emulsion

[mint]

Thank you to everyone for all the extra input, in particular, Daft Doctor, Ventodue and Chancer (please excuse me if I have left anyone out).

I am now in more of a hurry than anticipated because the kitchen installer has just rung and we are going to order the Ikea kitchen next Tuesday and he is going to start early April.

In the meantime, I want to get the ceilings and walls painted so I am eagerly looking at all your posts and weighing not just cost but time to get it in as well.  Shouldn't take me more than a couple of days to do the actual painting but it's the emptying and moving of furniture and getting things like painting sheets out of storage and dog and OH out the way.

I'll probably have to cook a few meals beforehand and freeze them and generally psyche myself up.............lol!  How pathetic do I sound?

Do really, really appreciate all your advice[:D]

[idun]

And no matter where we end up, one of the joys of now living in England is that IF I want I can get a man in who won't charge an arm and a leg. I still did a lot myself in this house, as 'the man' couldn't be in two parts of the house at once and we needed to get it done.

[Théière]

[quote user="mint"]Thank you to everyone for all the extra input, in particular, Daft Doctor, Ventodue and Chancer (please excuse me if I have left anyone out).

I am now in more of a hurry than anticipated because the kitchen installer has just rung and we are going to order the Ikea kitchen next Tuesday and he is going to start early April.

In the meantime, I want to get the ceilings and walls painted so I am eagerly looking at all your posts and weighing not just cost but time to get it in as well.  Shouldn't take me more than a couple of days to do the actual painting but it's the emptying and moving of furniture and getting things like painting sheets out of storage and dog and OH out the way.

I'll probably have to cook a few meals beforehand and freeze them and generally psyche myself up.............lol!  How pathetic do I sound?

Do really, really appreciate all your advice[:D]

[/quote]

I see so it's the kitchen? I wouldn't use emulsion in a kitchen and especially not a flat matt emulsion, I would use acrylic/Eggshell.

[Daft Doctor]

Hi Chancer, we used the Eclipse flat emulsion on walls and ceilings in our kitchen, and one year on it hasn't suffered at all. Admittedly, we have tiling to 50cm above the work surfaces, lots of wall cupboards and the kitchen is open plan so very well ventilated. For the bathrooms we used Macphersons Acrylic Eggshell, which again was fantastic and relatively cheap.

[suein56]

[quote user="Théière"] I wouldn't use emulsion in a kitchen and especially not a flat matt emulsion, I would use acrylic/Eggshell.

[/quote]

I can endorse that as we made a big mistake and used matt emulsion. Next time the kitchen is painted - which will be sooner rather than later - we'll be using something entirely different.

Sue

[Chancer]

I used satin emulsion initially on the kitchen ceiling but it showed all of the bandes in the placo which are invisible with matt paint, I have to say that the taping and jointing in this flat, my first was of the highest standard, had it been artexed I would not have hesitated to use silk, I wanted it to reflect the light but hadnt thought of the conséquences.

The walls I did in a UK sourced supposedly washable satin magnolia, I didnt like it and over the course of time even washable emulsion is not tenable on kitchen surfaces, in my relooking last year I went over it all with Muraspec commercial vinyl which can be cleaned with a brillo pad if you are so messy or so inclined.

[mint]

Yes, I think vinyl is good for kitchens and bathrooms.  In fact, I might even use it in the link corridor between the shower room and the kitchen.  I have noticed some damp penetration marks on the corridor wall on the other side of the tiled shower.

Or, it could be that I need something done to the shower tiles before trying to mask the damp marks.

[idun]

Paint in kitchens.

My sister in law informed me with great gusto that she was not going to have her new kitchen tiled, just painted. I questioned that saying that I would not do that, as the splashes were far easier to clean from tiles or one of the new wall coverings.

She told me that that was not a problem and that her sister had no problems and her sisters husband fried things all the time.

Well my tiles, regularly need cleaning from splashes of fat. When I sear meat prior to putting in the oven, then it is all very hot and does splatter. As do tomatoes when slicing, the juice and the odd seed end up on the wall, or maybe I am doing that wrong?????

Paint, well I like lots of tiles and then paint above the wall units and on the ceiling.

[mint]

I think I might have found an installer who will get the job down in an orderly manner.  We have just spent 3 hours talking through the project and he has a plan of action thought out and also seems to have anticipated things like what to do with the skirting boards when the new floor is laid, etc etc.

I asked him to do the painting as well and it WAS a high price for walls with excellent surfaces but there will be cutting-in at ceiling level as we have no covings and 2 doors and 3 windows.  As I am in considerable pain with shingles at the moment, I was happy enough to accept his quote and I will then not be pressured to do the painting just after he's laid the floor and before he puts in the units, etc etc.

So, I am going to look at the Macphersons as prescribed by.......well the Daft Doctor, of course.  But now the man tells me that Farrow and Ball paints are very good and suitable for use in French climates.

So, anyone has any comments on Farrow and Ball, svp?

[mint]

Here I am back as I know that I have to have the painting done if the kitchen supplier can meet his target date.

So, here's a new question: has anyone used ONIP paints?

Lots of choice of finishes and colours but is it any good?

[Kong]

This is a topic which will obviously run and run....

[mint]

[quote user="Kong"]This is a topic which will obviously run and run....[/quote]

Yup, onto the fingers, the forearms, speckles on the glasses, musn't forget the damp rag ready to wipe off the bits that manage to get to where you don't want them to go..............thanks a lot, Kong[:'(]

[Loiseau]

Sorry mint, I only just noticed that you asked for comments in Farrow and Ball paint.

While the colours are lovely, I find it hideously expensive and also that it doesn't cover that well. So you might even need an extra coat of it compared with other paints.

My current favourites are Laura Ashley paints, and the store very often has one-third off sales - about every couple of months in fact. They go on very smoothly, cover well, and don,t cost the earth. So if you can find a shade you like, I would give those a try.

Angela

[mint]

You are right, Angela, when I saw the F n B prices, my inner mule kicked in and I sent for the shade card, knowing full well that I wouldn't be buying any.

I am now interested in exploring the Onip line further as they are meant to be "environmentally friendly".  I was only moderately interested in the environment [:$] until I went to visit our local tri and now I am a born-again environmentalist[:D]

[mint]

Have now decided to get this paint as I do not have the time or the resources to get around bricos looking.

Then, I was shown the finishes.  I didn't want vinyl and I thought I'd have the matt.  The man in the shop, whom OH knows well, has suggested a finish that the French called "velour" and as velour means velvet, can anyone suggest what velvet might mean in paint terms?

Apparently it is not the brille so no shine but not really matt as it has a sort of "glow".  Do you think it might be eggshell?  Also he says you could wash it.

[Chancer]

Cant help but wanted to say Lidl have their emulsion in again but the price has gone right up, €25 for 10 litres when it was €15 for 11 litres, rapport qualité/prix still much better then any other paint in France but you can count me out this time, I'm gambling on it remaining unsold and then knocked down a bit.

P.S. Velour probably mean vinyl silk.

[mint]

Chance, is the paint there now and are there special days when you can buy it, stp?

Might sound strange to the unintiated but, yes, many promos are only there for certain days so you have to look as carefully as a Roman Catholic using the rhythm method..........

[mint]

Been to Lidl's today, Chance, and there was no sign of any paint.

Have you driven all this way to buy it all up?

[Chancer]

I did crack and buy some I'm ashamed to admit, also two of the lits d'appoint which are really good value at €35.

My local Lidl only had one bed left and no sign of any paint, not sure if it had sold out or they didnt get any, went to a larger store at Corbie and they had loads of both, I recognised the girl there as having worked at my local Lidl, she whose sole aim in life is to bruise fruit and veg and generally slam around your shopping, she told me that the number of promo items a store gets is in proportion to its superficie, a small store serving a large area sells out instantly, a large store with not such a high relative footfall gets loads of stuff and doesnt sell out, makes sense as I always find my bonheur at Corbie.

Look on their website for the promo dates, they are probably décalé across the country then look for the biggest Lidl.

Shows how good their paint is that I am willing to pay 84% more to buy it this time round and its still abargain compared to most if not all French paint. 

[mint]

Chance, I nearly always listen to your advice re any sort of bricolage.

Have a deadline till Monday to emulsion a small room which I grandly call le dressing but I guess it's only a glorified cupboard.  So, I had a pot of Aldi white and a pot of Lidl greige (it's actually a nice colour, not with the yellow tones of magnolia but with a bluish tinge), dusted off my brushes and got going.

Did the ceiling first, using a small roller (I only ever use a 4-inch as it makes me feel more in control!)  Paint went on fine, not at all difficult to apply.  But it looked rubbish and I thought not at all obliterating.  So, I was resigned to having to do at least one further coat.  However, lo and behold, it dried to a brilliant white that is very clean looking!  Also, amazingly economical as I found so much paint left in the tray that I did the hallway ceiling as well.  And still, I had paint left to be poured back in!!  I'm actually quite good at estimating paint quantity but not this time.

Then, for the Lidl paint which you have always spoken so highly of.  The colour is lovely, more Kelly Hoppen than Homebase.  It was so thick that I added water 3 times and still it was had to be worked in.  Eventually, I added water to each tray full.  Still very thick and I seemed to be using a lot of paint.  Result looked very patchy so I patiently waited for it to dry, taking in some tennis from Eastbourne on the TV.

After it was well and truly dry, I took a look and, whilst improved, the result was not pleasing.  Good job I started the painting today as I can now slap on another coat tomorrow morning and then I shall have to leave it.

You know what, after I had carefully painted along the skirting with a tiny brush and lying on my side to get the line straight, I realised that the units are going to have plinths and are 2 metres high so no ceiling or skirting will be visible[+o(]  I was so concentrated on doing the job that I hadn't even thought of what I really needed to do........gggrrrr

Still, tomorrow, quick second coat with watered down paint and then a scrub of the floor on hand and knees (the steam mop having pack up[:P][+o(]) and I wait to be amazed by the unit which is coming.  Two more to come which haven't yet been made, so I guess he wanted to bring one bit first to see if I liked it before making the others.

[vivienz]

I can't help with the sourcing of emulsion in France, mint, but noted your comment about using a small paint roller.  I'm a recent convert to paint pads; I don't know if you can get them over there, but I find them far easier to use than rollers as I have a touch of arthritis in one thumb joint, and the roller action is rather hard on this.  You don't get the spatter that you do from a roller, either, although the pads do have a tendency to drop a dollop of paint now and again, when they're fully saturated. 

[Théière]

Paint pads originated from france I believe, I did a TV advert for them lots of years ago at the ideal home show but on French TV.

Mint I don't like the sound of you over thinning the paint, Some is very thick and relies on you rollering/brushing it out not adding more than 10% water to thin the coat.

[idun]

I never got away with paint pads at all. I have tried expensive ones and cheap ones, and they have all gone in the bin.

I had years of using little rollers, in fact did all my french house with them, the last time I decorated it. And I started using them here and changed over to full size ones. I like the very thickly padded ones these days.

And the only time I needed to thin paint was with paint pads, as I tried with full thickness paint, and it never worked and was only marginally better with it thinned.

In the mid 80's the french paint I bought was like milk, took about five coats to coat my living room and then it wasn't too good, for a young person I had run out of energy to continue.

Good luck with your painting, says it is very very hot over there at the moment.

[alittlebitfrench]

[quote user="Chancer"]

Cant help but wanted to say Lidl have their emulsion in again but the price has gone right up, €25 for 10 litres when it was €15 for 11 litres, rapport qualité/prix still much better then any other paint in France but you can count me out this time, I'm gambling on it remaining unsold and then knocked down a bit.

P.S. Velour probably mean vinyl silk.

[/quote] Chancer. I bought some of this 'Lidl' white paint that everyone keeps harping on about and I to say it is awful. Ok it is a little better than some of the paint you can buy in France but really I don't no what all the is fuss about. It drys horribly. The finish is not good.....and I can paint like a pro. Furthermore, mine came with sand in it ?????? Ever time I painted a wall it dried with bits of sand/grit all over the surface. I had to sandpaper the wall down when it dried. Seriously, complete waste of money. Just thought I mention it.

[WJT]

I like Brico Depot's Renaulac. I haven't used it for a large area for a few years so presuming it's the same since they changed the packaging, it was brilliant. In my opinion , much better than any in the UK. Coverage was excellent and was very dense and the mat very flat which I love.

I have never used LIDL's so can't compare the two. Perhaps you used a can that was expired?