Painting Coving With Torn Paper

mrsparks · Post by **mrsparks** » Tue Feb 28, 2023 11:21 pm

I've had some coving put up - the plasterboard type - and I'm just about to embark on painting it. There are a few tears on the surface paper - nothing major and it's only the top layer of paper that's damaged - but I'm wondering whether I should seal those areas first.

Things I've thought of that I don't need to go and buy are Zinsser 123 or BIN, PVA, or even a very thin coat of filler.

Is it necessary and will any of these do the job?

I'll be painting with Tikkurila Anti Reflex 2 if that matters.

As a bonus question, I've never painted bare plasterboard coving before. Would I be OK just using AR2 straight, or should I dilute a little. Or something else like 123 first?

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Wed Mar 01, 2023 9:20 am

New coving sucks paint quite a bit and I have always put a sealing coat of primer over it to inhibit this. I have used an acrylic primer/undercoat Joncryl, just because I had it to hand but it worked well.

DWD

mrsparks · Post by **mrsparks** » Wed Mar 01, 2023 11:07 am

dewaltdisney wrote: ↑Wed Mar 01, 2023 9:20 am New coving sucks paint quite a bit and I have always put a sealing coat of primer over it to inhibit this. I have used an acrylic primer/undercoat Joncryl, just because I had it to hand but it worked well.

DWD

Thanks. Would you worry especially about the torn paper?

I don't suppose Zinsser 123 would do? Or, I have some Bedec Aqua undercoat/primer that I normally use for wood - don't know if it's acrylic.

I also have a newly plastered ceiling to paint. I've read the Anti Reflex datasheet and says to dilute the first coat by 20% - so that's what I'm going to do there.

dewaltdisney · Post by **dewaltdisney** » Wed Mar 01, 2023 11:46 am

I would have thought the 123 would do it, It is just sealing the cove surface. Practice in the past was oil undercoat mixed with emulsion.

DWD

Tom d'Angler · Post by **Tom d'Angler** » Wed Mar 01, 2023 1:19 pm

As DWD says, new coving is very absorbent. I would mist-coat the coving first (use the Anti Reflex 2, watered down 20% water to 80% paint) then have a look to see if the torn bits are noticeable. If they are, a bit of filler will do the trick. Let it dry fully, sand the filler gently, and then two coats of AR2 as normal.

mrsparks · Post by **mrsparks** » Wed Mar 01, 2023 1:42 pm

dewaltdisney wrote: ↑Wed Mar 01, 2023 11:46 am I would have thought the 123 would do it, It is just sealing the cove surface. Practice in the past was oil undercoat mixed with emulsion.

DWD

Thanks. I found this article which mentions 123 for priming coving. So that's what I shall use. I love it when I don't need to go out and buy stuff!

mrsparks · Post by **mrsparks** » Wed Mar 01, 2023 1:43 pm

Tom d'Angler wrote: ↑Wed Mar 01, 2023 1:19 pm As DWD says, new coving is very absorbent. I would mist-coat the coving first (use the Anti Reflex 2, watered down 20% water to 80% paint) then have a look to see if the torn bits are noticeable. If they are, a bit of filler will do the trick. Let it dry fully, sand the filler gently, and then two coats of AR2 as normal.

Sorry, I posted my response before I saw your post. Now I'm in a quandary!

Argyll · Post by **Argyll** » Wed Mar 01, 2023 5:03 pm

Tom I don't want to hijack the post but is that anti reflex stuff suitable for priming bare plasterboard before lining paper?

Tom d'Angler · Post by **Tom d'Angler** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 4:34 pm

Argyll, I don’t know. I would use watered down paste to prime (size) the plasterboard.

Tom d'Angler · Post by **Tom d'Angler** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 4:37 pm

Tom d'Angler wrote: ↑Thu Mar 02, 2023 4:34 pm Sorry, I posted my response before I saw your post. Now I'm in a quandary!

Don’t be in a quandary! I’m the past I have used oil-based undercoat to prime new coving. If you’ve got something to hand that will do the job just as well, it would be daft to not use it.

mrsparks · Post by **mrsparks** » Thu Mar 02, 2023 5:09 pm

Tom d'Angler wrote: ↑Thu Mar 02, 2023 4:37 pm
Tom d'Angler wrote: ↑Thu Mar 02, 2023 4:34 pm Sorry, I posted my response before I saw your post. Now I'm in a quandary!
Don’t be in a quandary! I’m the past I have used oil-based undercoat to prime new coving. If you’ve got something to hand that will do the job just as well, it would be daft to not use it.