Paint

[MrsD]

Good morning, we are shortly moving to France and my question is whether it is better to bring paint over from the UK or buy in France? I have read a number of things which say that UK paint is better(?) than french; is this true? Are there good varieties of paint colours available easily in France?

[woolybanana]

By and large, UK paint is cheaper, even the own make brands from DIY stores. French paint on the other hand is very expensive and TOTAL CLAP!

[Pierre ZFP]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

I would fully agree with WollyB.  In fact I'm going to stock up on various paints when I go back to the UK in a couple of weeks.

There was a discussion a while ago on paint, you might want to check this out

http://services.completefrance.com/forums/completefrance/cs/forums/1/3012530/ShowPost.aspx#3012530

[MrsD]

Many thanks and the info given both to my question direct and also the link you provided were really helpful

[idun]

If I say that I have used some french paint that was never fit for purpose, then I must say I also found some decent paints in France. The paint used to be dreadful, but it did improve over the years, and the price of the trip back to

the UK would have always been more costly than buying sur place.

Castorama's own, as far as I am aware is the same paint as B&Q's

own and it is OK, perfectly decent  for what I wanted  (I do all the painting). I've

used a Ripolin emuslion and that was fine too.

The only paint

I was dreadfully disappointed with before leaving France, was a Dulux

Valentine one,  it was very very expensive, probably the most expensive they had,

covered well, one coat as promised, but the finish was awful, dire and

quite upset me really, after paying so much. It has put me off Dulux

paint.

[Jonzjob]

Day-jar-flamin-view or wot [:-))] I have just posted this in another Anglo/France forum I am on, literally a few minutes ago.

"As I have said before, it all depends just where you are going to put

the paint? If it is indoors then OK, U.K. paints will be fine, but if

you live this far south and are going to paint outside and in the bright

sun that we get here then the U.K. formulated paints will not be as

good as the so called c r a p French stuff. Horses for courses?

The French paints are formulated to take the increased sun indexes we get here. How do I know?  [8-)] Because I phoned a large, good quality paint producer in the U.K. and asked just what the difference is.

Why

do I believe what I was told? Because the tech guy I spoke to had

nothing to gain from what he told me and knew that I wasn't going to buy

his paint. 2 reasons for that and the other is because I

don't keep on going to England and in fact, the last time I was there

was almost 7 years back.

A painter pro once gave me a good bit of

gen on just how the pros do it, using their pro quality paint of

course. His advice was to put it on and not to try to make a brush full

cover a wall. To put in on, spread it and leave it and go onto the next

brush full.

The last time I had a paint brush in my hand was

earlier this afternoon when I was finishing the job on our gates. what

paint? Hammerite Smooth White. The best paint anywhere for metal. Not

French, Irish!! But then again it is a totally different type of paint

and the very first time I used it was about 1970 when  painted my Ford

100E Pop Hammerite Bronze   [8-|] "

basically, you pays yer money and you takes yer choice. For us to buy paint from the U.K. is a total no brainer and as I don't do internal decorating until it's desprate I don't give 2 short pony poos [blink]

[WJT]

I have found the Renaulac paint from Brico Depot to be excellent.

[Quillan]

I couldn't agree more with Jonzjob.

The thing about the UV or sun indexes I had heard many years ago but it is nice to know somebody asked a manufacturer and what I was told (and repeated many times) is correct.

Eleven years ago I watched my neighbours paint their shutters and I saw the paint they were using, Bondex (tin says life is 9 years). I noticed others were painting theirs over the months and they were using the same. I thought I should do mine so went and bought a tin and it was very expensive compared to what I paid to paint my windows with in the UK. Short story is I am halfway through painting the shutters for the second time in eleven years and am surprised how good the paint has lasted. A quick sand over, nothing has flaked off then two coats of Bondex. The only difference is I can now read the label and it tells you to take the shutters down and paint them horizontally.

Meanwhile an English guy in the next village paints his every year or so and swears by the paint he brings over from Wicks. He showed me the receipt for the paint and I worked out that five years of paint from Wicks would buy be enough Bondex to last thirty odd years and I would only have to paint them three times, I hate painting shutters.

The cheap white interior wall paint you buy from Brico Depot is, it has to be said, rubbish. It is OK if you are renovating and want to seal plaster or plasterboard then paint properly but its ability to 'cover' is very bad. I did try some Mr Bricolage white mono coat and that was OK although in truth it needed two coats. Leroy Merlins own paint used to be good until they changed the supplier. I used Dulux coloured paint and that was OK as well (I didn't have a choice as Mrs Q picked the colours).

[Théière]

Not being as far south as some I painted the shutters with oil based Johnstones about 4 years ago, the shutters are still as good as the day it as done but the timber on the gate painted at the same time hasn't lasted as long.  The shutters are all hardwood the gate timber is pine ish so expands and contract a bit more?

John with all your woodwork have you come across Le Tonkinos vernis?  Traditional varnish with a brilliant finish much better than the modern stuff, alledgedly used by the French navy

http://vernis-marins.com/fr/5-vernis-traditionnels

I saw it at a woodwork show in the UK being sold by an English guy and I believe the same formular can be had in coloured paint.

[Quillan]

[quote user="Théière"]Not being as far south as some I painted the shutters with oil based Johnstones about 4 years ago, the shutters are still as good as the day it as done but the timber on the gate painted at the same time hasn't lasted as long.  The shutters are all hardwood the gate timber is pine ish so expands and contract a bit more?
[/quote]

Funny you mentioned that because when I said to a friend that I was off to buy some shutter paint he said it is no longer oil based. When I went to buy it there were many makes to chose from and they were all oil/spirit based. Just to make sure there is no misunderstanding we are only talking shutter paint.

I am supprised your shutters are hardwood. I thought mine were as well but actually they are softwood (pine). If you look in any of the Brico sheds they appear to be softwood. My window frames (and patio doors) are however hardwood because I had to drill some holes in one so I know. If yours really are hardwood then somebody spent a lot of money and it is good you really look after them.

[Théière]

It's true Q, oil based paint was banned under an EU mandate in/around 2010 due to a reduction in VOC's required by EU MEP's who have never painted anything in their lives and probably "get a man round" to change a low energy lamp!  The water based stuff requires more coats and doesn't last so negating any possible gains in green credentials although newer formulations fair better still nowhere near as good. So if you can stil buy oil based in France I wouldn't be surprised as we all know they make the rules but seldom if ever actually use them themselves.

Yes real hardwood, even the big uns over the garage with proper leg and brace joints, nice jobs they are two, would hate to price up replacements so keep them well protected.

[ventodue]

[quote user="Jonzjob"]Day-jar-flamin-view or wot [:-))] <snip> Hammerite Smooth White. The best paint anywhere for metal. Not French, Irish!!
[/quote]

Btw, Hammerite is owned by AkzoNobel (as is Dulux, International, Cuprinol, Sikkens, Sadolin, Levis etc), a Dutch company based in Amsterdam. (And the formulation sure ain't as the same as the paint you used on your Ford back in 1970 ... [:(])

[Jonzjob]

Le Tonkinos? No, not at all famiar with it TP, but if what the web site says it is good stuff. I don't tend to varnish anything very much. I prefer to use melamine laqure. It's faster drying and better for the things I make. Don't arf stink though [:-))]

http://www.letonkinoisvarnish.uk/Index.html

Edit :   - I thought that the Hammerite smelled different?? It was Irish though even if they went Dutch.. I still have some Hammerite from way back and that stinks the same as the old stuff. Probably a nice solid red lump by now [8-)]

[Théière]

Yes that's the Chap, glass like finish with less coats and apparently once cured withstands coffee mug marks better.

I don't tend to use Hammerite much these days, prefer Combicolour

[WJT]

[quote user="Quillan"]

I couldn't agree more with Jonzjob.

The thing about the UV or sun indexes I had heard many years ago but it is nice to know somebody asked a manufacturer and what I was told (and repeated many times) is correct.

Eleven years ago I watched my neighbours paint their shutters and I saw the paint they were using, Bondex (tin says life is 9 years). I noticed others were painting theirs over the months and they were using the same. I thought I should do mine so went and bought a tin and it was very expensive compared to what I paid to paint my windows with in the UK. Short story is I am halfway through painting the shutters for the second time in eleven years and am surprised how good the paint has lasted. A quick sand over, nothing has flaked off then two coats of Bondex. The only difference is I can now read the label and it tells you to take the shutters down and paint them horizontally.

Meanwhile an English guy in the next village paints his every year or so and swears by the paint he brings over from Wicks. He showed me the receipt for the paint and I worked out that five years of paint from Wicks would buy be enough Bondex to last thirty odd years and I would only have to paint them three times, I hate painting shutters.

The cheap white interior wall paint you buy from Brico Depot is, it has to be said, rubbish. It is OK if you are renovating and want to seal plaster or plasterboard then paint properly but its ability to 'cover' is very bad. I did try some Mr Bricolage white mono coat and that was OK although in truth it needed two coats. Leroy Merlins own paint used to be good until they changed the supplier. I used Dulux coloured paint and that was OK as well (I didn't have a choice as Mrs Q picked the colours).

[/quote] We have had the whole of the interior of our house painted as well as all the shutters. We used French painters and so called professional products but there was some that we had re plastered and used two English artisans for this and the painting and used Renaulac paint and they said that the paint was excellent with excellent coverage much better than the English paint they were used to. We had bought too much and had loads left over because the coverage was much better than they calculated we needed. Quillan not sure what Renaulac you used but the Renaulac we used here was much better than the so called professional paint the French artisans used. The same for the Renaulac wood products. I have found it to be better than any English paint even though it is more expensive and it is of course designed for the French weather.

[NormanH]

Now I know why the French say you can always tell a Brit owned house because 'they paint their shutters' [:D]

Useful thread btw..

[idun]

Now now NH, in my old village mucky grey/blue paint, often peeling was on a lot of the shutters in the village, especially the centre. And now, well, the last time I was back, the colours of buildings and shutters was sort of remarkable. The only anglaise in the village, no longer there.

[Jonzjob]

[quote user="NormanH"]Now I know why the French say you can always tell a Brit owned house because 'they paint their shutters' [:D]

Useful thread btw..

[/quote]

And the bigger sat dishes as well Norman. Don't forget the dishes [:D]

[Quillan]

WJT - I didn't mention the paint by name. The (white) paint we bought, having just checked, is called NOVAMAIL from Brico Depot and it is rubbish. I have made a note of your comment about Renaulac and will give it a try next time.

[Quillan]

[quote user="ventodue"]

[quote user="Jonzjob"]Day-jar-flamin-view or wot [:-))] <snip> Hammerite Smooth White. The best paint anywhere for metal. Not French, Irish!!
[/quote]

Btw, Hammerite is owned by AkzoNobel (as is Dulux, International, Cuprinol, Sikkens, Sadolin, Levis etc), a Dutch company based in Amsterdam. (And the formulation sure ain't as the same as the paint you used on your Ford back in 1970 ... [:(])

[/quote]

Last time I used it the smell was quite different. I believe it used to be cellulose based but that type of paint, often used in car spraying, went out of use years ago. I also believe it was made illegal. Two part epoxy is pretty good for gates and really tough. The varnish version is good for wooden floors and hardly marks which is why it is used on wooden bar tops in pubs a lot.

[Théière]

[quote user="Quillan"]

Last time I used it the smell was quite different. I believe it used to be cellulose based

[/quote]

Nope, it was xylene based which is why the thinner was so expensive and you could watch it evaporate!

[BIG MAC]

I am a hammerite smoothrite fan ...theres nothing better for ropey old metalwork..however doing when renovating our gates I bout some green paint 'pour fer' in France and its been brilliant. Two years on and thus far no sign of the fading you would expect... but then I did prepare the area well and spot primed it with zinc rich primer (from the UK)