Sign Totem
No rust here as the steel was galvanised, but completely de-greased and sanded to remove flaking and chalking paint, then a coat of Zinc Phosphate-containing primer.
I hadn’t used the new formulation Dulux undercoat and gloss, so this was the ideal time. For those not in the know, new regulations were brought in 2010 to limit the amount of VOC’s (organic solvents) contained in household paints, and so manufacturers have had to re-formulate oil-based paints to stay compliant. The effect has been to reduce the amount of thinners, and increase the amount of binder (resin, oil, alkyd). This has made new oil-based paints behave differently to the old, much to the annoyance of current painters!
The main things noticeable about the new formulated gloss and undercoat is extended drying times, and a disconcerting ‘glossiness’ to the undercoat, where in the past it would have been more flat. Also the undercoat definitely stays soft for much longer after it has ‘dried’, so much so that it was impossible not to mark it with ladders, boots, etc and very difficult to rub-down before the final coat. The gloss was more what I’m used to, though.
Published by: Colin Taylor on: February 23rd 2016
