Frequently Asked Questions

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How much paint do I need?
Generally allow one litre per 12m² per coat when calculating the amount of paint you require.  Porous and rough surfaces will require more paint - allow one litre per 10m² per coat.
To calculate the area of roof you are painting, take the area of floor in your home and add another third for a normal pitched roof.  Steep pitched roofs will require more paint.

What brushes and rollers should I use?
Unless you are painting a rough sawn fence, always use a quality brush or roller to get the best finish.
If you are painting with water based paints, use a quality synthetic brush or roller.  For oil based paints, use a natural hogs hair brush or a mohair roller.
The size of the brush should suit the job, i.e. use a 75mm brush when painting weatherboards and larger jobs, or a 50mm brush or angle cutter for your windows and trim.
Use a 10mm nap roller for your sealers and ceiling paint, and a 6mm to 8mm nap roller for your wall finishing coats.  If you are painting cupboard doors use the mini roller for easy painting and a perfect finish.

How do I tell if my house has been previously painted in water or oil based paint?
Wash an area to test with clean water.  Apply methylated spirits to a cloth and rub the paint surface firmly.  If the paint colour comes off on the clother, then it is a water based paint.

I have streaks down my wall.  What do I need to do?
The streaks have been caused by surfactants (detergents) coming out of the still uncured paint film.  This would have been caused by steam (in a bathroom or laundry), or rain or dew getting to the paint before it has cured.  As soon as this happens, wash the area down with warm water and a little detergent to remove the streaks.  Sometimes when this happens in bathrooms, you may need to repeat this process 2 or 3 times until the paint fully cures.

How do I paint the green coloured gib board? 
Green gib board must be sealed with Designa Pigmented Sealer first.  This is specified by Winstone Wallboards and if it is not applied, they will not warranty their board.

What paint should I use?
Bathrooms & Wet Areas
Make sure your walls and ceilings are clean, wash well with Colourplus Blue Wash and rinse off.  Any bare surfaces should be sealed with Designa Pigmented Sealer and lightly sanded.  Apply two coats of Colourplus Ultra Premium Ultracare Kitchen & Bathroom.  Allow to dry overnight at 20°C before showering.

Wallpapered Walls
To prepare the walls for painting, make sure the wallpaper is still stuck down well, particularly the edges.  Prepare the surface with one or two coats of Designa Wallboard Surfacer, sanding after each coat to achieve a perfectly smooth finish. Apply two coats of Colourplus Ultra Premium Colourcare in your selected colour.

Stripped Wallpapered Walls
If your walls have been damaged when stripping, fill any large imperfections with Polyfilla Rapid Filler or similiar, and sand smooth.  Apply one or two coats of Designa Wallboard Surfacer, sanding after each coat.  Check that there is no staining seeping through from the old wallboard, if there is apply one coat of Designa Pigmented Sealer.  Lightly sand when dry, then apply two coats of Colourplus Ultra Premium Colourcare.