Dulux Ceiling Paint - Not the best results

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gedc

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#293106 29-Dec-2021 08:49

Wondering if anyone else has used Dulux Flat Ceiling Paint recently. I'm not new to painting and have ( as an amateur) painted many rooms and ceilings in my lifetime to a very good finish. The last time I did the current home (with Dulux) was 6 years ago and with 2 kids now moving out, decided to refresh their rooms. Same kit, new tub of flat ceiling paint which now appears to be super eco friendly with no VOC's etc... Wow...Absolute crap results. Streaky as hell...

Assuming it's me and technique and not having done it in a few years - put second coat on...Layed it on, rolled it out flat then backrolled. Same results..

Given the room has 2 windows, I decided to roll the third coat at 90 degrees to the first couple...Same results...

Noticed that the paint is drying within minutes - irrespective of the thickness...I'm returning to the supposed wet edge within 3 to 4 minutes and it's nearly dry !

Room temp is around 19c. Kept windows closed, relatively high humidiy in the room etc so not weather related or too hot / dry.

Then started googling and on the ozzie product review website, the paint has 76 reviews and 74 of them give it 1 star ! Lots of pictures. Same issues as me apparently. Comments around formula changes etc.

Anyone on here used it recently and any tips you have for extending the drying time / getting it on streak free. I've used Dulux all my life but this is beyond me ! It could also be my skills :)

Cheers

Ged

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#2839786 29-Dec-2021 08:58

Haven't used dulux ceiling paint but in other situations where the paint is drying too fast, hot weather thinners are my go to option.

Benoire

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#2839787 29-Dec-2021 08:59

I've recently done some bedrooms again after about 8 years. The first time I painted them pure white (vivid) using wash and wear but it did leave streaks and other visible defects in the paint, this time I switched to alabastar and it has now covered fine. Our lounge is 5x4 and has a lot of light so its easy to see streaks, the new paint doesn't have any... but then I didn't use the ceiling paint... shouldn't make much difference as once dried it should be the same, just the application is different.

robjg63

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#2839790 29-Dec-2021 09:09

I am an amateur as well - But I found the Resene Ceiling paint was very good to use (last year and this year).

A couple of things I learnt (and confirmed after talking to son-in-law - now a professional painter).

Keep the windows closed while applying. Breezes make it dry too quick while applying.
Use a wide roller - 230mm at least (of course it will cover quicker).
Avoid the temptation try and go back over anything older than a minute or so. You can't 'touch up'.
You want to use a very thick roller (I think he said 15mm - I certainly found you want the thickest you can get).
Don't look at what you have done for 24 hours - It looks terrible soon after and takes a while to settle and not look patchy.
Cooler weather is definitely better - Modern paint dries quickly!

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

gedc

355 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2839809 29-Dec-2021 10:06

Thanks for that. Yep. Agree with everything you have said. Using a 12mm microfibre nap, 270mm wide.. Just done a fourth coat and will leave it 24 hours to see what it looks like.

Cheers.

allan

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#2839817 29-Dec-2021 10:16

robjg63:

I am an amateur as well - But I found the Resene Ceiling paint was very good to use (last year and this year).

A couple of things I learnt (and confirmed after talking to son-in-law - now a professional painter).

Keep the windows closed while applying. Breezes make it dry too quick while applying.
Use a wide roller - 230mm at least (of course it will cover quicker).
Avoid the temptation try and go back over anything older than a minute or so. You can't 'touch up'.
You want to use a very thick roller (I think he said 15mm - I certainly found you want the thickest you can get).
Don't look at what you have done for 24 hours - It looks terrible soon after and takes a while to settle and not look patchy.
Cooler weather is definitely better - Modern paint dries quickly!

Also a fan of Resene Ceiling paint - just did a bedroom ceiling a coupe of months ago. I think @robjg63's points are spot on.

dimsim

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#2839904 29-Dec-2021 11:40

I've always used Resene products (have painted many interiors and exteriors, roofs etc) and have never had a problem with coverage or quality - they also have a less offensive odour than other paints I've used.

I did try some Valspar the other day as it was recommended to my wife by the people at Mitre 10 but found that to have poor coverage both in terms of opacity and m2/L - I wish I'd stuck with Resene.

gedc

355 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2839977 29-Dec-2021 14:53

As an update. 4th coat with the dulux ceiling flat was looking the same again.

Visited a Dulux trade shop. Bought 10l of the Professional Ceiling paint which at retail price is double the bunnings price for the 'normal' dulux ceiling paint - main difference I can see is it isn't low VOC. Also grabbed a 15mm nap roller. Looked patchy as hell when finished / drying. Here we go again. Put heating on.

Sixty minutes later - dead flat. Looking mint.

Didn't change my method of application but having seen what's left in the bucket it's definitely gone on thicker and the roller has sucked up a fair old amount as well.

Found some interesting stuff on dulux website for anyone else going down this path with their products. Wish i'd found this yesterday before buying the stuff.

Re the Paint :

"Low VOC paints usually exhibit shorter drying times. This means that there is less time and opportunity for the paint to flow-out, which can result in slightly rougher surfaces. These surfaces will scatter light more inconsistently, which is often detected as uneven sheen, glossy peaks & flat troughs, patchiness, lapping or just an uneven “dry looking” appearance.

The move to low VOC paints means that application and drying properties can differ significantly from what the user is accustomed to, hence new application techniques will need to be adopted in order to accommodate these difference is properties, so that a consistently great looking finish can be produced."

Re the Roller :

Synthetic roller sleeves will usually produce a more uniform film thickness and a more consistent finish, when low VOC paints are being applied. They deliver a smoother, more uniform appearance with little or no evidence of lapping or blending problems.

On the other hand, lambswool roller sleeves generally deposit a lower and less uniform film thickness with more surface texture that scatters the light in more irregular ways. A lower film thickness means that less product is being applied which can further shorten the drying time and lessen the “wet-edge” of the painted surface.

Evidence also suggests that microfibre roller sleeves that deliver lower film thickness will also shorten the drying time and lessen the “wet-edge” of the painted surface.

Thanks all.

Mighty Ape

Shop now on Mighty Ape (affiliate link).

pipe60

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#2840594 30-Dec-2021 20:49

This time of year use this stuff.

https://www.bunnings.co.nz/flood-floetrol-500ml-acrylic-paint-conditioner_p0796625

insane

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#2840764 31-Dec-2021 11:02

I had the same issue, but even with the trade grade paint our friend who works there got us. Used quality rollers too.

Wall paint was mostly OK, but have random streaks on the ceiling that looks poor at certain times of the day. Very frustrating as no matter now many coats I applied the streaks just appear in another spot. Mixed paint well with a drill etc. Not very impressed with Dulux, but staff discount was insane!

gedc

355 posts

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#2840779 31-Dec-2021 11:57

Hey. Sorry to hear that. I don't know your level of skill in applying the ceiling paint but it's a lot less forgiving than wall paint. Learned this over the years, through lots of youtubing and painting ceilings and re-painting ceilings. Generally, due to the flatness it needs to be layed off in the same direction or it reflects slightly differently.

The trick for me is to

1) Split the ceiling into either squares or strips. I tend to do strips which means a bit of walking the roller back across the ceiling. Others like to do squares which means less walking

2) Get your paint on quickly and don't worry about rolling out too much or fixing lines from the roller. This step is about getting it onto the ceiling - quickly.

3) Go back over it and roll out the lines and fill the space you have identified in step 1. Don't keep rolling and re-rolling and / or spreading it too thin. If you roller is making that sucking noise on the ceiling then it's getting dry.

4) Start at the edge of your space and backroll in the same direction with the roller making sure it's not loaded up with paint. This should be the final time your roller touches that bit of ceiling. Overlap your roller backroll a little to the one previously done.

5) Go back to step 1 and fill in the next space with fresh paint slightly overlapping the old one which should still have a ' wet edge '.

Speed is the key. I used to spend ages on step 2 rolling and rerolling when it actually gets picked up in steps 3 and 4.

If you put it on too thin then it dries too quickly - particularly the newer low VOC paints as i have discovered. If you go back and re-roll an area after 5 to 10 minutes then it will likely show in the final coat as a different sheen / shadow etc. If you don't backroll and apply in all different directions then this will also show up in the final coat.

Products like floetrel as suggested earlier help to keep the paint wetter for longer which means it flows out a bit more after application and also keeps the wet edge a bit longer as well.

I'm no professional but can generally get a good finish using the above approach.

mdf

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#2840790 31-Dec-2021 12:46

gedc:

<snip> ... ceiling paint but it's a lot less forgiving than wall paint....

IME ceiling paint is much _more_ forgiving than wall paint. The flatness helps cover up all manner of sins, both in application and quality of your ceiling surface. Otherwise why bother buying celing paint, wouldn't you just use wall paint instead? I've painted ceilings that look absolutely atrocious from up a ladder (looking along rather than directly at a surface shows more imperfections) but look good from the floor.

If you're up to four coats (my celings would be lucky to get two) and still getting bad results, some possibilities:

- Something is up with Dulux ceiling paint and I'd be talking to Dulux

- It's too hot - and a ceiling can be quite a few degrees hotter than walls (as well as heat rising, there can be a lot of thermal transfer from attics). I'd be thinning agressively, ideally with hot weather thinners but water otherwise. Or wait until winter.

- The ceiling might not have been sealed properly prior to painting and so the plaster and paper are absorbing the water from the paint at different rates

robjg63

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#2840796 31-Dec-2021 13:04

mdf:

gedc:

<snip> ... ceiling paint but it's a lot less forgiving than wall paint....

IME ceiling paint is much _more_ forgiving than wall paint. The flatness helps cover up all manner of sins, both in application and quality of your ceiling surface. Otherwise why bother buying celing paint, wouldn't you just use wall paint instead? I've painted ceilings that look absolutely atrocious from up a ladder (looking along rather than directly at a surface shows more imperfections) but look good from the floor.

If you're up to four coats (my celings would be lucky to get two) and still getting bad results, some possibilities:

- Something is up with Dulux ceiling paint and I'd be talking to Dulux

- It's too hot - and a ceiling can be quite a few degrees hotter than walls (as well as heat rising, there can be a lot of thermal transfer from attics). I'd be thinning agressively, ideally with hot weather thinners but water otherwise. Or wait until winter.

- The ceiling might not have been sealed properly prior to painting and so the plaster and paper are absorbing the water from the paint at different rates

Agree - The flatness is certainly much more forgiving than other paint types.

Also seriously wondering about the Dulux paint involved.

Resene Ceiling paint has always seemed pretty foolproof - I don't think they have a "Poor quality/Budget" and "Good quality/Expensive" version - so that's probably a good start.

Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - A. H. Weiler

gedc

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#2840800 31-Dec-2021 13:12

Hi mdf

Thanks for that. Still find flat ceiling paint more tricky to put on than the wall paint but appreciate your mileage may vary.

As per previous posts the issue is the paint formula in the retail version of the Dulux Ceiling Paint has now been changed to remove most of the Volatile Organic Compounds - which allows Dulux to tick a number of environmental ( AU ) boxes .

This has the result of it drying super fast compared to the previous batches and also needing a different approach to application as well as more specific types of rollers.

To their credit Dulux have dedicated a whole technical page to it on their website. My bugbear is they don't mention any of this at the point of sale. I know why as Joe Average may well choose a competitors product but still don't think it reflects well on their brand and that can be seen from online feedback.

The below is a small snip from that page. There is a lot more on types of roller etc as well.

Low VOC paints usually exhibit shorter drying times. This means that there is less time and opportunity for the paint to flow-out, which can result in slightly rougher surfaces. These surfaces will scatter light more inconsistently, which is often detected as uneven sheen, glossy peaks & flat troughs, patchiness, lapping or just an uneven “dry looking” appearance.

When i moved to their Professional Ceiling Flat - which has more VOC present, the results were perfect and one coat came up perfectly well - as the orignal Dulux used to as well.

geoffwnz

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#2844060 6-Jan-2022 07:56

Interesting. According to the listed techniques my ceilings should look like an absolute mess since I just rolled it on at various angles as suited being able to reach, back and forward rolled, recoated some areas and generally had no idea about how it was supposed to be applied.

The biggest difference. I used Resene. Seems to be Geoff/idiot proof.

MotorDrive Rallying

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#2844089 6-Jan-2022 08:49

geoffwnz:
The biggest difference. I used Resene. Seems to be Geoff/idiot proof.

How long ago was this? It seems that in paint formulation a few years makes quite a difference.

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