‘Change your gloss system, change your technique’ urges Crown Trade

Keen to help all professional painters and decorators get the very best possible results when using its New Build Acrylic Gloss system, Crown Trade has produced a video which closely follows a typical new build application, step by step.

The video highlights the key differences between traditional alkyd based gloss and Crown’s new generation of acrylic systems, which the manufacturer now strongly advocates in new build situations. This stance has been adopted because of the accelerated ‘yellowing’ problems reported by a number of new house builders and their contractors when using various 2010 VOC compliant (lower solvent) alkyd based gloss systems currently available on the market. These problems arise when coatings are used with certain substrates used in new build environments, and in areas lacking natural light.

 Demonstrating the use of Crown Trade New Build Acrylic Gloss on a standard MDF six-panel door, and offering a steady stream of practical tips to help decorators achieve a long lasting elegant finish, is Crown Paints Technical Consultant Paul Marsden. He draws on his 31 years of experience in the P&D industry to advise viewers on the importance of careful preparation, choosing the most appropriate tools to suit the coatings, applying the gloss liberally, and in particular, the need to proceed swiftly without ‘overworking’ the finish because of the quick drying nature of acrylics. 

“Decorators really need to appreciate that our new acrylic gloss is a completely different ‘animal’ to a traditional alkyd based coating,” he says. “That means adapting your technique a little, and changing tools, but the results are certainly worth it.

 “The acrylic gloss finish will keep its good looks for years and never ‘yellow’, which will keep housebuilders and their customers happy. Also, because it has much lower solvent content than traditional gloss it’s more pleasant to work with and has a lower environmental impact over its life cycle which is very important to everyone these days.”

As Paul emphasises in the video, careful preparation is everything. “Use a Scotch-Brite pad (or similar) rather than sandpaper on the MDF door and you’ll avoid damaging the pre-prepared finish on the moulding edges”.

“Once you’ve created a key, Crown Trade New Build Acrylic Gloss can be applied with a medium pile roller and laid off with a synthetic, rather than natural, bristle brush. Whatever you do, don’t skimp on quality”, Paul warns, “and make sure your roller is completely free of loose fibres before you start”.

“Tackle half the door at a time and apply the acrylic gloss more liberally than you would a traditional gloss. Work swiftly, getting the paint right into the mouldings but don’t keeping going back over the finish as you’ll end up with a textured appearance.”

Some of Pauls’ other tips include standing brushes in water at every break time and, in the summer months when the gloss dries faster than ever, he suggests  dampening the undercoated surface and the brush and roller before applying the gloss in order to lengthen the open time.

Watch the video now  www.youtube.com/crowntradetv