More DIY Help Please.

[gness]

I am painting a beige door using Dulux Quick Dry Satinwood in white. I have sanded the door well and washed with sugar soap. The first coat didn`t seem to be going on well; I could barely see a difference in colour and the paint seemed to be slipping. It was as if I was using watery paint on high gloss with no sanding.
I repeated the process and still had a beige door. Three coats later I gave up.
A rummage in the shed produced a very old tin of B&Q white gloss complete with rusty old lid. I managed to get it open and tried it. It went on well and the finish is white and perfect.
Is it at all possible that the new tin of paint is faulty? In all my years of decorating I`ve never had faulty paint.
Any thoughts or experiences please before I head off to B&Q and make an eejit of myself?

[Vicasso]

A daft question maybe, but did you give the satinwood a really good stir before using? I only ask because Mrs. V complained recently of the same problem when she was touching up a few wear marks on a door that was painted a couple of years ago. The paint had been sitting on a shelf in the garage since the original application.

[gness]

Not a daft question at all. It was my first thought as the paint seemed to be lacking something so lid back on, shook the life out of it then stirred and stirred.

[davejonno]

did you buy the one coat product? If not then you would have to put a wood primer onto the door first before painting your top coat on

[Ratty2E]

There was a piece about dodgy Dulux paint on Watchdog a few weeks ago. It could be that this is your problem
http://www.bbc.co.uk/...og/2012/03/dulux.html

[gness]

Not one coat but...friends called last night and said they hoped I wasn`t using Dulux. Seems there have been problems because they have had to change the composition of the paint. Apparently their white paint has been turning yellow and they have given refunds to customers. This would explain why my door was drying more beige than when I started! The paint I found is obviously pre change and looked lovely this morning so back to B&Q with the new paint.
Thank you for your help.

[tonyav]

Saw something about Dulux paint on Watch Dog a couple of weeks ago, gness.

[gness]

Thank you for that Ratty. This does seem to have been my problem after all. I`m quite experienced at decorating but thought I was going mad when the paint dried mucky yellow after each coat. Will hang on to all my old paint and avoid white I think.

[gness]

Thanks Tony. Wish I had watched Watchdog now. Must admit I was almost in tears with the frustration of not knowing what I was doing wrong. Sanded the door so much it could compete with a baby`s bum.

[sir.prize]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...og/2012/03/dulux.html

[tonyav]

Gawd, I bet your fingers are sore, gness ?.

[gness]

Thanks Sir.P. What a lot of time and effort I`ve wasted. Should have asked for paint advice on here first!

[theshedman]

If you have only recently bought the Dulux paint, then there is not much chance of it being the problem they talked about on Watchdog. This problem happened when they had to change the make up of the paints to conform to the new EU standards. These have now been done and any old paint should have been taken off the shelves.

Did you wash off the sugar soap afterwards as this can leave a slippery surface if not. I know they say a undercoat is not needed but if you were to use one then that would give the Satinwood something good to adhere to. A primer should not be needed as the wood has already been painted and would only need to be used on bare timber. Quite often these quick dry paints do not like sticking to oil based ones. I worked in the decorating trade for many years and never had any faulty paint unless it had been stored wrongly, ie left out in too cold weather, my own fault. I have nearly always used Dulux and always find them to be about the best. Yes they were on Watchdog but then so have Crown for their paint as well.

[gness]

And the manicure went for a burton too Tony.

[gness]

Then I don`t know Shedman. The paint I used in the end came from a rusted up tin at least eight years old and been through a few freezing winters yet looks great. Always liked Dulux but this was awful. Curiosity will now make me experiment on the door to the garage!

[theshedman]

Hi gness, over the years I have tried many different brands but have always gone back to Dulux. When I was working for a firm then it is a case of using whatever they want to use but when working for myself I always choose Dulux whenever possible. If you are going to use the Satinwood again try using an undercoat first to see if it does work. It will give it a good surface to stick to and be of a similar colour to what you want. Some colours are very difficult to cover and an undercoat will help to do this.

[gness]

Thanks Shedman. Forgot to say washed off sugar soap thoroughlyl as I like to prepare well. The whole house was painted last year, just before I bought, with Dulux Natural Calico which is on the door I painted. Whoever decorated was very good and all the woodwork is lovely. I just needed to change this door to match my wallpaper etc. I did consider an undercoat but thought the slight colour change wouldn`t need it. Will think again in future....or buy wallpaper to match Natural Calico! Agree about Dulux and like their colours.