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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?

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

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.

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

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.

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!

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!

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

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

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.

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.