range, I've used it a few times and got good results at modest cost. Just avoid the really cheap stuff you see around the place, it's useless. I got some and used it to cover over magnolia in a bedroom last year, lockdown 1, thought it would be OK. 3 coats in and the magnolia is still shining through, think again. That's over magnolia, nothing stronger. 4 coats of the sh*t I ended up putting on, it's still not perfect. Bloody stuff.
That's the point with cheap paints, they are either like painting with milk, requiring additional coats to cover properly and spatter everywhere. Alternatively they are so thick and gelatinous as to be almost unusable and producing a terrible finish.
Boutique brands are a bit ott for all but the fanciest of rentals but there is an argument for scrubbable emulsions and tough wood finishes. I really rate the scuff X I referred to earlier, it's the best water based eggshell I've used, much tougher than any other I've tried, and being water based the smell is acceptable and the recoat times mean two or more coats in a day. That said it's £90 a gallon!
Mike Reed
pfm Member
That's the first time in many decades that I've seen paint mentioned in imperial capacity measures. About 5 litres, I guess; pricey, but not excessively so.
Ponty
pfm Member
I can get my head around using a more expensive paint for the woodwork. A 5l can of Little Greene eggshell or satinwood, in any lovely colour I like, is about £120. It will go a long way. 5l of Dulux satinwood is about £55 but that’s brilliant white. In the scheme of things it’s sod all will really lift the woodwork. I’ll check out the scuff X as well.
It's American paint. A little under 4 litres if I remember correctly.
Mike Reed
pfm Member
Ah yes, the American gallon is smaller than ours, though not sure by how much. Either there are fewer pints to a gallon or an American pint is smaller (unlikely). That also begs the question about quarts. Must look it up; interest is piqued.
US pint - 16 oz. UK pint - 20 oz. 8 pints to a gallon, both systems.
Ponty
pfm Member
Well, the job went well. Ended up using Dulux Trade Vinyl Matt white (not brilliant white) and Dulux Trade Satinwood (oil based, brilliant white). 50 litres of emulsion and 5 litres of satinwood. The contrast between the 2 works really well. The white is almost an ‘old white’ colour. 2 coats covered everything. Proper job!
Last edited:
Komarfamily
pfm Member
Good choice. Recently bought a house and had to paint all the rooms. After two coats not covering up the previous grey walls i decided to go for dulux trade, what a difference! I can not recommend them more.