How to paint interiors

Q. I was fairly certain my wall colour was Resene Half White Pointer but got a testpot to be sure - yep, sure was. I got some Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen tinted. I applied it to the various areas I was touching up this morning and I reckon I have a mistint. How long until it’s fully dry so I can be sure?

A. It’s possible it’s a mistint but touching up a wall is nearly impossible to achieve a uniform finish - even from the same can. This is due to potentially using a different roller sleeve and thickness of the paint applied. We do not recommend patching a wall, rather paint from side to side.

If you have a colour chart of Resene Half White Pointer at home, dry a little bit on the chart as the charts are Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen and should dry out very close if correct.

Paint takes around 24 hours to give an accurate colour.

April 2024

Q. We just built an outdoor fireplace for a client and we're looking for a suitable paint to apply it. It needs to be a heat-resistant paint that will handle some contraction and expansion and needs to be able to stabilise/protect the render. The render is a special render for fireplaces, not just a standard sand and cement mix.

A. As long as the plaster has dried, Resene Limelock can be applied. I should mention that this is a standard paint coating system for cementitious renders, not a specialist system for exterior fireplaces as these such systems don’t exist but it is the best recommendation.

I suggest using one coat of Resene Limelock followed by two topcoats of Resene X-200 in your chosen colour.

As long as you can hold your hand on the surface when the heat is at its peak for longer than 10.

April 2024

Q. I've chosen the colour Resene Norway, which has a pastel feel. I'm hoping to use it to paint a wall and trim to give the appearance of wainscotting. It needs to be wipeable as I have dogs and a toddler. What semi-gloss-ish type product would I need to use and what prep beforehand? The timber parts are pre-primed and the wall currently has the original flat white on it.

A. I recommend you use Resene Lustacryl as the topcoat. This is a waterborne enamel semi-gloss finish that is hard wearing and cleanable.

If the existing paint is sound, you can paint directly over without the need for a primer. If you are unsure, apply one coat of Resene Quick Dry after its clean. To paint, ensure the surface is clean using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner. Then apply two coats of Resene Lustacryl in Resene Norway.

Use a good quality masking tape such as the Washi Premium+ to achieve straight edges as well as a good brush and roller sleeve.

April 2024

Q.I want to paint over my dated fire hearth tiles that my log burner sits on. Is there a specific tile paint that can be tinted and is heat resistant for this purpose?

A.If you can maintain hand contact on the surfaces to be painted when the fire is at full heat you can apply the following system:

Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner, clean down to remove grease/oil paying particular attention to hand contact areas.

Assuming the tiles have a glaze applied, apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Sureseal and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before over coating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Lustacryl.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing. Note that painting will not reproduce the original features of the tiles.

We do not recommend painting the tile capping/trim.

November 2023

Q. My painter plastered part of a wall and now has finished painting, but it looks like a shadow or different colour and texture to the rest of the wall. What would cause this?

A. Painting only an area of a wall or touch ups will always leave a line or be a slightly different colour even if using paint from the same can. This is caused by light refraction, texture difference and age.

The only way to ensure the colour is the same is to paint from corner to corner/wall to wall edge. However, if there is a texture difference from the plaster work, there will always be a difference that could be noticed from different angles and at different times of the day when the light hits it.

November 2023

Q. We have a new build with plasterboard (GIB®) walls, do we need Resene Broadwall Wallboard Sealer and then two topcoats of Resene Zylone Sheen?

A. Yes that is correct - except for wet areas i.e. bathrooms, ensuites and laundries where a waterbased enamel such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom which has added MoulDefender and anti-bacterial silver protection is recommended. Aqualine GIB® will need a coat of Resene Sureseal before two topcoats.

November 2023

Q. I'm going to repaint a timber wall in a conservatory. What's the best paint for durability and fade resistance, Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen or Resene SpaceCote? I've used Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen elsewhere before with good results but am relatively new to waterborne enamels. For prep I'll be sanding and applying Resene Quick Dry.

A. Waterborne enamels such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen will perform better than acrylics in terms of cleanability etc and are non-yellowing. Colour choice will have a part to play in any fading over time however typically the glass in conservatories will have UV stabilisers etc so will limit UV impact on surfaces, and thus help to reduce colour fade over time.

November 2023

Q. I am painting my child’s bedroom. The current paint is cracking on the ceiling and between the edge of the ceiling and the cornice (if that’s the right word?!). Do I need to prep these areas in any specific way before painting?

Also, I need to paint her window frames. Do I do the windows first or the walls and ceilings first? Or can I do it all at the same time? I am using different paint - but the same colour - for the wooden window frames.

A. Firstly, remove all flaking/unsound areas. Sand to a feathered edge. If it leaves a large area, you may require a filler such as Resene EzyFill. Once filled, apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry primer undercoat before your selected topcoat of either Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Zylone Sheen. When repairing such areas, painting and viewing once finished, you may see the area you repaired due to critical light from a window or doorway from some angles.

If the cornice has not been painted before, apply one coat of Resene Waterborne Sureseal before Resene Ceiling Paint. If it has been painted, apply two coats of Resene Ceiling Paint normally.

Clean the ceilings and walls, spot repair any other areas or fill holes. Spot prime repairs using Resene Quick Dry primer undercoat followed by two full coats of either Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Zylone Sheen. Some people find doing the ceiling and frames first best as if you accidently drip onto the wall, you can easily coat it later on. If some of the framing paint (Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss) went onto the wall before you had finished it, you just need to lightly sand the gloss away before painting over.

September 2023

Q. What would be the best way to repair a wear and tear whiteboard wall and repaint with whiteboard paint?

A. It is best to start again to ensure the surface is smooth and stable. Sand to remove the gloss and any imperfections using 150 grit and then finish with 180 grit to remove any scratches.

Apply one coat of Resene Quick Dry primer undercoat. Leave for 48 hours. Apply Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen in your chosen colour. Apply Resene Write-on Wall paint in accordance with the data sheet.

September 2023

Q. We would like to paint the hinuera stone and tile surrounding our fireplace black. There is no heat felt on either area when the fire is going. For the areas where the tiles are - we sometimes place wood there and some ash falls from time to time, therefore a type of paint that wouldn't easily scratch and can be easily wiped clean would be helpful. Can you please let me know if this is possible to do and if so, what products would be recommended? The bricks and tiles are not sealed.

A. Ensure both surfaces are clean from any dust, dirt and debris. Apply one full coat of Resene Waterborne Sureseal. Then apply two full coats of Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss in accordance. Leave for a minimum of 7 days before using the surface for weight bearing, walking or cleaning – the longer the better. The paint coating will be hardened by 28 days. Painting these surfaces will not render them as tough or scratch resistant as they are uncoated.

September 2023

Q. Can I use Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom for a bathroom ceiling? I plan to use it on the walls and it would be easy if I could use it for the ceiling as well.

A. Yes, Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom can be used on walls and ceilings.

September 2023

Q. I applied Karen Walker Chalk Colour paint. I applied a waterborne lacquer over the top and have ended up with white streaks.

A. As the lacquer was waterbased, the chalk finish could have still been drying when overcoated. Most waterborne clear coatings single or two pack will go milky/patchy in appearance if the surface underneath is still slightly wet.

September 2023

Q. I am an interior designer and we are implementing an outdoor space within our store. I would like to know what to use to create a rough textured exterior wall? It is only to look like an outdoor wall, but they are in fact, interior walls.

A. We have many topcoat options to provide a textured surface – one of the most popular is Resene Sandtex which can be applied to achieve a Mediterranean textured effect.

September 2023

Q. My kids have used permanent marker all over a wall. What product do you recommend I use before I can paint over it?

A. White vinegar gently applied with cotton bud can help remove the top layer of the marker. Often the marker will have penetrated the coating and it will need a repaint.

Lightly sand, apply one coat of either solventborne Resene Sureseal or Resene StainLock on any areas with staining from the marker followed by two topcoats in your wall colour. It is best to repaint the entire wall with the topcoat.

August 2023

Q. Is it ok to overcoat Resene Enamel Undercoat with Resene Enamacryl? Or do I need to overcoat with an oil-based enamel? I would prefer to use Resene Enamacryl if that would be ok.

A. Yes, you can apply Resene Enamacryl over Resene Enamel Undercoat.

August 2023

Q. The two bedrooms I want to paint get mouldy, so I want paint that stops mould from growing.

A.Resene paint coatings have anti-fungal properties and help reduce and slow mould growth. In saying that, this will not stop mould from growing. Mould grows because of the environment it is in, to stop the growth the environment needs to change, for example, less moisture or humidity or more ventilation and air movement.

August 2023

Q. We had the interior of our old wooden house walls painted two years ago. In some of the rooms in the less used and colder parts of the house we have noticed white powdery residue appearing on the walls. Our painter is very good but is unsure what this is caused by. On closer examination the powder is present in many places but most noticeable on the darker surfaces. The rooms at that end of the house are cold but we don't think they are damp. The worst places are not in direct sunlight.

A. There can be a few different variables that may cause this. The main one that comes to mind is called 'Blooming' This can appear if the paint hasn’t cured properly due to cold temperatures. This will be much more noticeable on darker colours and will leave a powdery surface and make the finish of the paint duller.

We recommend you address your concerns with your painter since they completed the work and will be able to answer application questions for us. The painter can then invite their Resene Rep to come to the site and view if they require. The painter is welcome to contact their rep directly or visit their local Resene ColorShop to organise.

August 2023

Q. Can I use Resene Lustacryl waterborne enamel on a surface already finished with Resene Zylone Sheen interior?

A. Yes, you can apply Resene Lustacryl directly over Resene Zylone Sheen.

August 2023

Q. We are looking to paint the bricks on our fireplace, still in use. What sort of paint would you recommend considering the bricks are exposed to the heat of an open fire? They only get warm and you can still hold your touch to them when the fire is going.

A. Great, if they only get warm and you can still hold your touch to them then they are paintable. If the bricks are bare and uncoated (you can spill water on the surface and the water will sink in rather than bead on the surface), apply one coat of Resene Solventborne Sureseal, followed by two topcoats of Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel in your desired colour.

August 2023

Q. We have a Lockwood home and we are going to start with painting the interior. Can you please advise the best paint for walls, ceilings and trims in each room. I'm going to start with the open plan living/ dining/ kitchen area.

One of the previous owners have painted it. I’m not sure how well it was done prior. They haven’t put filler in between the boards so paint has cracked in the joins.

A. We recommend the below system:

Sand back any areas that are flaking or need smoothing out. Any areas on concern that have not 'stuck' these likely won't have adhered well and will need to be removed for the new coating to have good adhesion. You can sand back to the original clear coating if that is in good condition or back to bare timber.

Clean with Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner, focusing on high contact areas.

Spot prime all bare areas of old varnish with Resene Waterborne Sureseal. Leave for two days before applying topcoat. For bare timber, apply Resene Quick Dry, this can be overcoated after two hours in good conditions.

The most popular topcoat options for the different areas are below. There are other sheen levels available if you prefer a glosser paint finish in some places. For the ceiling, use Resene Ceiling Paint flat or Resene SpaceCote Flat, walls in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen and trim in Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss.

For the bathroom and wet areas, this may or may not be needed for the kitchen especially if it has good ventilation being open plan. Use Resene SpaceCote Flat Kitchen & Bathroom for the ceiling and Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom for walls. Often customers will use the low sheen on walls and ceilings if the same colour Is being used. For trim you can continue with Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss.

July 2023

Q. I have a bedroom to paint with one wall of cinder block. Can I use Resene X-200 for internal use? If so, is there a similar product I can use on internal walls?

A. It is fine to use Resene X-200 on the interior. Please be mindful of the surface temperature when painting and ventilate where possible to help with curing in winter.

July 2023

Q. How do I paint a wallpapered area interior?

I am going to paint my bedroom. I just removed wallpaper. I don't know how to clean previous glue and how to choose the right paint. Can you give me some advice?

A. To clean the glue residues we recommend warm soapy warm to begin with and a scraper or putty scraper. If the glue is stubborn, there are wallpaper paste removing products on the market that you add to the warm water that can neutralise the glue.

Failing that, leaving the wall to dry and sanding the glue off is another option.

Once thoroughly removed and clean and dry, we recommend for the paint system - repair any defects with a plaster compound. Wait to dry and sand smooth. Remember to dust the wall down.

Apply one coat of Resene Waterborne Sureseal over the now bare plasterboard and any plastered areas. Follow this with two topcoats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel in your desired colour.

July 2023

Q. I have plastered and painted around my fireplace but when I lit the fire and it got really warm it cracked it. Is there a particular paint I should use that might help if I plastered it again?

A. We will only advise changing the paint to something more heat tolerant if the wall gets so hot when the fire was on that you would be unable to hold your hand to the surface. I think it would be best to speak to the plaster manufacturer and maybe change the plaster or leave it longer to cure. If the plaster cracks it will crack any paint system used.

July 2023

Q. I'm looking at painting my stained timber ceiling white. What prep and/or products would you recommend using? It does not have a clear finish. I think water would soak into it.

A. First, clean the surface and ensure it is dust free. Apply one coat of Resene Wood Primer, followed by either Resene SpaceCote Flat or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Ceiling Paint depending on what sheen level you prefer.

July 2023

Q. I want to paint my lounge a dark colour (Resene Baltic Sea) and my walls are currently wallpaper that has been painted. I think I read somewhere that a flat/matt finish with a dark colour will help not show up imperfections? Either way, what would be the best paint finish for walls that aren’t perfect?

A. The most popular finishes would be Resene SpaceCote Flat or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen for a feature wall with a dark colour. The flat finish is the best finish to use to hide imperfections and can really make dark colours pop. The lower sheen finish is easier to clean.

Our Resene ColorShops have 'sheen/finish' boards in store so you can see the differences between the two.

July 2023

Q. Is Resene Half White Pointer available in a wipeable paint? We have a B&B and our walls are painted now in a matt paint but it marks.

A. Our most wipeable low sheen is Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, which is a waterborne enamel. The higher the sheen level the more cleanable the surface. On the flip side, the higher the sheen level the more imperfections are visible. The next highest sheen level is Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss.

Our Resene ColorShops have boards in store to show the difference between the sheen levels, to help you decide which you prefer.

July 2023

Q. We are renovating the interior of a '70s house and are wanting to overpaint internal Douglas Fir beams which have been dark stained and then coated with what we think is a glossy polyurethane.

What would you recommend to prep these beams before applying Resene Quick Dry primer undercoat? The finish coat intended is an off white (Resene Double Rice Cake).

A. We recommend the following:

Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Sureseal and allow it to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better. Apply one coat of Resene Quick Dry, followed by two topcoats of any waterborne interior topcoat, such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until a full cure occurs. In the early stages, the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion, as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

May 2023

Q. We've just repainted my daughter’s room with Resene Half Tea acrylic about three weeks ago. She wants to put up posters and photos on her walls using BluTack, which I'm worried will damage the paint. Any suggestions on the best way to secure pictures/posters without damaging the paint?

A. If possible, I'd leave the walls for another week to reach a full cure. Full cure takes four weeks in total. BluTack is fine to use. When it comes time to eventually remove, try to slowly pull the blue tack down and rub it off, rather than pull it straight out from the wall. The same goes for the 3M contact hooks that some people use.

May 2023

Q. I am looking for a good paint that is non-toxic for my bedroom. I live in a cold area and my bedroom is sealed like a box during winter to keep the warmth in. I would like to be assured the fumes I am breathing for all of the eight hours is therefore non-toxic. Can you recommend a good product that will fit the bill?

A. Resene interior topcoats have low VOC (volatile organic compounds), are water-based and have the Eco Choice tick. When recoating your walls pick a day that isn’t too cold and has some ventilation, even if it's just a fan while the coating is drying. After 4 hours the fumes will be dispersed and the ventilation would have moved them off the surface and out of the room. Once the coating is dry, no more fumes are leaving the surface. You will be left with that new paint smell. This is not harmful.

May 2023

Q. What should we use to repaint a theatre stage?

A. If the stage is planned to be painted as a standard black in a flat finish, we recommend cleaning thoroughly and recoating with Resene FilmPro - Set Black.

March 2023

Q. I am looking to paint over vinyl wallpaper in the room which just has the toilet (no sink inside). I understand you paint over with Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer, but afterwards, do you need to paint over with undercoat (a waterbased one?) before you paint over with the topcoats or can you just paint the topcoats right away?

A. Your topcoats can go directly over the Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer.

We do recommend a coat of Resene Quick Dry in between when the wallpaper is a dark colour, and you are painting over with a much lighter colour. This is used to help give a more uniform colour before the topcoats are applied and to help with coverage.

March 2023

Q. I have removed a wallpaper border from a painted wall but have been left with a residue of the paste or glue which was used by the previous occupants of the house. I intend to repaint the room but do not know how to proceed at this point. The residue cannot be felt when running the fingers over the wall, but can be seen as a light beige haze. I have tried removing it with meths, rubbing alcohol, etc. and have only got down to this level with hot soapy water and elbow grease, but I am pretty exhausted. It would be great if you could advise me of the best way to proceed as I don't want to spoil the new paintwork through lack of proper preparation.

A. To be on the safe side, when it comes time to complete the repaint, sand this area with 180 grit sandpaper, followed by a finishing sandpaper like 220 grit and wipe off sanding dust. Once clean, prime this area of concern (any other bare or plastered patches also) with Resene Sureseal solventborne, then follow with two coats of your desired Resene topcoat.

March 2023

Q. I want to touch up a couple of walls in my house. I will use the same paint colour but will you notice if walls haven't been painted for 13 years?

A. It is likely this touch up will be noticeable, especially if the patch is on the larger sizer, in the middle of the wall or on a wall that has critical light issues (areas like a stairwell). It is best to repaint the entire wall to blend it in.

March 2023

Q. I'm repainting some bedroom walls made of particle board. They've been painted previously and are in good condition. I'm just changing the colour from beige to Resene Spray. What kind of roller do you recommend for the best finish? And should I use flat or low sheen paint? The room gets good light.

A. Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen is the most popular product and sheen level option. Low sheen offers a modern finish with great cleanability. Resene SpaceCote Flat, has less shine than the above and is great at hiding imperfections. It can be cleaned but the low sheen is easier to clean. Both are waterborne enamels and are hard wearing.

If you have tried a testpot of Resene Spray, low sheen will be the most similar to the finish of the testpot.

The best roller is what we call a #1 sleeve which has an 8mm nap. This is also available in a kit, including sleeve, handle and tray.

March 2023

Q. Is there a rule of thumb or range (dependent on many factors) within which I which I could anticipate needing to repaint the interior of my home for good maintenance?

A. In general, you can expect your paint finish to last 10-12 years with regular cleaning before needing to recoat.

There are exceptions to this rule, regarding moisture, damage to the surface etc. Many people repaint to get a fresh new colour or look to their home over existing sound paintwork.

March 2023

Q. What options are available for painting onto plywood in a colour (i.e., blue/green) and whether you can also paint the sides of the plywood panels or only the front face. It is for a commercial area. No specific fire ratings needed.

A. We recommend priming with Resene Quick Dry followed by two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene SpaceCote Flat for interior. Or prime with Resene Quick Dry followed by two coats of Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen or Resene Sonyx 101 semi-gloss for exterior.

We recommend for best results to envelope seal all sides and edges for longevity.

All topcoats mentioned are waterborne and are available in many green/blue colours.

March 2023

Q. We have a large wall in our cafe which has had vinyl wrap/sheet applied with our branding. We are leaving and want to paint over it. What sealer and paint would you recommend?

A. Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner, ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, and pay particular attention to hand contact areas.

Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow curing without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until a full cure occurs. In the early stages, the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

However, we cannot give any guarantee of paint adhesion as there are many variants of vinyl composition.

December 2022

Q. I will be painting a bedroom wall, which was previously wallpapered. The wallpaper has mostly all been removed. The house is 20 years old, and the plasterboard is in excellent condition. We will be using only Resene paints. Is there a recommended method to wipe down the walls, to remove any glue residues? Just hot water and a sponge? Do I need to prep the wall with a pigmented sealer, like Resene Sureseal? Assuming that I apply a coat of Resene Sureseal, I will then need one coat of undercoat and two topcoats. Correct? (I intend to use a colour like Resene Dutch White or Resene Quarter Canterbury Clay as the topcoat).

A. I've found how soapy water and a blunt scraper work well, there are products on the market that you can add to the water that helps neutralise the glue if it is a struggle to remove.

Yes, a sealer is needed, and we recommend Resene Sureseal, you don’t have to apply this to the already painted areas, but please do use it to also seal the patches of plaster on these areas.

You can apply two topcoats directly to the Resene Sureseal, but I feel a primer may help even it all out and help with coverage. I’d do a test patch to see if two coats of topcoat are enough. If not I’d use Resene Quick Dry first then apply the two topcoats.

October 2022

Q. As our plasterboard was going up today it was realised that the builders didn't order Aqualine for the ceilings in the wet areas.

The draftsman did some research and found it could be brought to code with some oil based products. Have you heard of this and what products would you recommend?

A. Apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal, an undercoat of Resene Enamel Undercoat and finish with two coats of Resene Lusta-Glo topcoat colour.

June 2022

Q. We had two new houses painted circa 16 months with acrylic low sheen topcoats. The paint seems to mark easily, particularly for example leaving a small picture frame on a shelf leaving against the wall, the colour of the felt seems to 'suck into the paint'.

Our previous house was painted with the same product and we had no issues.

A. Application conditions can dry with exudation of surfactant to the surface. If this has occurred if you touch or wipe the surface there may be a ride mark appear around the wiped area.

Suggest you try wiping down a wall using Interior Paintwork Cleaner and see if this gives a uniform colour and the surface is not sticky. Rinse the cloth used for wiping often in warm water. If there is surfactant on the surface then the rinse water may show milkiness.

June 2022

Q. Your data sheet for urethane does not specify what temperature that this product can be applied in. Please can you quantify for me.

A. Assuming this is for an interior application, solventborne paints are not subject to the same application environmental limitations as a waterborne paint. For a solventborne paint if they are applied at a low temperature the loss of solvent and cure rates are lower. However, if there is extraction/ventilation to aid solvent removal then the cure rate is all that will be influenced by application at a lower temperature.

Solventborne varnishes harden by reaction with air, the higher the ambient temperature the faster the crosslinking.

Typically, the lowest application temperature and surface temperature would be 10°C, maximum 30°C.

June 2022

Q. I want to paint internal balustrades currently black acrylic, to a white. What product do you recommend. Do you have a high opacity white?

A. Using Interior Paintwork Cleaner, clean down to remove grease/oil paying particular attention to hand contact areas. Apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry and finish with coats of Resene Lustacryl Kitchen & Bathroom, all applied at the specified spread rate.

June 2022

Q. I want to paint the exterior back of my acrylic aquarium black. What paint would you recommend?

A. Our standard waterborne pains have excellent adhesion to acrylic sheeting, if you want to check the adhesion you can try Resene testpot paint.

June 2022

Q. Most of our white walls inside our school are painted with Resene Double Black White. We are having lots of problems with graffiti. Mainly ball point pen and felt tipped. I have tried a few different products to try and remove the graffiti without much success. What product or procedure could you suggest that I try? I have tried painting over it but the graffiti shows through the next day.

A. I assume that the tinted wall colour is either Resene Zylone Sheen or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen? A dedicated anti-graffiti system is the only way to achieve a painted surface from which graffiti can be removed with a graffiti cleaner. Marker pen ink will be re-dissolved and bleed into a waterborne paint applied over the tagged areas. While this bleed can be blocked and then the areas recoated this will not solve the problem of removal of tagging.

June 2022

Q. We are having trouble getting flat patches on our painted wall and ceiling and we believe it is because of the low VOC in paints. We have been painting our homes for about 40 years and now we are in despair at this mess. We have watched videos, read up on low VOC paints, used 3 different rollers, and tried very hard to lay the wall off properly and we thought we were getting better. We know that the more worried we got the temptation was to go back over it and we have resisted this. We have stopped the airflow while painting in case it was drying too fast. Nothing helps.

We would love it if you could help us whether by telling us if there is an easy solution to getting rid of the dull patches, preferably without painting the whole wall as we don't have enough paint, or suggesting a good honest painter that is not going to take advantage of us.

A. You appear to have a classical critical lighting scenario. A critical lighting condition exists when light hits a painted surface at an acute angle and casts shadows that highlight any surface irregularities. Any surface or application in imperfections will be highlighted.

To reduce the impact of the light falling onto the surface a flat paint is recommended. Low sheen paints always have a side sheen which will accentuate surface imperfections when light falls across the painted surface.

Our recommended paint for painting areas subject to critical lighting is Resene SpaceCote Flat for walls and Resene Ceiling Paint for ceilings. Lay off in line with the direction of the light.

June 2022

Q. I’m coming to the end of a full paint inside and out of a new build using all Resene product. Yesterday I inadvertently applied Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen to some kitchen panels instead of the intended Resene Lustacryl. Can I simply apply Resene Lustacryl over Resene SpaceCote and if yes, 1 coat or 2?

A. Yes, you can apply Resene Lustacryl over Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. For this application recommend using the Kitchen and Bathroom version of Resene Lustacryl. If it is the same colour and you can apply a full even wet coat, then a single application may suffice.

June 2022

Q. I've got an internal wall where I have painted it with your black chalkboard paint and I now want to paint over this. What prep will I need to do to get best result? I’m looking at repainting with dark navy such as Resene Indian Ink.

A. Ensure that the painted surface is free of chalk residues, then lightly sand with 220 grit sandpaper, dust off and wipe down with a damp cloth to remove any residual sanding residues and apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen tinted to the new colour.

June 2022

Q. We have rough sawn finish Shadowclad grooved plywood that we are using internally for our ceilings. We'll probably want to paint with a colour like Resene Alabaster. The plywood is untreated in the main house but H3 CCA treated in the bathrooms. Do we just apply a primer and two coats to all ceilings? Or should we do more for the bathrooms to prevent the H3 greeny colour coming through?

We are not intending to sand the plywood before application. It is for a beach house so a more rustic look is what we are going for.

We are also lining the walls with Triboard. Again, just prime it and two coats of paint? We are probably using Resene Half Rice Cake.

A. It’s best to use the same priming/undercoat for both areas, apply a coat of Resene Wood Primer followed by a coat of Resene Quick Dry then finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom.

June 2022

Q. What kind of paint/finish I can use on the block wall for a bedroom and living area?

A. For new interior block walls, apply a coat of Resene Concrete Primer and then finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. This is a low build system and will not disguise the fact that the substrate is concrete block.

June 2022

Q. I wish to paint a glazed brick fireplace. Should I use any specific undercoat, product or paint?

A. If you can maintain hand contact on the surfaces to be painted when the fire is at full heat you can apply the following system (excluding to the hearth):

Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner clean down to remove grease/oil paying particular attention to hand contact areas.

Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before over coating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Lustacryl.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing. Note that painting will not reproduce the original features of the glazed bricks.

June 2022

Q. I need a very hard wearing urethane product to cover a newly painted kitchen floor where we used semi-gloss water based paints.

A. What was the base paint that was used? At least two coats of Resene GraffitiShield would be our only recommendation. Ensure the waterborne base paint is allowed to dry for at least 3-4 days. Wipe down the base paint with water and a cloth and allow to dry out before application of the clear coats.

June 2022

Q. I'm wanting to paint a fibrous plaster fire surround. Should I use Resene Sureseal as the sealing coat (x 2) and then what do you recommend for the base/topcoats please?

A. If you can maintain hand contract on the fire surround when the fire is at full heat then you can paint. Fibrous plaster must be primed with Resene Sureseal, then apply a coat of Resene Enamel Undercoat and finish with two coats of Resene Lusta-Glo in your topcoat colour. The system will give the best heat resistance but will yellow upon ageing and exposure to heating.

June 2022

Q. I would like to paint white over a varnish finish inside a Lockwood home wardrobe.

A. Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner clean down the surface to remove grease/oil paying particular attention to hand contact areas. Sand to degloss using 220 grit sandpaper, dust off and wipe down with a damp cloth to remove any residual sanding dust then apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry followed by two coats of Resene SpaceCote Flat or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

June 2022

Q. I've just bought a house which has Glamatex over most of the walls and has recently been painted over. I'd like to remove the Glamatex, or have it removed, and repaint it. Can you please advise on the best course of how to get it tested for asbestos and then remove it?

A. Glamatex was a manufacturer in its own right but was purchased by Winstones in 1981. The bad news is that the product will more than likely contain asbestos reinforcement, suggest that you look to have this confirmed before considering removal. If asbestos is confirmed then you will need to engage a registered asbestos removal business to remove the material.

June 2022

Q. Can I paint over an old semi-gloss enamel with Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel?

A. For converting from a solvent to a waterborne enamel, sand the existing enamel to de gloss/profile, dust off and wipe down with a damp cloth to remove any residual sanding dust and then apply a full coat of Resene Quick Dry before topcoating with Resene Lustacryl.

June 2022

Q. Do you have paints for painting plastics, specifically milk bottle tops and plastic jar lids?

A. It depends upon the plastic type used for the tops. Our waterborne paints do adhere to PVC or polycarbonate plastics. If you want to check it a paint will adhere you can get a Resene testpot colour, apply and check adhesion after 2-3 days.

June 2022

Q. My aim is to recoat a wall in our processing room that is subjected to food product splash (butter/oils) and 50 degrees hot water washdown.

The existing wall is poly panel skinned with COLORSTEEL® which needs to be restored to a clean looking surface, one that meets our food auditor’s requirements. Repainting is a cheaper option, when compared to the cost of recladding the wall. What product do you recommend we use ?

A. Scrub down using Resene Heavy Paint Prep and Oil Remover diluted and used to label/data sheet. Do not allow the wash solution to dry out on the surface (this includes window glass and joinery). Rinse clean or hose down with copious amounts of fresh water ensuring all wash solution and surface chalk residues are removed.

Sand to profile using 320 grit sandpaper. Dust off and wipe down using a damp cloth to remove any sanding residues. Apply a full coat of Resene Armourcote 221 and finish with two coats of Resene Uracryl 402 topcoat colour.

Allow at least 5 days to prepare and apply the paint system with 2 days after the final coast to allow for curing.

There needs to be good ventilation in the area to remove solvents released as the paints cure and dry.

June 2022

Q. I would like to paint a plaster fire place surround and the tiles. Can you please advise if there is a paint product that is ok to use to paint the tiles and the surround, given the heat?

I can hold my hand on the areas to be painted, its warm but not hot. The tiles are glazed and surround the sides and top of the fire box before touching the mantel. At the moment we don't have a hearth, that's next but no plans to paint that. The fireplace is gas and is open.

A. A. For the bare plaster apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal and finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom topcoat colour.

For the glazed tiles, apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom topcoat colour. Note that painting will not reproduce the original features of the tiles.

June 2022

Q. We need to decide on colours for the extension to our home. Is it common to opt for different gloss levels for different rooms. We have three young children so am would we be best to go for a semi-gloss as this is better for being able to clean ?

A. Given that you have young children would recommend wall paint to be a waterborne enamel such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, For bathrooms/en suite/kitchen, we recommend Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom. Assuming the wet area linings will be Aqualine, the system will be a seal coat of Resene Sureseal followed by an undercoat of Resene Quick Dry and then finish with two coats of Resene Kitchen & Bathroom paint.

April 2022

Q. Can you please tell me what is the type of interior wall paint Resene makes that is more easily washable so you can get toddler food marks etc off it more easily?

A. We recommend Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen followed with a coat of Resene SpaceCote Clear.

April 2022

Q. If I have Resene Zylone Sheen and Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in the same colour. Can I mix the two together?

A. Sorry but no as they are based on different resin systems which are not compatible.

April 2022

Q. We have recently redecorated our lounge. We have a door way which we used high gloss white enamel. We put up a Raid fly spitter on one side and now find the paint is coming off. Can you tell us if other people have this problem and what the solution is? I am very concerned what is in the spitter to take paint off !!! I don’t expect it to be the paint.

A. If a painted surface is exposed to the can spray this will affect the paint, the usual outcome is softening and yellowing.

The solution is to remove the affected paint back to a sound edge, this will need to extend up to a few inches beyond any visual damage, wipe down the area where the paint was removed from using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner then re-apply an appropriate Resene primer and topcoats. Also reposition the spitter away from paintwork.

April 2022

Q. I’m stripping back 50 years of wallpaper and painting a room. What should I use as a basecoat on the plasterboard? I also unearthed mould and a big hole. Do you have a recommendation for a patching product? Is there a basecoat which will help prevent further mould?

A. We recommend sealing with Resene Waterborne Sureseal, followed by two topcoats. Please be sure to have treated any existing mould with Resene Moss & Mould Killer before painting.

Mould is created by environment – usually dampness, ventilation/temperature, it's best to get these under control to prevent mould from coming back, although all of our paints do have anti-fungal additives added to inhibit mould growth.

In regard to the hole, the filler is dependent on the size and what you plan to board the hole with. For large areas, we would sell Plus 4, for smaller areas PAL Contract Filler is a go-to product for many. Sand to remove excess filler with 180 grit, followed by a finishing sandpaper 220-240 grit. Once dust free, seal the filler with Resene Waterborne Sureseal also followed by two topcoats.

April 2022

Q. My question is regarding my interior bedroom walls. I have removed old wallpaper, sanded the plasterboard, applied Resene Sureseal and just recently had it skim coated with plaster (two days ago). Should I wait four weeks to let the plaster dry completely before painting or is there a product/method of prepping the new plaster so that we don't have to wait four weeks to paint?

A. It’s not an easy question to answer as the drying rate of the skim plaster will be determined by plaster thickness, ventilation, temperature and humidity.

Environmental conditions are highly variable at the moment but I would guess that a week should be sufficient for drying prior to re sealing and top coating. Ensure good ventilation and you may need to heat using electric heaters, do not use gas heaters or heaters that burn a fuel and the byproduct of these is water. A dehumidifier would also hasten drying of the plaster.

March 2022

Q. Any recommendations to painting walls in a house used for methamphetamine? It’s below the allowable amount to NZS but just covering over with paint or wall paper – is this enough? Is there something in your product range for this stuff?

A. Apply a full coat of Resene MethLock followed by two coats of Resene Lusta-Glo in your topcoat colour. There is no waterborne system for this application.

March 2022

Q. I have wainscotting throughout the house. Is there a rule for the type of paint finish used for the interior?

A. For wainscotting we usually traditionally recommended a semi-gloss finish like Resene Lustacryl, which will line up with the trim and doors nicely. It is becoming more popular to paint these in a low sheen to hide more imperfections and match the remainder of the wall using Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

February 2022

Q. Can I use Resene Sonyx 101 waterborne semi-gloss exterior on my interior walls?

A. We don’t usually recommend Resene Sonyx 101 as an interior paint as while it is suitable for exterior it is not a wear resistant finish for interior. If you want a semi-gloss interior finish use Resene Lustacryl.

October 2021

Q. I have used Resene Zylone Sheen to paint walls in a new room. Can I use this on the wardrobe doors and also on the skirting board and door frame?

A. We don’t recommend Resene Zylone Sheen for painting wardrobe doors, skirtings and door frame. The dry film is not tough enough for these areas, A waterborne enamel finish such as Resene Lustacryl is the recommended topcoat for these areas.

October 2021

Q. We just removed a big wall panel from behind our fireplace and found bare drywall. The rest of the room is in this sandy texture, and we hope to reproduce it on the bare patch, then paint the whole room a nicer colour. Any idea how we might achieve this texture?

A. Apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal then apply two coats of Resene Sandtex.

October 2021

Q. How do we prime and paint new interior plaster in a bedroom and lounge?

A. Any plaster will need to be sealed with Resene Broadwall waterborne wallboard sealer before topcoating. For walls apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, for ceilings use two coats of Resene SpaceCote Flat, for woodwork use two coats of Resene Lustacryl.

October 2021

Q. We are designing a stage with wide steps for seating, with colour detailing on the vertical hardwood (Vitex) slats. The slats will have a routed u shaped channel for the colour detailing. Can you please advise what base coat and colour product to use for this application - hardwood, exterior, UV stable colours, long lasting, minimal maintenance?

A. Scrub down using Resene Timber and Deck Wash diluted and used to label instructions. Do not allow the wash solution to dry out on the surface (this includes window glass and joinery). Rinse clean or hose down with copious amounts of fresh water ensuring all wash solution residues are removed. Apply a coat of Resene Wood Primer, an undercoat of Resene Quick Dry then two coats of Resene Sonyx 101 in your topcoat colour.

October 2021

Q. How can we paint an existing brick hearth? We don’t use the fire so it would be decorative only.

A. Sand to profile using 220 grit sandpaper, dust off and wipe with a damp cloth to remove sanding residues.

Apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry then finish with two coats of Resene Lustacryl or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in your topcoat colour.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs.

The paint system is a decorative system only will not resist damage from hot fire embers.

October 2021

Q. I have a terracotta wallpaper on lounge walls. Last year I had them painted a pale blue by an interior decorator. But now there are marks coming through. What is this caused by? Or what are the marks? They are a light beige colour.

A. If the wallpaper was not sealed with Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer before topcoating with a waterborne paint then the staining is most likely due to plasticiser migration from the wallpaper into the paint layer. To rectify apply a coat of Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer over the existing paint finish then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in your topcoat colour.

September 2021

Q. What paint can be used to paint bricks surrounding an open fire place please? They are the brown clinker bricks which aren’t glazed. They don’t get hot. For the base I was thinking of tiling so it can take the heat of a log if it falls out.

A. Painting over the brick protrusions may not give a uniform surface finish as the protrusions often are aerated. You may want to chip or grind the protrusions to achieve a smoother finish for painting.

Assuming you can maintain hand contact on the bricks when the fire is at full heat, apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal and finish with two coats of Resene Lusta-Glo.

There will be a lingering odour for a time so make sure that when the repainted fireplace is first used you allow for ventilation.

August 2021

Q. How do I paint over wallpaper?

A. If this is outside of a bathroom or laundry and you are not going to strip the wallpaper then you need to apply a coat of Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer before topcoating with two coats of Resene Zylone Sheen or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen topcoat colour. Some wallpapers contain a plasticiser and if not sealed this will leach into the waterborne topcoat and render the topcoat paint irreversibly soft.

Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer is based on a very fast evaporating alcohol solvent and is not that easy to use unless you are aware of this. Make sure you work with very good ventilation, apply the wet sealer and lay off quickly and do not work the wet sealer as the drying is very quick and the partially dry sealer can peel off the surface. Discard application tools, brush/roller, as the amount of solvent required to thoroughly clean these is not viable.

August 2021

Q. The house we purchased had painted white walls over wallpaper. Can I paint over it again?

A. Assuming this is for walls outside of a wet area, yes, as long as the existing wall paint is sound and clean. Most wall paint is now waterborne, so apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Zylone Sheen. Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen is a tougher finish and better for walls of high contact.

August 2021

Q. How do I paint over stained internal beams? The beams were stained approx 50 years ago. Type of stain unknown.

A. Apply a coat of Resene StainLock before topcoating with two coats of waterborne topcoat paint.

August 2021

Q. I want to paint over some dark pink walls in a white colour. Is there any way to avoid painting numerous coats to cover up the dark pink colour?

A. Apply an undercoat of Resene Quick Dry.

August 2021

Q. What do we use to paint Durapanel/Triboard walls and ceiling in an aged care facility?

A. Triboard has a core of 0.5mm thick strands sandwiched between surface layers of medium density fibre (MDF). Given this the Resene system for non-wet areas is to apply a primer coat of Resene Quick Dry, and given the facility use to then apply two coats of Resene ClinicalCote in your chosen topcoat colour.

August 2021

Q. I'm wanting to coat a polystyrene male mould to seal and strengthen it against damage. I was told that waterborne epoxy was a good solution. Can I use Resene Uracryl or only Resene Aquapoxy?

A. Resene Aquapoxy would be a better coating as it contains no solvents. The Resene Uracryl 800 Series does contain a solvent component, albeit at a low amount but we can't rule out that it will not attack the polystyrene.

August 2021

Q. I am going to repaint our vertical timber panels lounge walls. The current paint is a hard shiny surface. 120 grit sandpaper hardly seems to touch it but is taking some gloss off but also clogs the sandpaper. I tried rubbing with meths and rubbing very hard and repetitively did see a light paint on the cloth. I’m not sure if acrylic or enamel.

A. The fact that the paint clogs up the sandpaper can only mean a waterborne coating. Given this, wet sanding to profile is the way to go.

August 2021

Q. What paint system is best to paint over some 40 year old hessian which has been glued to a wall with PVA glue?

A. Apply a seal coat of Resene StainLock then you can overcoat with a waterborne topcoat system, such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. If the hessian was not so old you could apply Resene Quick Dry then two coats but there may be a possible stain leaching from the aged hessian which is why I have suggested the Resene StainLock.

August 2021

Q. I am relining my sunroom with GIB®. The project is delayed. I am wondering – can I leave the new GIB® for a year or so before tackling plaster and paint? Or is that a no-no? I do recall that leaving plaster without paint is very bad, is this correct?

A. You can leave the GIB® bare but when you come to paint you will need to apply a coat of Resene Sureseal first. Bare plasterboard can yellow with exposure to light and this will bleed through a total waterborne paint system.

July 2021

Q. Can I use water based paint on my blast freezer (-35'C) racks?

A. For painting the blast freezer must be at ambient temperature for prep/painting and curing, the latter may require at least 5-7 days. Waterborne paints do not have good abrasion resistance and at the blast freezer operating temperature may become brittle and easily damaged.

July 2021

Q. We are looking at painting a feature wall in our master bedroom which will be Resene Double Foundry. I would like advice on what the best finish would be to prevent marks and finger prints showing up on this colour. The remaining three walls will be Resene Black White in a low sheen finish.

I have had mixed reviews on going with a dark colour as some say it does not wipe well, as it leaves a mark and some say go high gloss however I believe this may show up every imperfection on the wall.

A. My recommendation would be to use Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen as the topcoat paint over coated with a coat of Resene SpaceCote Clear. Achieving a perfect finish when rolling dark colours can be difficult but the clear overcoat can improve the finish.

June 2021

Q. I have interior plywood walls to paint in a barn structure. I was originally planning on using water-based Resene Quick Dry undercoat, followed by two topcoats of Resene Zylone Sheen. Would it be ok to use an exterior paint like a Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen? If so, would I even need an undercoat as Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen goes straight over bare timber?

A. There is no technical reason why Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen could not be used but we would still recommend priming with Resene Quick Dry.

June 2021

Q. I am painting bedroom walls. It was heavily plastered plasterboard - so much plaster that barely any plasterboard shows. How do I seal/prime and paint it?

A. Ensure that the plaster skim coat is sanded to an even smooth finish. Dust off and apply a full coat of Resene Sureseal followed by a coat of Resene Quick Dry then two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen tinted to your topcoat colour.

June 2021

Q. Is it possible to have both magnetic and write-on-wall paint on one wall?

A. In principle yes, however the overcoating of the pigmented topcoat applied to the Resene FX Magnetic Magic base with additional film build from the Resene Write-on Wall Paint can reduce the magnetic attraction. Make sure you test the magnetic attraction is strong before overcoating the Resene FX Magnetic Magic.

June 2021

Q. How can I paint onto rigid nylon in an interior?

A. Apply a prime coat of Resene Quick Dry and finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen topcoat colour.

June 2021

Q. I am about to paint walls which have been stripped to original wallpaper. The wallpaper is 70s, vinyl and in near perfect condition now that the newer layer has been removed cleanly. What should I use over it?

A. Ensure the vinyl wallpaper is wiped with warm water and a sponge, change the water a few times, to remove any residual wallpaper adhesive.

Then apply a coat of Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer, a fast drying solventborne sealer, so make sure that if you are applying in a poorly ventilated area that you wear a face mask fitted with an organic cartridge. The solvent is the same as is used for medical swabs but does come off the wet paint very quickly. Don’t overwork the wet paint as you will peel it from the surface and cleaning the application equipment requires a lot of thinner so best to discard application equipment used for sealer application. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in your topcoat colour.

June 2021

Q. My toddler’s room has a very purple feature wall. I was wondering if we were to paint over it with say Resene Avalanche would we first need to go back to a neutral colour base colour first?

A. Apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry then two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

June 2021

Q. I have painted a living room with Resene Lustacryl as I thought it was the right paint (it was the right colour), but now realise it was the one for the trims! The rest of the house is painted in low sheen. Can I over paint with low sheen?

A. As long as the Resene Lustacryl application was applied within the last seven days there is no issue overcoating with Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

June 2021

Q. I have an eighteen month old home that was painted. I find when wiping the woodwork painted with waterborne enamel using Simple Green sprayed on my cloth the paintwork becomes sticky and leaves a black mark on the surface. What cleaners should I use?

A. There are some cleaners, such as Simple Green and Mr Muscle, soften waterborne paints. We have Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner that can be used. For general cleaners, you can use products like Spray and Wipe. The problem with some natural cleaners is they seem to be based on citrus and this can be very aggressive to paints.

May 2021

Q. What paint do I use when painting over stained wood with no prep required? It’s an interior and I’m not sure if it has ever been coated with anything. The wood isn’t shiny so not sure if it has faded or no varnish was applied.

A. Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, paying particular attention to hand contact areas. Then apply a coat of Resene StainLock and finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Zylone Sheen topcoat colour.

May 2021

Q. I have an enquiry about paints' aging and discoloration. We just moved out from a property that we lived for 4.5 years. We realised that there was a patch attached to the master bedroom wall after removing furniture. The wall was patched before we moved in, so it should be more than 5 years since it was patched. There was a piece of furniture since the day we moved in, so the wall was blocked from view for the last 4.5 years. As we never knew there was a patch, we were unable to realise and even now it's hardly noticeable at certain light levels or certain angles when there's sunlight. The original paint colour of the wall is off white - beige, but now it looks a bit old or slightly yellow. It seems like the paint has aged since the building was built.

So I wanted to ask you if there's any possibility that the patch was invisible after installation but begins showing through paint after years as the paint gets aged and discoloured?

A. There are a couple of possible reasons why there may have been a colour change occur under the covered section but without knowing exactly what the original paint and colour was we would not be able to make any firm conclusion. It is possible that the colour on the covered area was the original colour. There are some paint pigments that are bleached by the lighting type, LED lighting seems to be the main lighting type that causes the bleaching. Most paint colours are a combination of a number of colorants one of which may be susceptible to colour loss when exposed to certain light wavelengths.

The paint type can also be a factor, light coloured solventborne enamel paints will show a colour change if areas are covered or exposed to natural or artificial light.

May 2021

Q. My hall wall is 4m high and I’m painting it with Resene SpaceCote Flat. I find that if I roll a strip 1200 wide by 2m at the top of the wall then the same at the bottom I get roller marks in the middle. Any tips on rolling the wall to get a uniform finish?

A. The issue is lap marking, the first section is drying off before you lap in with the second section. For rolling a wall of this height you really need two people working in unison, one for the lower and one for the higher.

April 2021

Q. Please advise which type of paint I should use to paint the insides of a aluminium light shade. After 30 mins of being on, the metal lampshade is completely cool, not even warm.

A. Apply an adhesion coat of Resene Vinyl Etch then topcoat with two coats of a waterborne enamel such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

There will be a residual odour from the Resene Vinyl Etch but this will dissipate within a few weeks. Leave the etch coating for a few days before overcoating.

April 2021

Q. We’ve got some old school water radiators that were painted before with something, We would like to repaint these. What paint would you recommend to paint it with?

A. Assuming the existing paint is an original coating, and no corrosion, then to achieve the required level of heat resistance these radiators will need to be painted with a traditional solventborne enamel system.

Prior to painting the existing paint will need to be thoroughly sanded to profile for recoating. Then apply two coats of Resene Lusta-Glo in your required colour.

There will be a chemical odour released when the radiators are first fired up after painting, so ensure good ventilation is maintained to allow for these odours to be vented to the exterior. Pale colours will yellow over time.

April 2021

Q. What version of paint should I use if I want to hide imperfections on an interior wall? Is it the low sheen waterborne option? I'm putting Resene Half Tea on the walls of a plywood bach.

A. It depends upon how imperfect the wall is. Flat paints are used to hide surface imperfections, for a wall paint use Resene SpaceCote Flat.

March 2021

Q. Is it safe to sleep in a bedroom the night of a freshly painted room, and how long do you have to wait to leave paint dry before running a shower in a freshly painted bathroom?

A. Many people do sleep in the room same night. It depends on the paint used and whether you are sensitive to fresh paint. Make sure you ventilate the painted area well and to be on the safe side you could allow a couple of days before sleeping in the room.

Re the bathroom paint question, it is advisable to wait for the new paint system to cure for at least three days before exposing to steam/condensation. If you have a heater and a dehumidifier then using both is the ideal way to ensure full cure of the new paint system. This assumes that the bathroom paint is a waterborne enamel.

March 2021

Q. I would like to paint a bedroom wall that has been painted with Resene FX Blackboard Paint with an off white. The blackboard wall was painted some years ago and my son has grown up. What is the best way to prepare for a good result, given the paint colour is going from black to white and the wall may have some chalk residue on it still?

A. Wipe down with warm water and a cloth to remove chalk residues. Lightly sand using 240 grit sandpaper, dust off and apply a full coat of Resene Quick Dry before topcoating with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen colour.

March 2021

Q. I believe that my current walls emit VOCs as I have been having allergies since I moved into the place. I would be keen to either repaint the walls or seal the existing paint in to stop emissions. Any advice on whether this would work and what products/contractors to use? I do realise allergies might come from other sources but I did isolate the carpets with plastic sheets, there are no animals, and as soon as I leave the house I feel all good.

A. Only a recently applied paint system would be releasing VOCs in a quantity that may cause a reaction. Most waterborne paints contain a low level of VOC, Resene has Resene Zylone Sheen Zero with no added VOCs which is our paint to apply when VOC is an issue, Resene colourants used to tint the paint also have no added VOCs as defined for the Australian and NZ markets. I suggest that you may want to contact a testing laboratory that can check the indoor air quality within your home, and this may allow any VOC levels to be established. Obviously there will be a cost for this but testing may allay some of your concerns.

February 2021

Q. We have painted new GIB® with your Resene Broadwall Wallboard Sealer and really like the slight off-white colour. Are you able to recommend what colour would be the best match for it when we do our topcoats?

A. This has been matched and is on our in store etint colour data base as a special called ‘Broadwall Pale Blue’. For standard colours, our closest colours are Resene Zircon and Resene Poured Milk.

February 2021

Q. I have recently purchased my first home and the interior is lined with timber panelling; I was just wondering what prep and products would you recommend before painting over it (including what type of paint you would recommend, primers, how many undercoats, best method to paint over panelling, etc). The interior timber has been varnished.

A. To change to a solid paint finish the following is required; Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, paying particular attention to hand contact areas. Lightly sand to degloss, no need to sand back to bare timber, then dust off. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before over coating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Lustacryl.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

February 2021

Q. We have just bought a house with interior paint that's in good condition, but we plan to apply two coats of low sheen acrylic to change the colour of the walls. What's the minimum amount of time we would need to allow between the last coat and misting the rooms with No Bugs Super, made up according to the manufacturer’s instructions?

A. Allow at least four weeks to give the new paint system time to fully develop its ultimate film properties.

February 2021

Q. Our construction company does a lot of townhouse developments and have an ongoing issue I was hoping you can help with. Whenever we have multi-storey units, in the first few months of handing the unit over we tend to get a lot of cracking in the paint up side of the stair stringer where it meets the wall. We have been recommended using a MS sealant up the sides, but the painting company that we use is worried that this will void the warranty on the paint or bring different issues.

We are just hoping for some guidance on this as we are about to start another lot of houses and would like to try and resolve this.

A. Standard paint systems will not form a film over a crack/gap the wet paint undergoes a reduction in volume during drying and also shrinks back from a sharp edge.

Gap fillers are often used but they must be compatible with what they are being applied to, and in this case paintable. Depending upon the gap filler extension the filler may crack if there is a change in the gap width during to substrate movement during an earthquake or building subsidence. Most paint warranties would cover film integrity and adhesion, if there is paint failure due to sealant performance/earthquake/subsidence then I would expect the paint warranty would be negated as the failure would not be directly attributed to the paint system. This could be seen as a design and not a paint issue and best resolved by addressing the design element.

February 2021

Q. We’ve painted most of the walls in our house with Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Black White. But to paint the lounge I accidentally bought Resene Zylone Sheen. Will it look unmatched to the walls in the rest of the house?

A. Both products are low sheen and of a similar but not identical gloss levels.

In the colour you have there would be a small difference but impossible to predict as lighting levels will influence gloss level perception.

February 2021

Q. How long do I need to wait until I can use 3M command strips on my newly painted wall? I used Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel.

A. The Command strips are a USA product and their use is based on the type of coating commonly used in the USA. We have found that the strips often do not adhere to NZ paint formulations, including Resene, so we advise caution against their use without first testing.

January 2021

Q. I'd appreciate your guidance on the best Resene paint system to use to get a flat, matte finish throughout. We are fully repainting the house interior (walls, ceiling, trims) in Resene Alabaster. I understand from my painter that Resene has some specialist products that are allowing you to achieve the flat look while still being durable and able to be spot cleaned. Could you please recommend the best products to use on each of these surfaces?

A. Resene SpaceCote Flat would be the only product to meet your requirements. The cleanability of wall paint increases with gloss level, the standard wall paint we sell is Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

January 2021

Q. We have an interior masonry wall requiring a sealed finish.

A. For a standard clear system apply a seal coat of Resene Concrete Clear Gloss thinned 10% with water then apply two additional coats of Resene Concrete Clear, in this situation my advice is to end up with the highest acceptable gloss level as this is the tougher system and more easily cleaned. For a standard pigmented system, apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal then follow with two coats of Resene Lustacryl waterborne enamel.

In either case, the system can be upgraded to give an anti-graffiti coating by application of two coats of Resene Uracryl GraffitiShield.

December 2020

Q. I want to paint a bare metal fireguard. The top bar gets pretty warm to hand contact, the rest is cooler.

A. The criteria for painting is that you can maintain hand contact on the areas to be coated when the fire is at full heat. If this is the case, the simplest system is to apply a prime coat of Resene ArmourX GP Metal Primer followed by two coats of Resene Super Gloss or Resene Lusta-Glo enamel. If the bare steel is rusty carefully dry sand with 220 wet and dry paper to remove surface corrosion products and to profile.

December 2020

Q. Can you use Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom interior waterborne enamel on bedroom walls?

A. Yes you can - Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom contains increased mould and anti-bacteria protection but this will not prevent use for other rooms.

November 2020

Q. What paint product would you recommend for interior walls that cleans best from spills and sticky kids’ hands on the wall?

A. We recommend Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Lustacryl. The higher the gloss level, the easier cleaning will be.

November 2020

Q. What is the best/safe type of paint to use over the eco heat panel? I’d like to cover up some fabric stain.

A. Painting out Eco Heaters (which is a fibre cement panel) is a simple process and you can use any standard acrylic paint. We'd recommend using two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in your desired colour as a good durable option.

November 2020

Q. Automatic fly spray has damaged my wall. It is sticky and soap and water will not remove the residue. What can I use? The paint is water based.

A. Not an easy situation to fix especially if there has been long term release onto the wall. Wipe the area down using Resene Emulsifiable Solvent Cleaner leave for five minutes then wipe down using a cloth and water until the wash water is no longer cloudy. You will have to extend this beyond the area that seems to have been contaminated as the spray can extend beyond what is visible.

Allow to dry then over the cleaned areas with a coat of Resene Sureseal followed by a coat of Resene StainLock – don’t panic if the wall develops a yellow colour as this is expected. Then apply two coats of Resene Zylone Sheen or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

This approach has been successful but it does depend upon the exposure time of the spray.

September 2020

Q. I have used the rust effect on a fire surround and although it looks good, I would like to paint over part of the surround with a normal paint colour. The rust surface has been sealed with a Resene water based sealer at present. What would be the process please?

A. Assuming they have used Resene Waterborne Aquapel then check surface sealing effectiveness - rub with wet paper towel (5-10 rubs). No or minimal discolouration of paper towel is required. If sealing is poor, apply a coat of Resene Waterborne Aquapel (spread rate as for concrete), apply two coats of Resene StainLock, ideally apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry, then apply waterborne topcoats in your selected colour.

September 2020

Q. We’ve just had new plasterboard installed and plaster skimmed over top of some existing wallpaper. What is the recommended paint system?

A. Apply a coat of Resene Sureseal and finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

September 2020

Q. My wife inadvertently used an oil based primer and painted the bottom half of the walls. We always use latex. I tried to cover with latex primer but a line shows through (not as visible as before but still there). How can I get back to a good primed wall? Use latex again or try to use a couple of coats of finish paint.

A. Our oil based primer can be overcoated with a waterborne topcoat, use two coats of topcoat.

September 2020

Q. Our hallway is very dark with varnished doors. How would we lighten up our hallway?

A. You can paint the walls and doors a light colour.

For the doors which appear to be varnished the following is the prep and system; Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, paying particular attention to hand contact areas. Lightly sand to profile for recoating.

Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before over coating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better. Then apply two coats of Resene Lustacryl.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

For the walls, use Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

September 2020

Q. I currently have wallpaper in my ensuite. I am looking to remove with a wallpaper steamer. I will then check the wall and smooth down where required and then paint. I want to check if anything else is required before painting.

A. After stripping the wallpaper apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal followed by a coat of Resene Quick Dry and finish with two coats of a kitchen and bathroom waterborne enamel topcoat.

September 2020

Q. I am painting the walls (with Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen) and skirting (with Resene Lustacryl) in my place and getting new carpet laid down. How long should I leave the paint to dry before installing the carpet to not ruin the paint job?

A. I would allow at least two weeks cure time for the new paint. The hessian backing of carpets is like sandpaper and even the hardest paint would be damaged if the carpet layers do not take due care to avoid scratching the painted surfaces.

September 2020

Q. What paint can I use to paint a tile frieze?

A. For a glazed tile frieze the following can be used; Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, pay particular attention to hand contact areas.

Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before over coating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Lustacryl.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing. Note that painting will not reproduce the original features of the laminate.

August 2020

Q. I’m new to painting and it seems complicated. I want a matte black interior wall. What do I use?

A. We have Resene SpaceCote Flat which is available tinted to black.

August 2020

Q. We need a paint that is equal to or less than 3 for fire rating purposes. This is because we want to use ply rather than GIB®, can you provide this?

A. It is the substrate that determines the Group rating not the paint system, the exception being to timber/timber composites. Ply is a Group 3 substrate, and will require an approved intumescent system to reduce the G number.

August 2020

Q. I live in a coastal area, and have some internal beams (non-galvanised) that have rusted badly. In most of the area I am able to use a needle scaler to remove the rust nearly completely, and will be using Resene Armourzinc 120, then Resene Armourcote 150 and finish with Resene Uracryl 403. This system has been used very successfully on an external beam.

In some areas internally, I am unable to remove the rust fully - due to an abutting window or surrounding metalwork. On these areas I planned on using Resene Rust-Arrest, then Resene Enamacryl.

As the two areas abut each other, is there an order I shoulder apply the paint in case there is any overlap. i.e. Can Resene Armourcote be applied over the Resene Uracryl, or would Resene Armourzinc be better over Resene Enamacryl. Obviously I will try and avoid overlap, however due to the location, and the desire to ensure the metal is completely coated with one or the other system, is why I am asking the question.

Will Resene Armourzinc 120 have the same rust arrest properties as Resene Rust-Arrest? There are areas where I won’t be able to get the surface totally rust free due to the narrow space.

A. The higher the level of surface prep possible, the longer the corrosion protection that will ensue.

You should look to wash the steel down using Resene Paint Prep and Housewash diluted and used to label instructions before commencing prep work. The prep must achieve a surface where only adherent rust remains or better, no residual corrosion products.

The two systems you describe cannot overlap onto each other at any stage. My advice is to use the Resene Armourzinc 120 system for both areas if possible. Applied over the same level of preparation a zinc rich primer will always achieve better corrosion properties.

August 2020

Q. We purchased 10L of Triple Sea Fog after applying some from a testpot in our kitchen. We just painted a couple of our wardrobes and are now worried that the colour is going to be too dark to use throughout the house (as we had planned). Is there any way of lightening the paint we have bought to say Resene Double Sea Fog?

A. You can lighten the paint - but you would need to add white (untinted) paint of the same kind to make it lighter.

You could test this by taking your testpot of Resene Sea Fog and measuring out a small amount. Then using a white testpot measure out say 50% of the Resene Triple Sea Fog and see if you like that colour better. If that works for you could add 50% of white paint to the Resene Triple Sea Fog you have. You can vary the portion of white paint to Resene Triple Sea Fog but make sure you record what you did in case you need to mix more later.

You could also potentially consider using the darker colour for your first coat and then get the colour you are wishing to use and use that to apply your full second coat. As long as both coats are applied well, this can work as an option. You could test out whether you like this with testpots if you wish.

August 2020

Q. What is the best paint to use for a steel portal frame which is part of the interior of a building? What should I use?

A. The beam needs to be washed down using Resene Roof and Metal Wash diluted and used to label instructions. Then power wire brush to remove loose rust and apply a coat of Resene Rust-Arrest and finish with two coats of Resene Lustacryl.

June 2020

Q. What is the best Resene product to paint a timber shelving unit that's had an oil spill on it? It’s possibly engine or two-stroke oil – it’s been there a good while so I expect a reasonable penetration.

A. There is a dilemma at play here, a waterborne primer may not adhere to the oil stained area while a solventborne primer may activate the oil and bring it to the surface of the primer. Suggest that you look to wipe the oil stain area with a cloth and Resene Thinner No.12, changing the cloth often.

Leave to dry and then apply a coat of Resene Enamel Undercoat and the next day check that the primer has hard dried and see if there is any visible sign of oil leaching in the cured primer.

If there are no signs of oil or drying problems, apply two coats of Resene Super Gloss enamel topcoat.

June 2020

Q. What would you paint Michelangelo tiles with?

A. If you apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal you can then paint with a standard waterborne ceiling paint.

June 2020

Q. We want to paint over varnished wood panelling on our walls. What preparation do we need to do and what primer should we use- etching primer or along those lines?

A. Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, pay particular attention to hand contact areas. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before over coating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Lustacryl. The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

Alternatively after de greasing you can sand (you don’t need to sand the varnish back to bare timber) using 220 grit sandpaper to profile the existing varnish and then apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry before topcoating.

June 2020

Q. We have recently purchased a new house that was painted with Resene products. There are a large number of imperfections in the wall linings that they will need to fix. In doing so, they have advised that they will spot paint the areas, both in white and coloured walls. Is this recommended?

Also, should square edges (ceiling to wall, no Scotia) crack after a short period? Should a coloured wall show brush marks around the edges?

A. Generally when repairing an area on a wall it's good trade practice to paint out the entire affected wall etc. This way it avoids the spot repair area being noticeable which can happen.

I wouldn't expect to see cracking in the square stop area as it defeats the purpose of square stopping. You could check with Winstone Wallboards on their view and expectations around square stopping.

Brush marks can sometimes be seen where ‘cutting in’ has occurred around edges however it really depends on how obvious the brush marks are as to whether they'd be deemed to be acceptable.

June 2020

Q. Can I paint over Seratone®?

A. They aren't typically intended to be painted but we generally have good success. After a thorough degrease use Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer as an adhesion coat. Leave to dry for 48 hours. Then apply, one coat of Resene Quick Dry and two coats of Resene Lustacryl.

June 2020

Q. I’m looking for paints and varnish to seal children’s toys. What would you recommend that’s kid safe?

A. Environmental Choice NZ approved products are safe for children’s toys and cots etc. Generally the best idea is to paint out the toys, allow to dry for two weeks, then wipe down with warm water and a cloth before passing the toys to the children.

Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen is a good choice for toys (it's what's in our testpots also) and also Resene Aquaclear for polyurethaning. Both are waterborne.

June 2020

Q. What do I need to paint MDF with? It is a sleepout off the garage just newly insulated and lined with MDF.

A. Apply a primer coat of Resene Quick Dry and finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen colour.

June 2020

Q. I’m trying to find a baby safe white paint to paint a cot.

A. We recommend Resene Lustacryl, which is Environmental Choice approved and contains no formaldehyde or heavy metal pigments. After painting leave the paint to cure for at least two weeks then wipe down with warm water and a cloth before using.

June 2020

Q. I want to paint the inside of the home I am moving into before I move all my furniture in, this will be in mid to late August. My daughter is worried that the paint won't dry, that the house will smell of paint and the paint will give off toxic fumes.

A. Resene waterborne paints are low in VOC (volatile organic compounds) and as with any interior painting it is all about ventilation to exterior to remove VOCs that come off the paint during drying and curing. Unfortunately some media/internet stories have created a climate that gives the impression that if a paint contains VOCs then the paint is toxic. While this may have some credence for certain types of strong solventborne coatings this does not apply to waterborne paints. Resene has a large range of NZ Environment Choice approved paints with low odour you can use.

June 2020

Q. How do I paint an Econoheater?

A. Econo-Heat Wall Panel Heaters can be painted to match your décor or you can use paint to turn your Econo-Heat Wall Panel Heater into a piece of art.

We usually suggest using a low sheen or flat Resene waterborne enamel for best heat resistance. Customers have used a couple of Resene testpots for this application as the quantity of paint required is small.

To paint simply...

1. Make sure your Econo-Heat Wall Panel Heater is turned off and is at the normal room temperature.
2. Wipe down the surface to ensure it is free of dust.
3. Apply your chosen Resene paint using a nook and cranny roller.
4. Place the nook and cranny roller into a plastic bag between coats so that it doesn't dry out.
5. Apply a second coat of Resene paint.
6. Wash the nook and cranny roller out in water and sit back and enjoy your new look heater.

Quick tips...

1. If you want a more decorative effect on your heater you can apply multiple colours onto your heater and apply by brush if preferred. A roller finish will tend to give the smoothest finish.
2. Only use standard pigmented paints on your heater. Do not use stains or metallic finishes. Only paint the front face of the heater. Do not paint the back.
3. Econo-Heat Wall Panel Heaters need good airflow to work well. Do not place items over the heater or against the heater.
4. Allow 48 hours after applying the paint before turning the heater on, to give the paint time to cure.

June 2020

Q. Can the Resene FX Metallic product be applied to a surface like Melteca®/Formica®?

A. In principle, yes, but the system would be a multicoat system which potentially would place stress on the adhesion primer and the system may be more prone to chipping if you are painting cupboard doors and the like where the surface is subject to regular contact.

Using Resene Interior Paint Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, pay particular attention to hand contact areas.

Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before over coating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better. Then apply a coat of Resene Lumbersider Low Sheen tinted to the metallic base coat colour followed by two coats of Resene FX Metallic colour. A coat of Resene Aquaclear is then required to protect the metallic finish from wear. The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

Note that painting will not reproduce the original features of the laminate.

May 2020

Q. I need to degrease, protect and paint two interior raw steel stair stringers. I need a degreaser, a metal high build primer and a suitable topcoat (semi-enamel or enamel). The colour used throughout the house is Resene Alabaster.

A. For an internal location apply two coats of Resene ArmourX GP Metal Primer then finish with two coats of Resene Lustacryl.

May 2020

Q. I have some slate floor titles to paint as you walk in the door. I want to use the colour black. What paint do I use?

A. Ensure the tiles are clean and apply a coat of Resene Concrete Clear Gloss and finish with 2 coats of Resene Lustacryl Black. For each and every coat, brush out wet paint from valleys in the profile.

May 2020

Q. I have some slate floor titles to paint as you walk in the door. I want to use the colour black. What paint do I use?

A. Ensure the tiles are clean and apply a coat of Resene Concrete Clear Gloss and finish with 2 coats of Resene Lustacryl Black. For each and every coat, brush out wet paint from valleys in the profile.

May 2020

Q. I would like to paint our dairy shed inside. It is concrete and has to withstand water blasting and dairy shed chemicals. It is both pit area and walls They have been painted with a concrete paint previously.

A. If you can completely strip the existing paint coating back to bare concrete then you could use the following system - a seal coat of Resene ArmourBond followed by three coats of Resene Aquapoxy and leave to cure to hard dry then apply a clear coat of Resene GraffitiShield Clear gloss.

You will need to have heating into the pit area to achieve cure, heaters that generate moisture cannot be used for heating.

May 2020

Q. We bought a Lockwood style house that we like to paint fully white.

A. Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner, ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, pay particular attention to hand contact areas. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before over coating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Lustacryl. The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing. The boards in a Lockwood construction can expand and contract with changes in environmental conditions. When there is contraction, a line of the original varnish appears where two boards overlap. If this does occur, prepare and paint as before.

May 2020

Q. I am painting a flat board with Resene Enamacryl. Should I give a light sand with 240 grit sandpaper between coats?

A. Sanding between coats is not required for intercoat adhesion. Waterborne paints are difficult to sand when fresh as the heat generated by sanding softens the paint film and it balls up rather than sands. Fully cured Resene Enamacryl can be sanded and will not show balling when sanded.

May 2020

Q. Our walk-in wardrobe had old wallpaper removed, sanded, pigmented sealer and a plasterer came in and skimmed the lot. I now want to prime and topcoat. What should I use?

A. Apply a coat of Resene Waterborne Wallboard Sealer and finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

May 2020

Q. We have bought an older home with charming glittery ceilings. It's not asbestos, so we are wetting and scraping it off without too much trouble. The surface seems quite good underneath.

Will a broadwall undercoat suit all areas of the house: ceiling, toilet, kitchen, lounge, etc.? What product would be best for topcoat, as we are surrounded by farm land and the ceilings attract a huge numbers of flies?

A. Based on the assumption that the substrate is plasterboard (GIB®) apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal followed by a full coat of Resene Quick Dry and finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom.

We do have a flat waterborne enamel – Resene SpaceCote Fly Deterrent - that does have added fly deterrent but this does not mean that there will be no fly spotting. It deters flies from sitting which means smaller and fewer fly spots but not complete elimination of them. You can ask for the fly deterrent to be added into Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom. The fly deterrent version needs regular re-application every couple of years to maintain repellence and cleaning removes a good proportion of the fly deterrent additive.

April 2020

Q. We are currently renovating our house, including relining all walls. Would you always recommend a primer to go on the finished plaster work, before the standard paint goes on? Do you have recommendations for which product to use in wet areas versus the rest of the house?

A. For stopped plasterboard (GIB®) walls in non-wet areas, apply Resene Broadwall Waterborne Wallboard Sealer then topcoat with Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Zylone Sheen. For Aqualine GIB® in bathrooms, apply a seal coat of Resene Waterborne Sureseal or Resene Sureseal, followed by a coat of Resene Quick Dry and finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom.

April 2020

Q. I am looking to paint over the bricks that surround my inbuilt fire. What paints do you recommend I use?

A. If hand contact can be maintained on the bricks when the fire is at full heat and the bricks are not glazed apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal and finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Lustacryl.

April 2020

Q. We have had the interior walls of our new build painted in Resene White Pointer. We have sought to have the curtain rails powder coated in the same colour, but this colour doesn’t seem to be available in power coating.

A. Powder coatings available tend to be in very limited colour ranges different to what paint suppliers supply for wall paints. The powder coating colours tend to be more in line with the colours you get for roof and joinery work, not what is commonly chosen for walls.

You can use (liquid) paint to coat a curtain rail as an alternative to get a consistent colour finish.

The other option, depending on your joinery colour, is to get the curtain rail to match that so that the look is consistent. That way when you may want to change the paint colour later the curtain rail will still match something else in the room and won't need updating.

We find most customers prefer to do that or opt for a metal look curtain rail, rather than trying to match the wall, because wall colours tend to be changed more regularly.

April 2020

Q. I am considering buying an older Lockwood house. The timber throughout is dark. If I was to have it blonded, would it be as light as the photos on your website. That is the look I am after.

A. It will do however the degree of whiteness can be adjusted by adding Resene Colorwood Enhance White to the coats of Resene Aquaclear.

The system would be as follows; Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, pay particular attention to hand contact areas.

Sand the existing varnish using 220 grit sandpaper to de gloss profile for recoating (do not need to remove the existing varnish) and apply an even coat of Resene Colorwood Whitewash. Application of the whitewash can be tricky as areas of overlap will appear whiter. Then apply two coats of Resene Aquaclear with an added pottle of Resene Colorwood Enhance White. If after applying the Resene Colorwood Whitewash you decided that the level of whiteness is sufficient then there is no need to add the Resene Colorwood Enhance White to the subsequent coats of Resene Aquaclear. If you still want an increased level of white add a pottle of Resene Colorwood Enhance White to the first coat of Resene Aquaclear and assess the level of whiteness. If sufficient then apply the final coat of Resene Aquaclear without the Resene Colorwood Enhance; if not add the Resene Colorwood Enhance again.

April 2020

Q. We need to powder coat aluminium to match Resene Double Black White for a curtain rail. What is the best powder coat colour match?

A. Powder coatings can be difficult as they have a very limited range of colours.

Resene can colour match our paints to a powder coat colour if you confirm a powder coat colour.

What we can't do is match a Resene colour in a powder coat because the powder coat colours are limited to a very small range of colours.

Resene decorative paints are available in thousands of colours. Powder coating colour ranges usually have only 100 or so colours.

What we have found customers will tend to do is:

• Choose a preferred powder coat colour and then Resene can provide a match to that. E.g. if you choose for example Appliance White, we can tint a Resene version of that.
• Choose a colour lighter than the wall colour, or a colour that matches another part of the project. This is commonly done for window joinery.
• In some cases, customers will paint over aluminium with a Resene decorative paint to get exactly the colour they want.

April 2020

Q. Our gas fireplace, which throws out a reasonable amount of heat (i.e. it is not just for looks) has been painted with the Resene Lumbersider waterborne low sheen exterior/interior paint. I had understood it would be painted in a fire-resistant paint (black) as the fire is hot enough that the bricks in the surround around it are hot – you can touch with your hand but not hold there permanently.

A. I see no issues with the paint film igniting but the Resene Lumbersider will soften at temperatures above 60⁰ so may wrinkle over time.

April 2020

Q. I am doing up a large house. There is significant varnished timber that needs to be tidied up.

A. The existing varnish will be many layers of varnish and these will have darkened over time. Isolated touch ups in this situation cannot reproduce the existing varnish colour. Sand areas to be recoated and then apply a solventborne varnish such as Resene Qristal Polyurethane in a matching gloss to the existing finish. The major colour difference will be if any areas are sanded back to bare timber.

April 2020

Q. I have an old ceramic tile hearth that I'd like to paint over. The hearth has an old yunca flued fire sitting on it. I've given the hearth a coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer but want to check if I can use some Resene Walk-on paving paint over the top.

A. Painting is only possible if you can maintain hand contact on the area to be painted when the fire is at full heat. You can apply Resene Walk-on over Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer. The painted surface will be damaged if hot embers fall on the hearth.

April 2020

Q. I want to paint the interior plywood walls and ceiling of my small office cabin. Some of the panels have knots and staining from a water leak that I wish to cover up. Also, it looks like the plywood has had some sort of clear sealer applied. I would like to know what I should use as a primer and topcoat.

A. Apply a coat of Resene Sureseal then finish with two coats of Resene topcoat.

April 2020

Q. Is the Resene Uracryl paint system suitable for a wall in an indoor pool environment (not in the pool itself). Secondly do you have a paint system for the same indoor pool setting that can go over structural zinc plates as protection?

A. A Resene Uracryl paint system can be applied to an appropriately prepared substrate. For the galvanised substrate apply 2-3 coats of Resene Armourcote 221 then apply two coats of Resene Uracryl topcoat. Sand areas of glossy galvanising to degloss before primer application.

April 2020

Q. I have Resene Lumbersider on some internal walls that will get marked by workers passing through. I would like to overcoat with a clear glaze – what do you recommend?

A. We recommend Resene SpaceCote Clear.

March 2020

Q. How do I best do touch ups on GIB® plasterboard on a new build?

A. Seamless touch ups are difficult to achieve, best results are obtained using the original paint and application method. Thin the paint 10% with water and apply using the original application method and feather the paint out beyond the repaired area.

March 2020

Q. I have stucco type rough interior walls and ceiling in a 1969 house. It traps a lot of dust. I wish to paint those walls. Please suggest me the process options and paint application so that it can be vacuumed or cleaned with a wet cloth.

A. I do not believe that application of a standard paint system will achieve what you want. You may have to consider plastering first to achieve a smooth finish.

March 2020

Q. I want to paint the edges of ceramic tile on a fireplace surround. Which epoxy product do you have that I can tint dark green and apply to ceramic tile? The tiles are glazed ceramic face, the edges are unglazed. The painting is for aesthetic appeal.

A. We only have one suitable epoxy, Resene Armourcote 510.

March 2020

Q. Please would you advise what kind of paint would cover white painted aluminium curtain rails? We would like to paint them deep bronze, to match our aluminium window colour.

A. The curtain rails will be powdercoated. The following is recommended as the priming before applying a waterborne paint coating.

Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, pay particular attention to hand contact areas. A sand with 400 wet and dry sandpaper will assist in achieving the maximum primer adhesion.

Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before over coating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better.

March 2020

Q. We have recently moved into a property and the previous owner had one room as a prayer room and lit essence, which has a lingering odour. Is there any paint or can you suggest a remedy as the smell can be intense.

A. Only suggestion is that if there are curtains and carpets in the room, to get the curtains dry cleaned and the carpet commercially cleaned, possibly steam cleaned.

Wipe the wall down using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner changing the cloth regularly.

Ventilate the room as much as possible and then review the odour level.

February 2020

Q. I have just painted with chalk paint and sanded it back. What product can I put on this that is clear and not glossy so it is protected for day to day use?

A. We only have a soft wax clear coating available – Karen Walker Soft Wax.

February 2020

Q. I just want a simple white paint for the walls in my new shop. It needs to be wipeable and flat (not too shiny). The walls will be a combination of MDF and plywood.

A. Apply Resene Quick Dry as the primer for both substrates then finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Flat.

February 2020

Q. We have purchased a house and everything has been painted in standard wall paint, doors, frames, windowsills, bathrooms and even the kitchen cupboards! I am wondering if it is possible to paint over the areas that need a more durable paint with just a simple sand as preparation. Or do I need to fully remove the original paint? The paint work is in extremely good condition as has only been completed recently.

A. After ensuring the surfaces to be painted are degreased recommend a sand to profile, then application of a full coat of Resene Quick Dry before applying two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. There is a kitchen and bathroom version for bathrooms/kitchens/wet areas.

January 2020

Q. I have some Resene Alabaster low sheen kitchen and bathroom paint here which was used in the kitchen. I'm thinking of using it for the walls and or ceiling in a bedroom. Is it okay for this use (I'm assuming the kitchen and bathroom designation means it is okay for use in those harsher environments, but will be fine in a bedroom)?

A. Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom can be used in any room of the house. The extra benefits are anti-bacterial silver and extra mould protection.

January 2020

Q. I've just bought a house painted in very bold colours, and plan to repaint the interior in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in Resene Half Bianca. In the rooms with darker colours, do I need to prime the walls, or simply sand them lightly and apply three or so coats of paint?

A. Recommend application of a full coat of Resene Quick Dry prior to application of the lighter topcoat colour.

January 2020

Q. I have a 1980s Lockwood-style Signature home. The varnished wood has oranged with age. What product could I use on this if I want to blonde/lighten/whitewash the wood?

A. Clean down using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner. Sand to degloss the existing varnish surface. Apply an even wet coat of Resene Colorwood Whitewash and follow with a coat of Resene Aquaclear varnish. If you want to increase the level of whiteness add a pottle of Resene Colorwood Enhance White to the Resene Aquaclear coat.

Application of the Colorwood Whitewash must be done to avoid overlaps along a section as the overlap will show up as a whiter area.

December 2019

Q. I have lined a sleep out with good quality plywood. I would like advice on a clear varnish/polyurethane, sealer etc to use.

A. Resene Aquaclear (three coats) would be our recommendation for internal plywood.

December 2019

Q. I need a specification for an internal finish for a Nelson Pine LVL structure. The building is an oyster hatchery so has internal saltwater in the air.

A. We recommend four coats of Resene Polythane for internal LVL. We recommend this system for LVL used in internal swimming pool complexes.

December 2019

Q. I have used Resene SpaceCote Flat waterborne flat enamel paint to paint some speakers. Can I overcoat with a solvent based polyurethane once cured?

A. We do not recommend application of a solventborne varnish clear over this product. However we do have Resene SpaceCote Clear which can be applied to protect the pigmented coat from contact damage.

December 2019

Q. I have a pillar of bricks (previously unpainted) in my living room which I wish to paint with Resene Lustacryl to match my walls. Could you please advise me which undercoat/s or sealer/s I need to apply before painting? The bricks are unglazed and are not part of a fire surround.

A. Apply a coat of Resene Concrete Primer thinned 10% with water as the seal coat then apply two coats of Resene Lustacryl.

December 2019

Q. Please give me some tips for sprucing up rooms before staging ready for sale.

A. A fresh paint job can modernise a room and help it feel newer and higher quality. Aim to use a low sheen finish, such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, on walls, a semi-gloss finish, such as Resene Lustacryl, on trim, joinery and doors and a flat finish, such as Resene Ceiling Paint, on ceilings. The semi-gloss finish on doors will make it easier to wipe away fingerprint marks and keep the doors in good condition.

There are many off-white options, each with different undertones, which can be hard to see in isolation. Resene ColorShops have A4 painted swatches of Resene colours in their in store Colour Library so you can view each colour in a larger size. Slip a piece of white photocopy paper under off-white samples to see the undertones.

Colours in an interior tend to look much darker and intense than you may expect. If in double choose a lighter option. The same colour on a ceiling and a wall will look different.

The colour on the ceiling will look darker because there is no light falling on it. If you want to achieve a similar colour look throughout the space use a half version of the wall colour for the ceiling. If you want the ceiling to look lighter, use a quarter variant or opt for a colour such as Resene Alabaster or Resene White.

The ‘right’ neutral is the colour that relates best to the greatest number of other elements but can still be used as a standalone colour without appearing bland.

Old built in furniture or furniture that comes as part of a rental package can be easily spruced up with paint. On smooth surfaces coat first with Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer before topcoating. Stained timber furniture and features can be sanded and then rejuvenated with tinted Resene Colorwood wood stain and Resene Aquaclear.

When you’re choosing colours for a room refresh, first choose elements such as carpet, laminate, cabinetry etc first as there are fewer choices available. Then choose your paint colour. It’s easier to find a paint colour to match these items.

Current popular neutrals are those that tend towards black and grey undertones – try Resene Alabaster, Resene Black White and Resene Sea Fog. For a warmer feel try Resene Quarter Spanish White.

December 2019

Q. I have promised my kids I will paint their room and want to do something different but don’t know where to start. Please help.

A. When you’re decorating children’s rooms, there are lots of decisions to make. Does the room need to have the same colour palette as the rest of the house or are you happy for this room to reflect your child’s personality? Who is going to choose the colour – your child, you or are you going to choose it together?

If you decide you want the colour palette to fit with the rest of your home but still want your child’s personality to shine through, one option is to keep all the room colours the same as your home’s main colour palette, but add a feature wall in your child’s favourite colour. If you are clever with the placement of the feature wall your child can enjoy it while they are in the room, but it won’t be seen from a hallway if you are walking past. Another option is to bring their personality into other elements in the room – upcycle furniture by painting it in their favourite Resene colours. Paint the inside of their wardrobe or the back of the wardrobe doors for them to enjoy. Use Resene testpots to paint photo and art frames and decorate ornaments.

When it comes to choosing the colour it’s always good to let your child have some say in the colour decision. Either give them a Resene KidzColour colour chart and let them point out their favourites and then you can decide where they will work, or else pre-select a range of colours you could live with and let them choose from those. If you’re keen to avoid an all pink or blue, lime is a popular option for boys and girls and can be teamed with purple for a more girly look. Orange is also a popular alternative to pink and blue. If your child is already high energy, you might want to consider softer tones to help them relax.

As well as the walls, think about the floor and ceiling. For a space mad child you would paint the ceiling in a dark blue and add glow in the dark stars with Resene FX Nightlight. Or for a soothing look, opt for a light blue and sponge on clouds in white.

Expand your child’s playing space onto their walls with a blackboard or whiteboard they can write on (using Resene FX Blackboard Paint or Resene FX Write-on Wall Paint) or create a magnetic wall with Resene FX Magnetic Magic. With a magnetic wall you can then create scenes using magnets that your child can play with. As well as hours of fun, they can also enjoy a whole new look each time they move their magnets around.

Some parents create works of art on their walls. If you have an artistic streak, go for it. If you’re less artistically minded, but like the idea of something a little different, consider a colour blocked effect. Simply select a small number of favourite Resene colours, choose a shape, e.g. triangles or similar, and create a geometric pattern on the wall using low tack masking tape. Paint different masking off areas in different colours, then peel off the tape. If your child can’t decide on one favourite, you can incorporate many favourites into one wall. The colour blocks can be any shape you like. While geometric shapes are normally the easiest, if your child loves a particular hobby you could use a shape from that hobby as inspiration for your wall.

See the Habitat plus – kids’ spaces booklet for more ideas.

December 2019

Q. I am building a deer shed with timber ply walls, a concrete floor and some metal. What do I need to do to coat the interior?

A. Clean all surfaces (timber, concrete and metal) thoroughly with Resene Heavy Duty Paint and Prep and Oil Remover.

Clean timber ply (as above) then apply 3-4 coats Resene Polythane envelope sealed (on all edges).

For the concrete floor, clean (as above), diamond grind, then apply one coat Resene ArmourBond and two coats of Resene Aquapoxy.

For the metal, clean (as above) then prepare with 3M disc. Apply three coats of Resene Armourcote 221 and two coats Uracryl 403.

December 2019

Q. Fly spray leaked onto a wall coated with Resene Zylone Sheen. We tried to clean it up with detergent and recoat with Resene Quick Dry. The surface is still slightly tacky. Should I put on a sealer coat?

A. The issue is that the solvents used in the spray has plasticised (permanently softened) the wall paint. We recommend you apply a coat of Resene Sureseal, allow to dry overnight then apply a coat of Resene StainLock over the Resene Sureseal then re topcoat. You will find that the area affected will be extend beyond the initial contact site. This has been successful for others but it depends upon how much spray has been deposited onto the surface.

December 2019

Q. Is it possible to paint slate tiles and if so what is the protocol and product to be used? We would like a coloured finish.

A. Yes but if the slate surface is textured there can be wear on the higher points. Ensure the slate is clean and free from grease/oil. We recommend applying Resene Concrete Clear Gloss and finish with two coats of Lustacryl for a coloured finish.

December 2019

Q. What prep is necessary to paint over Lockwood interior knotty pine walls? They look shiny as if they have a polyurethane coating but I'm not sure?

A. Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, pay particular attention to hand contact areas.

Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before over coating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

The sections of timber in a Lockwood can undergo a change in dimension with changing conditions, this can result in a line of the original varnish appearing. In the event of thus occurring you will need to repeat the above.

December 2019

Q. Is it safe to sleep in a bedroom newly painted with Resene paint?

A. If you have used a waterborne paint there is no real issue with sleeping in the room but to be sure allow at least 48 hours with good ventilation to allow for all volatiles to be released and vented.

December 2019

Q. What type of topcoat paint can I use to paint over a previously painted fibre board cement panel around a pot belly stove?

A. As long as you can maintain hand contact on the area to be painted when the fire is at full heat then Resene Lustacryl can be used as the topcoat.

December 2019

Q. We’ve removed some shelving that was glued to a wall - this has resulted in some of the GIB® plasterboard paper peeling back. We understand we need to seal this with a non-waterborne paint prior to replastering. We have some Resene Wood Primer general purpose solventborne exterior/interior – will this do? We will be plastering over the paint.

A. Resene Sureseal is the recommended sealer for this application.

December 2019

Q. I want to restore some stained porcelain. I would need a primer for smooth surfaces and acrylic latex paint.

A. For a decorative system only the following can be used, note the paint system does not allow for washing in hot detergent solution or in a dishwasher. Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, paying particular attention to hand contact areas.

Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Lustacryl.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

December 2019

Q. I would like to paint my fridge. What primer, paint and sealant would you recommend?

A. Ensure the surfaces are degreased using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner, paying particular attention to areas of hand contact. Then wet sand using 400 wet and dry sandpaper to de-gloss the existing paint finish. Then apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry and finish with two coats of Resene Lusta-Glo or Resene Super Gloss enamel.

December 2019

Q. I want to have a pink fridge - but the only ones available are too expensive. Is there a way I can paint my current fridge and what do you suggest? I'm thinking Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer first (don't want to sand if possible) then what do I use - a gloss enamel? I really don't want to spray it. 

A. Yes you could use the Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer as the adhesion primer.

Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, pay particular attention to hand contact areas.

Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before over coating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better.

The data sheet gives a shorter recoat time but the longer the sealer is left to cure the better. Apply a coat of Resene Enamel Undercoat before topcoating with Resene Super Gloss tinted to your desired colour.

Q. Can you recommend a transparent matt coating for Prime Panels American White Oak veneer?  This will not be subjected to UV or moisture.

A. We recommend Resene Aquaclear Natural.

Q. I wish to apply Resene Desperado to Woodtex. As it is a dark colour would you advise a primer or undercoat of the same colour? Woodtex is a nest of wood, grated like cheese and mixed with water and Portland cement, then compresses.

A. If the role of the Woodtex is for acoustic control then you can only apply low films of a paint system without affecting the acoustic properties. With other similar boards, the recommendation is to apply two thin coats of a waterborne paint by spray, but apply the second coat at right angles to the first. Suggest you may have to trial using Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen tinted to the colour.

October 2019

Q. We used the Resene FX Write-on Wall Paint on our daughter's wall a couple of years ago and now wish to paint over it with standard Resene paint. Can you tell me the best way to either remove the whiteboard paint or the best method to paint over it? We have base embossed wallpaper under the whiteboard paint so sanding is not an option.

A. Wipe the coated area down with meths and a cloth to remove any residual marker residues then sand with 220 grit sandpaper to degloss (no need to sand off the Resene FX Write-on Wall Paint layer, just to profile for recoating). Apply a full coat of Resene Quick Dry and finish with two coats of Resene Zylone Sheen or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

October 2019

Q. What is the best Resene product for painting a brick fireplace surround? The fireplace has an insert wood heater with a door. Elastomeric latex, heat resistant and oil or water based paint? The brick surround gets warm in parts but not hot. The bricks are glazed.

A. Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, pay particular attention to hand contact areas.

Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Lustacryl (semi-gloss).

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

Note that painting will not reproduce the original features of the glazed bricks.

Q. We have rebuilt a house from the studs up. We want to paint all the ceilings, windows and doors white, and the walls and trims in a concrete colour. Everything will need sealing/priming first. What paint products do you suggest? Is there one product that will do everything? Children will be living in the house once completed, so finishes need to be hard wearing and cleanable.

A. We recommend Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen and for wet areas, Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom applied over the appropriate substrate priming system.

Q. I am a glass artist who cuts glass and makes collage glass wall hangings. I would like to know how to colour glass (like on a splashback), not onto toughened glass but normal glass so I can cut it with a glass cutter. I don't know how to spray, but if I could paint it on, in different colours that would be awesome. Colour would also need to last a long time and not fade.

A. When painting the reverse side of glass as is the case for splashbacks, the glass must be low iron. If you look side on at a piece of cut glass, you will see that is has a distinct green colour. This sees the colour viewed through the glass being very different from the back face colour.

Given that the colour is being applied to the reverse side of the glass, there should be no reason why the paint colour cannot be brushed with thinning.

Q. We had our home painted in 2008 and we need some touch up paint - the colour was Resene Double Blanc - do you still have anything like this or can you help?

A. Yes, the colour formulation still exists.  However, when touching up the gloss level of the original paint it is just as important as the colour. If this is an exterior touch up, there will be significant reduction in gloss loss level and (possible colour change due to the action of weathering). This often makes a seamless touch up not possible.

Q. My bed has left a mark on the wall, which I then tried to scrub off but had no luck, so I tried to paint over it trying to match paint, also didn't work, so I tried to scrub that off and I've scrubbed off too much paint in areas and basically just made a mess of it.

I need some help with either matching paint to the wall or if worst comes to worst then repainting the room.

A. Assuming the existing wall paint is waterborne, lightly sand the area to be repaired with 240 grit sandpaper, dust off and spot prime with Resene Quick Dry then apply two coats of colour in the same gloss level as the existing paint (thin the portion of touch up paint with 10% water). Feather out to blend into the existing paint. If touching up using a different application tool to what was originally used then this can make the touch up more obvious.

Q. Could you advise of the best materials/paints to prepare and paint an internal brick wall/wood burner surround?

A. Our criteria for painting in this situation is that you must be able to maintain hand contact on the areas to be painted when the fire is at full heat.

If this is the case then apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal followed by two coats of Resene Lusta-Glo enamel.

Over time, light topcoat colours will yellow. There is no waterborne system for this application. In the early stages of using the fire there may be a solvent odour released as the paint becomes hotter but this will dissipate. It's best to allow ventilation during early use.

Q. My bedroom wardrobe was painted with foul smelling old paint that had gone off (I'll never know why). The smell is very strong and horrible and it's all through the house. Is there a product I can use to seal in the smell? I'm due to have new carpet laid in 4 days. 

A. If the paint was a waterborne paint, it may have been contaminated with bacteria. If this is the case then wipe the areas down using a bleach solution such as Resene Moss & Mould Killer diluted and used to label directions. Wipe down with water and a cloth after this treatment then allow to dry.  Then apply two coats of Resene Quick Dry primer undercoat. As long as the mould treatment is effective, Resene Quick Dry has a package to inhibit future mould growth. If you want a specific colour overcoat, paint the primed areas with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom.

Q. The concrete blocks on the ground floor of our 1980s style home have been painted but the paint is now faded and needs repainting. We have a dehumidifier working on the inside to take care of any moisture which must be coming through the blockwork. What is the best option to seal the outside?

A. Check that there are no pointing defects (pointing is the mortar that holds the bricks together) that may be allowing moisture ingress. If the pointing is sound, wash the existing paint down using Resene Resene Paint Prep and Housewash diluted and used to label directions to achieve a clean, chalk free surface then apply three coats of Resene X-200.

Q. Can I paint an inside hallway and bedroom with a flat paint finish if so what one is best?

A. Yes you can.  We recommend Resene SpaceCote Flat.

Q. I would like to paint our radiators to match our wall colour. They are new radiators, glossy white. What sort of paint product would be best to use please? They are located throughout our house in bedrooms; office; hallway and bathrooms.  The radiators don't ever get so hot they can't be touched. I'd say it's similar to a standard oil heater, in terms of heat level.

A. Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner, ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, and pay particular attention to hand contact areas.

Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow curing without water contact for at least 48 hours before over coating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better.

Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen tinted to your required colour.

Not sure how practical the system will be to apply to the radiator configuration you have but this is our recommended system.

Q. Which product would be suitable for painting behind tanalised timber retaining walls, prior to back-filling in order to give greater protection; I'm thinking something like tar or pitch. Would you have any suggestions?

A. We recommend Resene Water Lockout.

Q. Could you please advise what product I should use to paint a tiled fireplace surround? I can maintain hand contact when the fire is on so it doesn’t get too hot. The tiles don't look glazed or at least aren't glossy.

A. We recommend you apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal and finish with two coats of Resene Lusta-Glo in your selected colour. Paler colours may yellow upon ageing. The degree and onset of yellowing will be determined as the paint becomes warm. There will be a period of release of a solvent type odour which will dissipate over time; good ventilation is recommended for early use.

Q. I'm looking to repaint the bedrooms in our house a white colour again. I have done the exterior and have a lot of left over Resene Quick Dry undercoat. Is it ok to use this on the interior?

A. Resene Quick Dry can be used as a primer/undercoat for both exterior and interior applications.

Q.  I would like to paint our house interior Resene Double Alabaster so it is bright and airy. My current house is Resene Half Sea Fog which can look a little dirty when it shadows. The paint has said that they may need an extra coat of if the colour is from the Resene Alabaster range. Is this true? Is there an alternate colour you can recommend?

A. We have looked at this over many years, if the colour is applied at the correct spreading rate there is no coverage issue. Additional coats may be required if application is over a dark existing colour. If the painter is concerned then he can apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry before the two coats of topcoat.

Q. What is the best acrylic paint type for internal walls, wet and non-wet areas? Also, what is the best paint type for internal trim, skirting, architraves, windowsill and frames and for steps, oil or acrylic? I need something durable to withstand hard wearing knocks and bumps, even splashes and a little moisture in the bedrooms, hallways, lounges and kitchen.

A. Best waterborne paint for walls in non-wet areas, Resene Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene SpaceCote Flat, for wet area (bathrooms) is Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom or Resene SpaceCote Flat Kitchen & Bathroom.

The best waterborne paint for skirtings/doors etc. is Resene Lustacryl, for wet area Resene Lustacryl Kitchen & Bathroom version.

Q. I'm after a paint that will cover fly poo. Does Resene have a paint that will do that?

A. You need to apply a solventborne sealer, Resene Sureseal then a waterborne undercoat, Resene Quick Dry. Then topcoat in your chosen Resene finish.

Q. We are about to purchase a home. The ceilings are either glossed painted pinex sheets or Michelangelo tiles. The walls have a variety of wallpapers. We wish to repaint the ceilings with a flat finish and to paint finish the walls. The home is 20 years old. Can you advise the best systems and prep specs to use please?

A. We need to separate wet areas, i.e. bathrooms from other looks within the house.

For the walls, the system would be a coat of Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer followed by two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, for bathrooms apply Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom.

You can use Resene Zylone Sheen as the topcoat system for areas outside of wet areas, but Resene SpaceCote is a tougher finish.

Your description that the ceilings are full gloss, suggests that the paint system on ceilings may be full gloss enamel. So apply a coat of Resene StainLock  and finish with two coats of Resene Ceiling Velvet  flat for non-wet areas.  Or you could topcoat with Resene SpaceCote Flat. 

Q. I used Resene Sureseal to undercoat a room. Do I need to lightly sand it before the two coats of topcoat? I have heard that it is good practice to sand between coats.

A. There is no technical reason to sand the Resene Sureseal before topcoating with Resene waterborne topcoats. However, if you have applied to sealer to new stopped plasterboard, there may be areas where paper raising has occurred and these areas can be de-nibbled by giving it a light sanding.

There is no need to sand between layers of waterborne topcoat, in fact it is difficult to sand freshly applied waterborne paint as the heat generated by sanding causes the paint to roll up.

Q. We are using Resene Write-on Wall Paint in our commercial fit-out. Can you please clarify if the whiteboard paint is matt and will function as a projector wall?

A. Resene Write-on Wall Paint is a clear gloss that is applied over a pigmented base colour. The base colour we recommend for projection onto is Resene Silver Sand and can then be overcoated with Resene Write-on Wall Paint then used for projection. There will be an increased reflection due to the Resene Write-on Wall Paint gloss but this should not eliminate the system from use as a projection system.

Q. I have had my bedroom plastered and had GIB® Cove installed by a professional. I used Resene Sureseal then two coats of Resene SpaceCote. I have just noticed deep cracks appearing under the bottom of the GIB® Cove. I am not sure if this is a paint problem or something else. 

A. Can't see any reason to say that it is a problem with the paint but it may be due to overcoating of the Resene Sureseal before it had fully dried, or over-building of the Resene SpaceCote topcoats. When a waterborne paint is over-built, it can have surface but not through dry and after a time a phenomenon known as mud cracking can occur.

The other possibility is movement of the coving.

Q. I have just built a Hampton style home, with floor to ceiling tongue and groove walls in my mudroom. I am going to be painting them in Resene Black White but what finish options would you recommend? My skirting and architraves will be semi-gloss. 

A. We recommend Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

A. Apply solventborne Resene Waterborne Aquapel to saturate the surface, leave to cure for at least 48 hours with good ventilation before topcoating.

Q. We have a Lockwood home built in the 70s and the walls are definitely out of date. We would like to paint it using Resene products. The walls are covered with a polyurethane coating and we will sand this off lightly before applying a sealer/primer. We want to know what Resene primer/undercoat is best (preferably water based) and we do not want any bleed through. We would like your professional opinion as to water based undercoat compatibility with old Lockwood as opposed to oil based.

A. Ensure the existing polyurethane is grease free and lightly sanded then apply an adhesion coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages, the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

Note: The walls of Lockwood can expand and contract, if the wall sections shrink this can expose a line of the original varnish system where boards overlap. 

Q. I'm looking to repaint the bedrooms in our house, repainting them white again. I did the entire exterior and have a lot of left over undercoat. Is it ok to use this on the interior?

A. Resene Quick Dry can be used as a primer/undercoat for both exterior and interior applications.

Q. What is the ideal temperature to paint walls and ceilings inside?

A. Around 18⁰C with humidity in the mid 60s.

Q. We have specified Resene Aquapoxy to be painted on an internal concrete wall for a new laboratory fit-out project. Can you please check and advise if the Resene Aquapoxy paint will be compatible with the proposed foam and sanitiser systems?

A. A full cured Resene Aquapoxy system will be resistant to sanitising using Foam Klenz, but will discolour when exposed to TOPACTIVE DES as the latter contains strong oxidants.

We assume that the sanitisers are washed off the coated surfaces are part of the process.

Overcoating of the Resene Aquapoxy with a waterborne two pack pigmented polyurethane topcoat such as Resene Uracryl 803 will allow for cleaning with the TOPACTIVE DES sanitiser.

Q. I bought paint to start painting my whole house from inside. I'm being told by others not to do it in winter. Can I turn the heaters or dehumidifier on and paint or not?

A. There are recommended application conditions for application of waterborne paints. During winter, the interior temperature and humidity requirements for application of waterborne paint are often outside of the required application conditions. To achieve the required environment conditions, a combination of heating and removal of water from the room atmosphere (dehumidifying) will allow application of waterborne paint to be undertaken.

Suggest that prior to paint application, that the interior room temperature is brought up to around 15 degrees Celsius, then when application of a coat of paint is completed switch on the dehumidifier while maintaining room heating. Note that heating must be with a heater that does not produce water vapour. Electric heaters will not produce water vapour and are safe to use for achieving drying of waterborne paint.

Q. I am considering installing a 'built-in' gas fireplace in our living room. It would be put into a plasterboard wall that has been painted with Resene paint but I can't remember which product.

The installation manual for the fireplace quotes "NOTE: The wall lining directly above the appliance will get warm and hence may discolour paint finishes that are susceptible to temperature damage or distort vinyl wall coverings. For durability of finishes and surfaces you should contact the relevant manufacturer for their specification and avoid materials with temperature ratings less than 80deg C."

I would be happy to repaint the wall with an appropriate product that can withstand those sorts of temperatures. Do you have a suitable product?

A. A solventborne enamel system will achieve the heat resistance but pale colours will yellow over time.

Apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal to the bare plasterboard then apply two coats of Resene Lusta-Glo.

Q. I've had painters in and they have been using a white Resene semi-gloss waterborne paint.  They had one hard-to-reach spot which they have done today - two coats within 1.5 hours.  I questioned how this was possible given a recoat time of two hours and they insisted the paint was dry as it was warm in the skylight well.  They said the paint looks fine.  I questioned whether there was another reason for the repaint time such as durability. 

A. The recoat time is a function of temperature, humidity and air flow.

The data sheet/label recoat times are usually at 18 degrees Celsius, and at higher temperatures, lower humidity and good air flow, the paint can dry faster and be recoated quicker.

If this is an internal application I see no real issue re durability.

Q. Is it possible to paint a melamine wardrobe? I am hoping to restore an old one for my daughter, so do you think it's possible to sand it back and apply primer and then waterbased or acrylic paint?

A. Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, and pay particular attention to hand contact areas.

Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before over coating. The sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film thickness or give opacity, the thinner the coat the better. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Lustacryl.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages, the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

Note that painting will not reproduce the original features of the laminate.

Q. I want to paint a metal lampshade which I think is tin. What prep and paint type is recommended please?

A. Apply a primer coat of Resene Vinyl Etch then apply two coats of Resene Lustacryl.

Q. I have a late 1960s house. It has a concrete block basement flat and I wish to strip it back to bare blocks and insulate and clad it to meet incoming regulations. What paint system should I use on the interior of the blocks to limit dampness coming through the blocks, prior to insulation and recladding? All walls are above outside ground level. The outside blocks have plaster finish, painted with your acrylic paint.

A. The way to prevent the passage of water through the blockwork is to install a weathertight system such as Resene X-200  to the exterior of the blockwork. The existing exterior paint system is not achieving the required degree of weather tightness which may be due to the system applied or issues with pointing/flashing details. While we do have Resene HydraBlock, which is applied to achieve a water barrier to the internal face when the exterior face is back filled, it is very much an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff solution and our advice is always to render the exterior face, weather tight.

 You may need to excavate at the base of the exterior wall and apply a bituminous membrane system to achieve below ground level water tightness.

Q. We just bought a new house and are looking at repainting our lounge. The paint is currently high gloss enamel. We are thinking about a low sheen Resene Half Sea Fog. How do we prepare the walls for painting? Do we just sand and paint or do we need a primer? 

A. Degrease using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner then thoroughly sand to degloss, then apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry. You can then apply Resene interior wall paint such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. For wet areas such as bathrooms use the Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom version of the topcoat.

Q. Do you produce a projection surface paint? We have 18mm MDF we want to project onto so need to paint it to get good light gain. 

A. We have used the Resene colour Silver Sand as the colour to project onto. Apply a primer coat of Resene Quick Dry and then two coats of Resene SpaceCote Flat tinted to the colour.

Q. I am thinking about painting our tile hearth when we get our wood burner replaced shortly. Can you advise what Resene products would be best to achieve this?

A. Painting of the hearth will only give a colour change, as the painted finish will not be resistant to hot ash or embers contact. If the tiles are glazed, then the following can be used - Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner which ensures the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, paying particular attention to hand contact areas. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow curing without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. Roll all coats using the recommended roller sleeve. The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages, the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

Q. I have a brick fireplace and the bricks are an ugly orange colour. I'm going to be wallpapering so I want it painted white. How do I go about this? The bricks are in decent condition. Some websites say high temp, others latex. The bricks are unglazed and we don't use the fire because we have two heat pumps. Please help!

A. We only allow for painting if hand contact can be maintained on the bricks when the fire is at full heat.

Apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal, followed by an undercoat of Resene Quick Dry and finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. Can you please outline the aesthetic difference between Resene Aquaclear and Resene Qristal Clear polyurethane topcoats?

A. There are differences in gloss level of the same gloss description between the water and solventborne clears. The choice is usually made on VOC levels or personal preference.

The Resene Qristal clears will undergo progressive yellowing over time whereas the Resene Aquaclear will not.

Q. I have recently had some renovation work done in my dining room and now the walls, sills and frames need painting. The room gets a lot of sunlight - has a high UV, so should I use a clear marine polyurethane or a marine varnish? I would prefer not to use a high gloss. What are my options?

Also, after filling the screw holes with filler it has left a tide mark around the filled hole. Do I need to sand back before applying any painted product?

A. Typically marine polyurethanes are gloss so as provide the most protection against UV, however they also specify between 5-8 coats to achieve a good level of UV stability, and then regular maintenance.

Unfortunately the UV exposure in NZ is the highest in the world and therefore clear polyurethanes (exposed to UV) don't offer a lot of protection to the timber they are applied over.

Our most common product for interior use in the situation you have would be Resene Qristal Clear which has gloss, semi-gloss and flat options.

You would need to sand the areas you mention prior to applying any clear coating.

Q. What paint would be suitable to paint the exterior of old milk and cream vats? They are old cream vats that farmers used to send their cream and milk to the dairy factories in. They are made of steel and have had a thin layer of tin over the steel. I will be using it as food storage in redecorated farmhouse kitchen. Food will be left in their bought packaging so won’t be touching the metal at all.

A. Degrease with Resene Roof and Metal Wash diluted and used to label directions then apply a primer coat of Resene Vinyl Etch, then follow with an undercoat of Resene Quick Dry and finish with two coats of Resene Lustacryl.

Q. We have a Robo can on the wall and the residue has dripped down the wall, soaking into the wall. We have undercoated/painted over it but the residue has come back through the paint as a greasy looking mark. What do I need to paint over it with to seal it and stop the residue coming through?

A. Painting over an area exposed to the aerosol fly can, can be difficult as the aerosol contents can reversibly soften an existing paint system.

The following has been used and in most cases has prevented the stain from migrating into the topcoat.

Wipe the area down using Resene Emulsifiable Solvent Cleaner then wipe down with water, using a cloth until the water no longer becomes cloudy.

Then apply a coat of Resene Sureseal, allow to dry overnight then apply a coat of Resene StainLock. Leave the coat to dry for 48 hours then apply Resene SpaceCote topcoats. There is often an intensification of yellowing after the Resene StainLock is applied but this is not a problem following topcoating.

Q. What can you do to particle board walls in an old bach kitchen/dining area? It's been there a long time. It could be more than 30 years. I think it may have been varnished. It's never been painted, so can we wallpaper or use a veneer?

A. If you apply a full sealer coat of Resene Sureseal, you can wallpaper.

Q. What is the preferred way to paint interior concrete walls - still raw, smooth concrete tilt-panels 20 years after installation? Do these need priming and concrete undercoat paint? Can the usual acrylic paint then be applied?

A. You need to make sure there is no form of oil or residual curing agent on the walls.

Splash water onto the panel surface, the water should be quickly absorbed (no beading) and darken the concrete.

If there is no beading and the water is absorbed, then apply a full coat of Resene ConcreteSeal 3 in 1 and apply two coats of Resene waterborne interior wall paint.

Q. We have built a new solid timber home and are using interior Resene Colorwood Whitewash on all of the walls inside. We have started and have applied one coat as per the tin's instructions. But have noticed it does say on new timber overcoat with two coats of Resene Aquaclear. Do you think we should do this on all of the walls throughout the house?

We have also used the whitewash on the bathroom walls and window frames too and since they are areas of moisture do they need a clear coat? What would you recommend?

A. Definitely for the wet areas, bathrooms etc. apply at least one coat of Resene Aquaclear but an additional coat may be applied to achieve uniformity of gloss.

Q. I have sealed my hall with an interior waterbased product. Can I reseal over it with Resene pigmented sealer? You can still see stains behind it.

A. You could apply a coat of Resene StainLock then re-apply the top coats.

Q. Is it possible to reapply Resene Polythane on a substrate previously coated with Resene Polythane a few years ago, without complete removal of the old sound Resene Polythane coating?

A. Ensure the surface is degreased, then sand to profile/degloss. There is no need to completely strip.

Q. I have a room in our 1880s house which is at present undergoing a renovation. This room has a pressed ceiling and dados with some of the original wall colours still present tucked away in a cupboard. The walls were papered in a darkish green paper with an interesting frieze and the tin walls show highlights of ochre on the uppermost parts of the pressing. We have no idea how the ceiling was painted.

I am asking if you have any suggestions for a suitable application method. The areas above the wooden dado will be plasterboard wall, not papered, and it will become a bedroom with morning natural light from the east from a set of French doors.

A. Given the age of the property, the paint system will undoubtedly contain lead which does place limitations on preparation, as the areas of flaking will need to be prepared back to a sound edge and the remaining sound paint sanded to profile for recoating. Wet sanding to avoid airborne dust containing lead paint residues, is the only way to achieve this. All dust residues must be removed by wet wiping to give a dust free surface.

As far as paint system goes, spot prime any bare metal with Resene GP Metal Primer then apply a full coat of Resene Quick Dry primer then apply two coats of a Resene waterborne paint for interior walls. Typically the best topcoats will be Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen for walls and Resene SpaceCote Flat for ceilings.

Q. I need a painting 101 lesson. I am looking to paint over a wall in a living room with Resene Half Smalt Blue. The wall right now is a light cream colour and in good condition. Is it possible to paint straight over that with the new paint or will I need a primer? Also, what is the most common paint type (I've only just realised the Karen Walker range is colour, not paint type) is the most common for a living room?

A. If the existing paint is a waterborne paint and in good condition I would apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry then the two coats of the Karen Walker colour tinted in Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. I would like to whitewash the grooved ply walls in my tiny house. If I use diluted acrylic paint, will I still need to seal the walls?

A. Resene has Resene Colorwood Whitewash for this purpose. The only product that you could use if wanting to dilute, would be Resene Lumbersider but high levels of water addition can affect the paint film characteristics. The other suggestion would be Resene Quick Dry primer undercoat but you will need to clear coat.

Q. We have bought a house with a downstairs rumpus room with three walls surrounded by a bank area. There is efflorescence in parts of the bottom of the room. I expect the room hasn't been painted in a very long time and the carpet is probably original from 50 years ago. I am looking for what we can do to remove the efflorescence and seal really well, prior to recoating and new carpet. Also, there is a garage downstairs where part of the roof has a concrete patio above, which also has a small amount of leaking of water in heavy rain coming through. Would appreciate feedback on what products you have we could use.

A. This is a common issue unfortunately and one we may not be able to completely sort for you. The exterior will never have been tanked correctly (as we simply didn't start tanking retaining walls etc. very well until just a few years ago) so there's a very real chance that the hydrostatic pressure will continue to blow off any coatings applied to the interior walls. Often when we block the moisture in one area it finds its way through another spot.

Scrubbing with a stiff brush and washing down usually is sufficient to clean prior to painting. Seal the area with Resene HydraBlock then apply your desired topcoats over within a few days. Resene HydraBlock can be left without topcoats in the garage area if this is currently bare.

We can't guarantee that it will hold back the moisture; however this is the best product we have and specifically designed for this type of issue.

Q. What paint system would you recommend for new low pressure hot water radiator panels in school classrooms?

They are steel and I believe they will come precoated. Perhaps you could give us the paint system for both raw steel and for a precoated radiator.

A. Historically heaters have been coated in a traditional single pack oil based system. Or repair prepares corroded areas back to a sound feathered edge and sand remaining sound paintwork. Spot prime prepared areas of corrosion with Resene Rust-Arrest and then apply a coat of Resene Enamel Undercoat and finish with two coats of Resene Lusta-Glo or Resene Super Gloss enamel.

Q. I want to paint a brick wall that is in my living room, so I need to put a sealant of some sort on first. What should I use?

A. Suggest you use Resene Sureseal.

Q. In terms of coverage, are there some whites that are better than others - particularly when painting over dark walls?

A. There are many urban myths regarding so called 'coverage' of some white colours. Suggest that you read the Architects' memo about this. For some colours we do suggest that a tinted acrylic undercoat is applied before applying the two coats of topcoat colour, the required info is available in store when purchasing the topcoat colour.

Q. I understand there is a two stage paint application coating for a home theatre wall that the projector shines onto. Do you have such a product? Our wall area is approximately 3m by 3m.

A. We do not have a special system for this application but for many years have recommended application of two coats of Resene SpaceCote Flat tinted to Resene Silver Sand for projection walls.

Q. I want to whitewash my rimu timber wall panelling. Do I need to sand back the varnish finish first? What product(s) should I use?

A. Clean down using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner then sand using 220 grit sandpaper to profile for recoating, you don’t need to sand off the existing clear. Then apply Resene Colorwood Whitewash.

The key is to apply an even wet film and avoid overlaps, as overlaps will show as a more intense white area.

Q. The house we bought has two toned bedroom walls with a strip of wallpaper. I want to paint it something more neutral, but I'm concerned about the big difference between the lighter paint and darker paint. Will it be possible to paint one colour over the whole wall?

A. Prime the border with Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer and then apply a full coat of Resene Quick Dry to balance the existing colours for over coating. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen in the new colour. 

If the border has a texture you will see the border texture through the new paint system.

Q. My son has recently bought a new home and two of the rooms have sliding mirror built in wardrobes. I would like to paint these mirror surfaces. What Resene product should I use for priming and topcoat?

A. Clean the glass down with meths to remove oils from handling.  Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer then two coats of Resene waterborne enamel. This system will work on glass but we have not tested it on mirror glass.

Q. My interior basement block wall has damp coming through in various spots and the paint has started to peel/flake in places. I am wondering which paint/product option would be the best to apply to stop this.

I am looking at Resene X-200 or do you have something better or more appropriate that will stop the damp coming through e.g. Resene HydraBlock?

A. Resene X-200 is not the product to use when you are looking for a barrier coating for interior application to prevent water ingress. The product to use is Resene HydraBlock.

Q. Can I please get two recommendations? Matt black for a bathroom? Doesn’t need to be super black, slightly charcoal would be good. And also a recommend for a concrete textured look that we can do on a feature wall?

A. For the bathroom you could use Resene SpaceCote Flat. For the feature wall, you could use Resene Sandtex applied using a crow’s foot technique.

Q. Once I have used the degreaser and sanded back the surface, should I then apply one or two coats of Resene Quick Dry undercoat, followed by two coats of which Resene topcoat? What do you recommend as a topcoat?

A. Prep then apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry, then two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. I have been given conflicting views regarding waterbased/oil based paints. Firstly, if I was going over an oil based topcoat with a waterbased topcoat (not wet area), what options for prep (if any)? Secondly, the same question if I was going over waterbased topcoat with oil based topcoat.

A. Changing from oil to waterborne topcoats; ensure the existing paint is degreased and then sand with 180 or 220 grit sandpaper to profile for recoating, then apply a full coat of Resene Quick Dry and finish with the two coats of waterborne topcoat.

Changing from waterborne to oil top coats; same as above (Resene Quick Dry can be topcoated with either water or solventborne topcoats). Take care when sanding not to create deep scratches.

The ease of sanding of a waterborne paint does depend upon the waterborne paint type. When sanding a conventional (not a waterborne enamel) paint, the heat created by the sanding may result in balling of the paint instead of dusting.

Q. What's the best product for painting an indoor brick fireplace, which hasn't been painted previously? They are not glazed - just bog standard red brick. Which product should I use?

A. Painting can be undertaken as long as hand contact can be maintained on the surfaces to be painted. Use a seal coat of Resene Sureseal then two coats of Resene Lusta-Glo.

Q. We have a concrete slab in a building which we want to convert into a habitable space. We are unable to ascertain if there is a DPC under the slab so we would like to coat the surface of the concrete with a damp proof barrier prior to putting down a floor overlay. Could you please advise which Resene product we should use?

A. Apply two coats of Resene HydraBlock each applied at 10 sqm/L to provide a moisture barrier.

Q. What paint shall I use to cover lots of graffiti on interior plasterboard walls?

A. Spot prime graffiti with a coat of Resene StainLock, then apply two coats of Resene wall paint such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. I am painting over interior concrete block work and precast panels around a plant room. What would be a good product to hide construction stains, prevent new staining and reduce dust? We are looking at Resene ConcreteSeal 3 in 1 without any topcoat (interior use).

A. Yes, you can use Resene ConcreteSeal 3 in 1 for this application.

Q. I am painting radiators where the temperature reaches 70 degrees Celsius. Can I use Resene Lustacryl or do I need a high temperature paint? They are currently blue and we require them to be white.

A. Best to stay with the traditional solvent borne enamel option, Resene Lusta-Glo. Waterborne enamels will undergo softening and possibly adhesion loss at the temperatures the radiators get to.

Q. What paint should I use in all areas of the house? I need something easy to clean. I have four children.

A. We recommend Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. We have an old Lockwood home, painted in clear polyurethane. We are considering painting the walls. What prep and product would be needed to do this?

A. Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, pay particular attention to hand contact areas.

Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before over coating. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. Roll all coats using the recommended roller sleeve.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks, until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion, as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

Q. Seeking durable hard wearing water based paint for artwork on a guitar to be painted on an acrylic base coat (thinner based). The artwork has multiple and blended colours. We are currently thinking of a waterborne which once fully dry would be sealed with either clear acrylic or clear enamel (again solvent based).

A. Only possibility would be to use Resene Lustacryl as the base colour and overcoat with Resene Uracryl GraffitiShield.
Step 1: Allow the basecoat paint to cure for at least 48 hours.
Step 2: Thoroughly wash down with fresh water and allow drying before applying the clear system.

Q. We have just purchased a house built in 1997. It has a deep yellow on yellow colour interior scheme, ceiling, walls, skirting etc. The walls and ceilings are in very good condition though. What’s the best paint to go over this for ceiling and walls before we apply the topcoat?

A. Clean down using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner then sand to profile for recoating (220 grit sandpaper), apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry and finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. We have a room built under a concrete deck and the ceiling becomes mouldy. We would like to clean, seal (repel) and repaint the surface, what do you recommend to use?

We have had advice from a waterproofing company and they advise that the deck above may never be completely waterproofed, so we should at least stop the moisture coming through into the room.

A. It has always been our position that the exterior face must be made watertight, to allow for interior painting. While Resene HydraBlock can be used to provide a hydrostatic barrier, it cannot be relied upon to provide a barrier to moisture ingress into the room space.

Treat the surface with Resene Moss & Mould Killer diluted and used to label directions then apply the Resene HydraBlock system.

Q. I am part of a group that is planning a 48 hour working bee at our local high school and we are planning to paint the varnished ply in the library, to modernise the area.

I am unsure as to whether it is waterbased or not, but it is 30 plus years old. What is the best product to ensure a hard wearing finish with no show through from the varnish below?

A. Your time allowance may not be sufficient to achieve your aim.

The first stage is to ensure the varnished surfaces are degreased, then apply a coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer which has to then be left to cure for at least 48 hours before topcoating with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. The Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer is not formulated to be applied as a thick wet film or to give full opacity, in fact a thin even wet coat is the best.

The system will take at least seven days to gain good adhesion and surface hardness will develop over the following three weeks.

Q. Is there a white paint product that would be safe to use in all areas of a home, i.e. bathroom, kitchen, ceiling and walls? I have no experience with paint products but prefer waterbased, low odour and greener options, as a rule. I need to paint the entire interior area in a short time.

A. Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen would meet what you have asked for, traditionally Resene SpaceCote Flat is the usual gloss level for ceilings.

Q. I was wondering if I could get some advice for my project. I am needing a clear-coat as a finish for a large painting. It is a standard acrylic painting (indoor), and is done on a 1cm thick MDF. I thought I should coat it with something to protect it for long-term. I was wondering if the Resene Clearcoat UVS would be suitable for this project. The label says it is for exterior use, but I wondered if it could suit interior paint as well.

A. Resene Clearcoat UVS can be used to clear coat any waterborne painted surface in exterior or interior situations. The main product feature is to give UV protection which is not really an interior issue.

Q. I need some hard wearing paint, that can handle some knocks and stains (easy to clean) for the lounge, hallway and dining areas.

A. The best system we can offer is to use Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen with a clear of Resene SpaceCote Clear.

Q. I want to re-paint my hall - it is currently painted with Resene paints. I have used Resene Sonyx 101 and Resene Lumbersider in the past and am looking at Resene Merino. Do you have an opinion as to whether, either would be the best or are they both much of a muchness? I want a low sheen/satin finish, not matt.

A. Resene Sonyx 101 and Resene Lumbersider are formulated for exterior use, for a hall way, our recommendation would be Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. I am currently having a house built and I am concerned that the painters are painting internally with temperatures less than 10 degrees. They are professional painters but I would like to know what effect this will have on the paint job itself. Is it immediately obvious if there is a problem or is it something that will show up later?

A. There are three factors that influence the drying rate and required film formation of waterborne paints (solventborne paints not really an issue). These are temperature, humidity and air flow. If two of these are in place, then this will address most concerns around the application of the waterborne paint. If the painters are using extraction fans to vent water that is released from the paint, then this is certainly a positive step. Heaters (electrical) and dehumidifiers are also means to address paint application under marginal conditions.

Compromised film formation can affect durability, this is not immediately seen.

Q. How do I paint skirting board without getting paint on the carpet?

A. Use masking tape or a section of thin cardboard pressed against the edge.

Q. We are trying to find a paint to go behind our little fireplace. The walls get hot and we would like paint with some grit in it that will not be damaged by the heat.

A. The criteria to achieve a paint finish in this situation is that you must be able to maintain hand contact on the surface when the fire is at full heat. Addition of grit to the paint will not affect heat resistance.

Q. I need to concrete a hearth to keep the in-wall fire at the correct height. I would like to paint it (colour) rather than re-tile it. Do you have a product/s you would recommend?

A. The criteria we apply is that the surface can be painted if you can maintain hand contact on the surfaces when the fire is at full heat. In the case of a hearth this is unlikely to get hot, but the issue is hot embers falling onto the painted surface, if this occurs then the paint system will be burnt.

Q. I have painted a room and now there is a dreadful smell. It appears there are little beads on the paint. I have had a dehumidifier in the room which hasn't made any difference and ventilation. We put up new wallboard and sealed it with wallboard sealer. Any ideas?

A. My guess would be that the paint may have developed bacterial contamination. Suggest that you make up a dilute solution (1 to 3 dilution) of bleach (Janola) and wipe the walls down (can also use a clean squeegee mop) with this, take care to wear suitable eye and glove protection and protect flooring and furnishings using drop cloths. Allow to dry with good ventilation and see if this addresses the odour issue.

Q. I am repainting my living room ceiling which is 15 years old and there are some peeling and cracked areas. I have scraped these to an area of 8-10 inches across. It is bare plasterboard here. Can you recommend what surface prep is needed? I guess a sealer, fill any imperfections, then two coats topcoat either, Resene Ceiling Flat or Resene Earthsense Ceiling paint. What sealer do you recommend?

A. Sand the entire ceiling and spot prime any bare substrate with Resene Sureseal. If this is not a wet area, then you can roll a coat of Resene Broadwall Surface Prep and Seal over the entire ceiling before applying two coats of a waterborne ceiling paint. The need to apply a stopping compound to areas of flaking will depend upon how noticeable the difference between the feathered edge and the bare substrate is. If you do need to apply a stopping material, then sand flush and reseal the stopped area with Resene Sureseal.

Q. I am building a prefab concrete, solar passive home. I need to paint a bedroom, laundry and kitchen (including splashback/wet areas as I’m not tiling). What primer/undercoat of yours, should I use and then which paint? I want to use white and it needs to be washable. The walls are concrete with the doors and trims, timber.

I need low sheen for walls, high gloss for doors/trims and low/no VOCs.

A. Use Resene Aquapoxy semi-gloss for walls and Resene Aquapoxy for Flooring semi-gloss for floors. To increase heat uptake, you may want to consider painting the floors a shade of grey.

Q. What product should I use to paint over dark varnished hardwood panelling in an old villa?

A. Degrease using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner then apply a thin coat ofResene SpaceCote Low Sheen and leave to cure with good ventilation for 48 hours before overcoating with Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Lustacryl. Note that Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer is not formulated to achieve a high wet film thickness or opacity.

Q. I have a Lockwood style home, with natural timber tongue and groove style walls inside. I want to paint the interior in some places and would like to know, how to go about preparing the walls and ceiling for paint.

A. Clean down using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner, then apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and leave to cure with good ventilation for 48 hours, then you can apply a Resene pigmented waterborne paint such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen for walls and Resene SpaceCote Flat for ceilings.

The Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer is not designed to be applied as a thick wet film or to achieve opacity, the thinner the better.

The interior boards will change dimensions and this may expose a line of the original varnish. This may need to be coated if and when required.

Q. What is your recommended ‘black’ to use as the backdrop in retail applications to highlight product?

A. Standard Resene Black.

Q. I want to paint a brick fireplace surround in my lounge. Can you please advise what prep and paint types would be best? The surface doesn't get very hot when the fire is burning.

A. Apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal and two coats of Resene Lusta-Glo.

Q. I need a paint that can go behind a free standing fire, on the wall over HardiGroove® lining.

A. Apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal and two coats of Resene Lusta-Glo enamel topcoat. However, there may be yellowing over time and the paint system is not deemed as fire resistant/retardant.

Q. We painted our lounge using Resene Zylone Sheen after undercoating the walls with Resene Broadwall Sealer. We applied the undercoat over an existing acrylic painted area. In one place only the paint has bubbled and lifted, right down to the wallboard. It’s not a big area and the rest of the walls are fine. We plan to fix it by letting it dry entirely, then sanding back, applying a skim coat of plaster then more undercoat, then two more layers of Resene Zylone Sheen. We wonder why this loss of adhesion might have happened, and whether we are solving the problem properly.

The adhesion was lost between the original paint and the wall board. So the Resene undercoat and the Resene Zylone Sheen and whatever they used before, all lifted off. We aren't concerned about the Resene paint as we always use it and always will. It's why it might have happened and how to fix the current patch of bare wall and it’s quite small.

A. The issue seems to be the adhesion of the original paint system. Often application of a new paint system can highlight the weak adhesion situation. This is what I suggest is the case. Removal of the original paint system back to bare substrate is the only way to correct it.

Q. I wish to paint polyurethaned rimu scotia. Is there a paint that can be used without removing the polyurethane first?

A. Yes Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer, note a light sand will always be beneficial prior to applying the Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer.

Q. I am re-plastering an internal concrete room, which was built in 1915, so it is old concrete without all the additives. I have been told I should paint it with a breathable paint, any suggestions?

A. All waterborne paints breathe, that is they allow water vapour to pass through the film. So to achieve for an interior concrete plaster wall, you could look to apply a coat of Resene Concrete Primer and two coats of Resene Zylone Sheen.

Q. We are moving to a house owned by smokers who smoked inside. After cleaning the walls and ceilings, what would be the best type of Resene paint (and prep product if necessary) to use on the walls? We would really like to use environmentally-friendly paints and we would like a white, matte finish.

A. You will need to apply a stain sealer, Resene Sureseal is our first recommendation but this is a solventborne sealer, the alternative is a coat of Resene StainLock which is a low VOC waterborne sealer.

Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen for walls and Resene SpaceCote Flat or Resene Ceiling Paint for ceilings. For bathroom ceilings use Resene SpaceCote Flat.

Q. Do you sell chalk paint or something similar?

A. Resene SpaceCote Flat and Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen which are waterborne enamel can be used on furniture etc to get a chalk style finish.

Q. At our museum we use your waterborne products for finishing display cases. What is the considered, safe gassing out period for contact with conservation purposes?

A. We have Oddy tests online.

The required time, post application to allow for release of volatiles from the applied paint system is product and temperature dependent. To be safe, I would allow the 28 days as given as part of the test protocol.

Q. There has been a Raid automatic fly sprayer in our house, but we no longer use one. I prepared and repainted the ceiling and after several months, the fly spray has bled through the new white ceiling paint.

What is the best preparation, so that this does not occur again when I repaint?

A. Wipe the affected area down with Resene Emulsifiable Solvent Cleaner. Ensure that the area is then wiped with water and a cloth, changing water often until the wash water is no longer cloudy and allow it to dry.

Spot prime the area with Resene Sureseal then Resene StainLock and then apply two coats of topcoat finish paint.

Q. What would you recommend for persistent mildew on painted walls of a laundry? We will be doing some alterations shortly and one of the problems has been the mildew and lack of air flow. Hopefully the alterations will alleviate the air flow problem.

A. Treat all surfaces with Resene Moss & Mould Killer diluted and used to label directions. Apply two coats of Resene Quick Dry and finish with two coats of Resene Lustacryl Kitchen & Bathroom.

This is the best system to combat the environmental conditions that exist, however to achieve good paint cure, there must be air flow to carry the water out of the room. This may require a fan to be placed in the room to force the air out.

Q. Do you sell chalk paint or something similar?

A. Resene SpaceCote Flat and Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen which are waterborne enamel can be used on furniture etc to get a chalk style finish.

Q. We recently had the interior of our house painted with your paint. Although this was done some time ago, the paint remains tacky and if anything is left touching the walls, it sticks to the wall. Sometimes the paint detaches from the wall and remains attached to whatever was touching it. Clearly there's something wrong.

The paint was Resene Zylone Sheen. The painting was done in early December, although two rooms were painted in about July or August (they have the same problem). The paint was applied with a brush and a roller onto wallpaper (its textured wallpaper).

A. The direct application to the wallpaper is probably the cause. Most wallpaper contains a compound called a plasticiser and when painted with a waterborne paint, these plasticisers migrate into the paint causing softening and a permanent surface tack/tickiness.

The only fix is to apply a coat of Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer, and then re-apply the topcoat paint.

Q. We have removed easy peel wallpaper from a wall and followed the instructions for removal of paste (wash off no scraping required). The wall was smooth and wasn't sticky, so we painted over with waterbased paint. After three coats we can see a mottled effect, clearly there was glue residue and we did not know to use a sealer before applying the paint. We'd prefer to use waterbased but will it work? And alternatively, could we just wallpaper directly over the wall as it is, without adding anything more?

A. Our recommendation is to apply a coat of Resene Sureseal after stripping wallpaper. This does lock in any glue residues so when a waterborne topcoat is applied, there is no glue bleed into the paint.

Resene has a number of waterborne sealers/primers than can be overcoated with both solvent and waterborne topcoat systems. In the past application of a solventborne topcoat to waterbased paint, would result in film splitting/wrinkling. But that was when the waterborne paints were based on a very soft resin system.

Q. I need to paint or clear coat some IBS Egger OSB Barn Lining. OSB (oriented strand board) is a moisture resistant, structural wood panel. Engineered in Germany from environmentally sustainable sourced softwood, it consists of three layers of wood strands bonded together with heat-cured adhesives.

A. This type of strand board has been in the NZ market for many years. For interior clear coatings in non-wet areas we recommend three coats of Resene Aquaclear. There may be a degree of fibre swelling occur due to moisture uptake by the board. For a solid paint finish apply a primer coat of Resene Quick Dry and then two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Zylone Sheen.

Q.   Our home has old wallpaper in the lounge and bathroom, what is the best way to remove it? A professional, or can we DIY and then paint it after? What's the best solution?

A.   If you want the walls to look really smooth so that a paint finish looks absolutely fabulous you could steam off the wallpaper (very gently so the old wall board doesn't get damaged) then seal the raw wall surface and apply several layers of plaster, smoothing and sanding back to a Level 4 finish and then sealing this porous surface and then applying two to three coats of paint. Some homeowners do it themselves, some hire a professional.

Only you know the answer to that. It is very important that the sealer that is used on older plasterboard walls that have never been painted be an oil based pigmented sealer, such as Resene Sureseal, to stop any staining bleeding through to make the plastered walls and paint look patchy or in the case of a bathroom to stop any hint of moisture or soapy substances ruining the painted surface.   If the wallpaper is in good condition, you could paint over it instead, rather than stripping it off.

Q. I have some leftover paint and need to buy more but am wondering what paint I use for the walls, which are plaster I think, with wooden skirting boards. It’s a very old apartment building. I also need to paint the ceilings and I have had a problem with mould.

A. Use Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen for walls; if new apply a coat of Resene Broadwall Waterborne Wallboard Sealer then two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. If panting a new bathroom apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal, an undercoat of Resene Quick Dry and two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom.

For skirtings sand and then apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry and then two coats of Resene Lustacryl.
For the ceilings treat the ceilings with Resene Moss & Mould Killer diluted and used to label directions, then apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry and two coats of Resene SpaceCote Flat Kitchen & Bathroom.

Q. I am painting the inside of a home. It’s all in very good condition and about 10 years old. It will be a change of colour from light green to a shade of grey. Do I have to use an undercoat first?

A. I would expect that an undercoat would not be needed. Just apply two coats of topcoat.

Q. I have a concrete block internal wall that has efflorescence that is causing the paint to bubble. What is the best way to prepare the surface before repainting?

A. Efflorescence is caused by water getting into concrete often via cracks or faulty flashings, capping etc, in an exterior wall. The source of the water causing the efflorescence needs to be found and eliminated before repainting. Affected areas should also be allowed to dry out thoroughly before repainting.

Thoroughly wire brush to remove any remaining efflorescence. The original cause of the efflorescence should be eliminated prior to repainting.

Q. Is it safe to sleep in a room that has been painted that day?

A. If a solventborne paint has been used, then no. While waterborne paints are low VOC (volatile organic compounds) the rate of removal of these from the room air space depends on temperature and ventilation. To be safe, I would say ensure good ventilation and heating, and allow 24 hours before reoccupying the room for sleeping.

Q. I have a brass lamp base. Is it possible to paint it and if so, what prep is best please?

A. Apply a coat of Resene Vinyl Etch, then apply two coats of a Resene waterborne enamel topcoat.

Q. I want to repaint the interior of an 18 year old home and want advice on what we need to do. The bulk of the walls are painted in Resene Gin Fizz. We are wanting to repaint it in a pale neutral greyish colour in an easy care paint. We also have the bathroom and toilet that is currently painted in oil based enamel paint in quite bold colours. Again we want a pale neutral tone in modern bathroom paint. Above the shower we have a bad problem with mould and the paint has blistered and flaking off.

A. Ensure the walls are clean using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner following label directions. If the walls are in sound condition simply repaint them using Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. The mould in the bathroom will need to be treated with Resene Moss & Mould Killer diluted and used to label directions. The loose flaky paint will need to be scraped back to a sound surface and the edges sanded to a smooth finish, you may need to use some filler to smooth these areas out. Spot prime the bare or filled area with a coat of Resene Sureseal. The old oil based enamel paint will need to be sanded thoroughly, and then apply a full coat of Resene Quick Dry. If the ventilation in the bathroom is very good you could use a waterborne Enamel like Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom for walls and ceilings. If the ventilation is not so good i.e. gets condensation and steam settling on the walls and ceilings then use Resene Room Velvet which is an oil based low sheen finish.

Q. Is there any specific paint you can recommend to use as a painted projector screen on a plasterboard wall?

A. We don't have a specific paint made for this application but we have recommended Resene SpaceCote Flat tinted to Resene Silver Sand as wall projection paint for other projects in the past.

Q. I have tongue and groove match lining and plasterboard lining in a kitchen/dining area. I am thinking of painting both with Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss. They are both painted at the moment. The tongue and groove is painted with Resene Lustacryl and the plasterboard is painted with an acrylic. Would there be any issues with using the same paint?

A. I see no issues with doing this, as long as you are happy with a semi-gloss finish on the plasterboard.

Q. Our two year-old got his hands on a ball point pen and decorated a couple of walls and a door. My guess is that no cleaner will take this off so would need to repaint the affected walls.

Can you please advise, other than a topcoat, should we be using any product to remove the pen before painting? I've heard that simply painting over the marking won't work?

A. The pen marks should be spot primed with either Resene Sureseal or Resene StainLock and allowed to dry. Severe stains/marks may require an additional coat. You can then paint over these with water based topcoats, such as Resene Zylone Sheen or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. I have a vase that has a base that is a kind of rose gold/copper colour. I want to know if this colour can be recreated in a paint.

A. A Resene FX Metallic colour may suit – see the Resene Metallics and Special effects chart.

Q. Just reading through the SDS for Wintergrade Lumbersider and it says that this may cause thermal and third degree burns? How likely is this? Why would we use this paint if it can burn?

A. Wintergrade Lumbersider is a waterborne paint which has a slightly alkaline pH and I cannot see any reason why the product will cause thermal or third degree burns upon skin contact. The SDS that you provided was an earlier version which has been superseded. However Resene Lumbersider would never have caused any burning upon skin contact. Legislation requiring certain SDS statements often has a warning that relates to a raw material safety for the concentrated raw material and does not distinguish the reality of the hazard associated with the raw material in a formulated product (i.e. the hazard may be hazardous when concentrated as a raw material but this is mitigated once mixed into the paint with other ingredients).

Q. I have almost finished a renovation and have run out of my low sheen waterborne Resene Zylone Sheen paint (bedroom walls). I have some Resene SpaceCote waterborne enamel in the same colour (used in kitchen and bathroom). Can I use this to finish the last bedroom, it will be enough, quantity wise, but will it be different when dry and cured?

A. Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen can be used for painting any interior wall surfaces. However, you can't mix this paint with Resene Zylone Sheen, if mixing wet paints.

Q. I bought paint today for my lounge and hallway. When I got home and looked at it, I saw that they gave me Resene Lumbersider paint. Will this be ok? I assumed I would have been given Resene Zylone Sheen or something similar.

A. Resene Lumbersider originally, was used for both, exterior and interior painting, but it is now only usually used for the exterior. It can be used for interior wall painting, but not for wet rooms, such as bathrooms/laundries or kitchens. We have two interior paints, Resene Zylone Sheen and Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen; the latter is the only waterborne paint we recommend for wet areas.

Q. I want to paint over wallpaper. What paint should I get? Any tips?

A. Apply a seal coat of Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer and then two coats of Resene Zylone Sheen or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. I need to paint the inside of my new house which is bare plasterboard. What would be the best undercoat to use? Someone mentioned "high cover", is that something you sell?

A. Our standard system for DIY painting is a sealer coat of Resene Broadwall Waterborne Wallboard Sealer and then two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Zylone Sheen for non-wet areas. For wet areas e.g. bathrooms, apply a sealer coat of Resene Sureseal to the bare Aqualine®, then a coat of Resene Quick Dry and two coats of a Resene Kitchen and Bathroom waterborne enamel, such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom.

Q. I have a painted block wall in my basement that also forms a retaining wall. The paint has bubbled in places. If I scrape off the bubbles, can I then use Resene HydraBlock to waterproof the wall, before repainting or can it only be applied to bare concrete block?

A. Resene HydraBlock is designed for direct application to bare concrete/cementitious substrates only.

Q. I am very tired of interior paint finishes these days, that mark very easily and cannot be cleaned (I am talking paint on new plasterboard). The paint appears to be almost, chalk like and every touch marks it. Surely you can get a quality acrylic wall paint that has a strong surface that one can wipe without causing smudges and shiny patches? What does Resene have that I can use on a new build that is very low to no sheen?

A. The move to very low gloss level paint finishes is one of the main reasons why painted surfaces, subject to cleaning and touching, can mark easily.

When a flattish paint is wiped, there can be burnishing, which is a polishing effect that is due to the flatting pigments, used to make the low gloss paint and the relatively, low amount of resin binder in these paints.

If the application conditions are outside of the ideal for curing of a waterborne paint, there is the possibility of surfactant leaching, which is a partitioning to the surface, of wetting agents required for film formation. When an area is wiped down, the surfactant layer is removed and when dry, can been noticeable as a differing gloss level from the surrounding areas.

For a low sheen waterborne topcoat, Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen will give the best chance of giving you a paint that has the features you are seeking.

Q. We have bought a new house that has been painted with an off-white which we find marks. Would you suggest a different product or colour?

A. The paint product I would recommend is Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. It is very washable and durable. Stronger colours don't tend to highlight marks as much as the light white colours can. I have used Resene Double White Pointer, Resene Parchment and Resene Double Concrete over various repaints over the years. I have found them to not show up too many fingermarks etc despite having a family and a couple of dogs.

Q. I am painting the inside of my home. I have oil based undercoat can I put water based paint over the top as my final coat?

A. Yes, Resene waterborne topcoats can be applied over Resene oil based undercoat.

Q. I looked at a job which will be painting interior blockwork. I think they are called cinder blocks? They are about five years old. I will dust off the blockwork to try and remove any loose material. What's the correct paint method for carrying out this kind of work?

A. Cinder blocks have large random protrusions and if the tops are knocked off, this can reveal an open and porous surface and often cannot be filled with a paint system.

Based on the assumption that the blockwork is not glazed then the standard paint system for this would be a coat of Resene Concrete Primer and finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. What preparation should be done if we are painting over already painted wallpaper? Is two coats of Resene Zylone Sheen Double Black White enough?

A. The paint needs to be cleaned using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner. Assuming the existing paint is a waterborne paint and not a dark colour then should be no coverage issues with two coats of topcoat like Resene Zylone Sheen applied with the recommended roller sleeve.

Q. I'm painting over wallpaper. Can I use waterbased enamel or is it better to use oil based?

A. If it is a vinyl paper, apply a seal coat of Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer, then two coats of a standard Resene interior wall paint such as Resene Zylone Sheen or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. Can you please advise a suitable paint to use on new plasterboard board in lounge and bedroom areas? Also, what type of semi-gloss paint is required for door frames and skirting and what type of ceiling paint can be used in the bedroom, main areas and wet areas? The house is a new build.

A. For the new plasterboard board, apply Resene Broadwall Waterborne Wallboard Sealer then two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. Use Resene Lustacryl as the topcoat for door frames and skirtings.

You can use Resene Ceiling Paint in all areas except wet areas and use Resene SpaceCote Flat as the topcoat for wet areas. We recommend that a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat is used as an undercoat over Resene Sureseal (Aqualine® sealer) for wet areas.

Q. I am after some advice regarding painting Lockwood walls and joinery. Do I need to sand and dull off the current varnish before I start any of the painting process? Please advise me of the correct system to painting a Lockwood, also the do's and don’ts.

A. To follow is our standard specification for painting the interior varnish work in a Lockwood house with a fully pigmented paint system:

Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, pay particular attention to hand contact areas.

Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow curing without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer is not designed to give film build or opacity and is best applied to give a thin film of paint. The adhesion of the Waterborne Smooth Service Sealer is aided by sanding to de-gloss the varnished surface but this is not essential for system performance.

Q. I have the job of painting a new three storey lift shaft in a residential house. It is lined with new plasterboard and is to be plastered. The lift floor rubs against the wall with brushes on the edges. I am looking for a low sheen paint system to paint it with.

A. A standard Resene system of Resene Broadwall Wallboard Sealer and two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen would be our normal system for the walls but the paint would not remain unaffected by the constant abrasion from the brushes. We’re not aware of any paint system that would, however the amount the paint will be affected depends upon brush type and pressure exerted by the brushes.

Q. How do I paint a wood shiplap wall that has varnish on it? I wish to paint it white.

A. Scrub down using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner following label directions and allow to dry then apply Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer (this only needs to be a thin coat and will not achieve opacity over the varnish colour). Allow to cure for 48 hours then undercoat with Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat and finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen (walls) or Resene SpaceCote Flat (ceilings). The paint system will take at least five days to develop adhesion and harden; full cure requires a month. The painted surface will not necessarily have the hardness properties of the original varnished surfaces.

Q. I am painting a brick fireplace in our bedroom and have primed the brickwork. I want to finish it with the same colour I am doing the walls, which is Resene Black White. I have a 10L tub of Resene Zylone Sheen for the walls. Can I also use this on the primed bricks?

A. If the fire is not being used then a definite yes. If the fire is being used then probably no, as Resene Zylone Sheen is a conventional waterborne paint and would not handle warm-hot surfaces without softening.

Q. I am going to paint our hallway, with a warm creamy white. I have grey coloured undercoat paint already. Will the grey affect the topcoat's final colour? I am painting plasterboard.

A. Possibly the opacity achieved by application of two coats of the paler topcoat colour will depend upon the grey base colour and what the topcoat colour is. Some pale topcoat colours do present an opacity issue and require a special tinted basecoat colour to achieve opacity in two coats.

Q. I was wondering if I could paint over or maybe even wallpaper over old Seratone® walls? I have very ugly Seratone in my dining room and a tight budget to redecorate.

A. Painting may be the best option. Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, pay particular attention to hand contact areas. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom for bathroom walls and the like, (we do not recommend any system for shower linings). Roll all coats using the recommended roller sleeve.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

Q. I accidentally used waterborne enamel on a bedroom wall. I meant to use waterborne acrylic. Can I repaint with waterborne acrylic over the waterborne enamel?

A. Waterborne enamels are suitable for use on bedroom walls as the paint finish is more resistant to wear than a conventional waterborne paint finish. You don’t need to recoat it.

Q. What do you recommend for coating new aqua plasterboard in the kitchen and bathroom?

A. The sealer is Resene Sureseal, and then you can over coat with a full coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat and finish with two coats of any of the Resene waterborne enamel kitchen and bathroom finishes, such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom.

Q. We are re-painting walls to Resene Quarter Dutch White on top of an existing frog green colour. What cover/undercoat should we use to stop the green?

A. Suggest you apply a coat of Resene Acrylic Undercoat tinted to Resene Varishade 1.

Q. I have applied an acrylic paint some time ago and it just doesn’t seem to want to dry properly. There used to be a fly spray dispenser in the area. Could that be the issue?

A. Yes, this can affect the paint if there is residual fly spray on the surface. The surface would likely need to be cleaned and sealed before applying further topcoats.

Q. Can I paint ceramic fire hearth tiles and if so, with what?

A. As long as you can maintain hand contact on the area when the fire is at full heat, then yes, however if embers fall onto the painted surface, the damage that results will require recoating.

Q. Is it ok to paint over wallpaper, if so, what do I need?

A. If painting over a vinyl wallpaper, then apply a coat of Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer first, then finish in two coats of your preferred Resene topcoat.

Q. When painting a room what is the best sequence for doing ceiling, walls, trim and skirting boards?

A. Always work from the top to the bottom.

Q. I am doing up a 1926 house and the ceiling paint is very flaky. I had sanded this area but the paint still lifted off when I rolled the paint on. It's a plasterboard surface under the old paint. What is the best way to prep this area?

Borer holes are bad in some areas, should I try and fill these with putty? I have a tub of Rimu putty.

Also, should I fill the gaps between the skirting and wallpaper with silicon, or sand that paper away? We are painting over the wallpaper, do we need an undercoat?

A. Given the age of the property, the ceilings are more than likely to be fibrous plaster rather than modern paperfaced plasterboard. To achieve adhesion, our recommended sealer for fibrous plaster is Resene Sureseal, which can then be overcoated with standard waterborne interior wall paints. I would recommend removal of all of the existing ceiling paint (possibly with a broad flat scraper). Then apply the Resene Sureseal.

Given the age of the property there may be lead based paint present. Before beginning any surface preparation, tests should be done to ensure the old paint does not contain lead. Paint flakes with layers older than 1970 are likely to have lead in them. If lead based paints are identified on this job, then the OSH Guidelines for the Management of Lead-Based Paint must be read and followed. Where these guidelines are in conflict with any part of this specification, the guidelines must take precedence. Flakes of lead paints and any sanding dust need to be carefully managed and disposed of.

While you can fill borer holes they may reappear again as the holes are left when the borer grubs take wing.

If filling gaps between skirting board and wall, I would remove the wallpaper to expose bare substrate, prime the bare substrate with Resene Sureseal using a paintable sealant fill the gap.

Q. We have a laundry area and are considering painting over polyurethane. Are you able to give us advice about what paints to use as well as the procedure?

A. Assuming it is a polyurethane clear the following can be used: Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, pay particular attention to hand contact areas. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. Roll all coats using the recommended roller sleeve.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

Q. We have an old Lockwood home, painted in clear polyurethane. We are considering painting the walls. What prep and product would be needed to do this, and how nasty (chemical-wise) are the products, for sensitive noses and skin?

A. Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, paying particular attention to hand contact areas. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. Roll all coats using the recommended roller sleeve.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

Q. My interior walls are match lining with scrim and paper. Can one still hang scrim as a base for wallpaper? Alternatively, is there any lining that can be used? At issue is that the plasterboard is too thick for the skirting, so all skirting would have to be removed at the risk of damaging the walls and this is a 100 year old heritage house. I am thinking about a ply?

A. Yes, you can hang wallpaper over scrim, however due to its unstable nature the wallpaper needs to be lapped as opposed to butting the seams. The lapping is necessary because the scrim is always moving i.e. in damp weather the surface can bag or expand, but in hot dry weather it will tighten so if the seams were not lapped these would open and close according to the weather.

All products can be hung and joins butted if the installer uses cross lining. Cross lining allows the wallpaper to be hung and the seams or joins butted.

Steps:

1. Strip all existing wallpaper from the scrim.
2. Wet scrim.
3. While wet/damp tighten scrim (out first/ then down).
4. Ensure all fixings are rust resistant.
5. Once dry, leave to dry completely.
6. Paste lining paper with SHUR STIK granulated paste, HALLSBEELINE flake or METYLAN special, mixed to a medium to thick consistency.
7. Hang lining paper HORIZONTALLY, starting from the skirting.
8. Hang each wall in turn returning onto the opposite wall by 30mm.
9. Lap each length approximately 10mm.
10. Once finished, allow to dry completely.
11. Apply two coats of size.
12. Hang the chosen wallpaper and butt joins in the normal way.

Q. We have just moved house and are looking to freshen it up by repainting all the walls and woodwork. We have an 8 month old and a 2 year old and are worried about the fumes being harmful to them. Could you please let me know what would be the best paints to use?

A. Any of the Resene Environmental Choice approved paints would be our recommendation. Once painting is completed allow at least a week with good ventilation before re occupying the painted area.

Q. What is the closest paint finish you do that is similar to ‘Eggshell’ for interior use?

A.For interior use, either of our low sheen finishes, Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Zylone Sheen.

Q. I want to paint a 1990s Lockwood room white. There seems to be many products recommended but the advice/products appear to change with time. Could you please give me the updated version of how best to prepare and then paint, to ensure no bleeding from the vanished wood?

A. If the wood is varnished then this should be a sufficient film barrier to stop any bleed originating from the timber. However, staining may result from smoke stains or the like. Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, pay particular attention to hand contact areas.

Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

The new paint system will take five days to develop a good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages, the paint surface will not have a good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

I suggest that you undertake a test patch of application of the Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer, if there is no sign of stain bleed than apply the white topcoat and check again. If there is stain bleed then you will need to apply a coat of Resene StainLock over the Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and then topcoat.

Q. Can you please provide recommendations for an interior wall paint with good chemical resistance? We are currently building a small laboratory-room and the one existing wall has basic office paint, which needs to be repainted with a chemical resistant coating.

A. Ensure the existing waterborne paint is sound and clean of contaminants. Apply a full coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat and then finish with two coats of Resene Room Velvet.

Q. Am I right that using 'CoolColour' formulation will not reduce heat radiation from the interior face of concrete block walls?

A. Yes that is correct. The Resene CoolColour™ technology only functions when solar radiation falls onto the painted surfaces.

Q. Can I paint straight over varnish?

A. Clean the varnished surfaces using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. Roll all coats using the recommended roller sleeve.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

Q. How do I paint white tiles around a fireplace? They are currently gloss white and I want a black?

A. Clean down then sand and apply two coats of Resene Lusta-Glo.

Q. I want to paint over wallpaper that is in good condition just an insipid colour. What's the best paint and application process?

A. Apply a coat of Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer then two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen; apply by roller using a Resene No.1 roller sleeve.

Q. Do I need special paint to paint a laundry?

A. A laundry is considered a wet area so we recommend that your topcoat is a waterborne enamel or a solventborne enamel. We normally recommend the Resene Kitchen & Bathroom waterborne enamels as they provide extra protection against mould and bacteria. The most popular options are Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom or Resene Lustacryl Kitchen & Bathroom (semi-gloss).

Q. My walls are painted with Resene Zylone Sheen. What do I use to overpaint to lighten the colour?

A. As long as the walls are clean you can use Resene Zylone Sheen again or change to Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. I am enquiring about painting one wall in my hairdressing salon. It is the back feature wall where the basins are. It is currently a dark purple and I would ideally like to repaint it a light colour. All I know is that the current paint has been there for about 20 years and the actual wall was put up as a barrier/separator so it’s relatively thin. The wall sometimes gets splashed with water as the basins are about 30cm away from the wall. If you could please advise me on a quick easy way to paint this, that would be great!

A. Clean down using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner and then sand the wall, dust off and apply a full coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat then finish with two coats of Resene Lustacryl Kitchen & Bathroom.

Q. I want to paint over a wall that has write on wall paint on it, what preparation is required?

A. Wipe down with methylated sprits and a cloth to remove any residual pen markings then sand using 220 grit sandpaper to degloss. Dust off and then apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat and finish with two coats of any Resene interior wall paint.

Q. I have two brass wall lights that I do not want to replace but I need to change their colour as I am redecorating. Can I paint over them and if so what paint do I use?

A. Apply an adhesion coat of Resene Vinyl Etch, a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat and finish with two coats of any Resene waterborne enamel tinted to your choice of colour.

Q. We want to paint the interior walls in a business office gold. We want a gold colour if not exact, very close to a photo we have.

A. It is very difficult to match a colour based on a photo. Our main golds are Resene Gold or Resene Gold Dust. I would suggest you view a physical sample so you can decide if the colour is close enough for you.

Q. How can I work out how much paint I need for a long, wide hallway that has 10 doors in it, and two of those doors are doubles?

A. Assuming you are only looking to paint the walls and not the doors… Take the hall length and height and multiply to get the area of a wall, measure the same for a door and do the same maths. The difference between the total wall area value and the total door area (10 x one door) will give you the wall area to be coated, and then double this for the 2 walls. Our coverage values are given in square metres per litre (no loss factor) and you will need two coats of only applying topcoat.

Q. I am building a tiny house and would like some advice on painting. Some walls and the ceiling are plywood and other walls are a wood veneer, and the cabinetry is MDF. Could you please suggest the best way to prepare and prime each of these surfaces? How many coats would we need? Would we need a different kind of paint for the walls versus the cupboard doors - we don't want fingermarks showing on the cupboards as we don't have handles, they push to open.

A. You can prime all these interior substrates with Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat. Apply two coats of Resene Lustacryl for cupboards and cabinetry, two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen for walls or two coats of Resene SpaceCote Flat for ceilings.

Q. A fly spray canister was mounted 180 degrees from its recommended position. Over time, it discharged the entire canister contents into the wall, previously painted in water based paint. It affected the paint where it ran; leaving a sticky residue that interacted with the paint. Before filling and repainting, Sugar soap, meth and acetone were used in an attempt to remove the stickiness. None prevailed. What is available to reduce this stickiness prior to painting?

A. Wipe the affected area down with Resene Emulsifiable Solvent Cleaner, then using many water changes wipe the area down until the wash water is no longer milky. Then apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal and follow with a cap of Resene StainLock before covering with waterborne wall paint such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. How can we repaint the interior of our Lockwood? We want to paint so will cover the clear finish on the timber.

A. Clean down the surfaces to be painted with Resene Interior Paint Cleaner. For best results sand with 220 grit sandpaper and then apply a coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer. Allow the sealer to cure for at least 48 hours with ventilation and then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. We recommend a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat be applied prior to application of topcoats - it's not essential but it does ensure system adhesion is developed. The Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer is an adhesion coat and not designed to give opacity or high film build. Adhesion will take at least five days to develop with full cure being achieved 30 days post application. Good ventilation and warmth will ensure correct curing is achieved. Note that any board movement may expose the original varnish line.

Q. My son has a very green paint in his bedroom and he wants to paint over it. It is painted wallpaper but they aren't planning to remove it. How do they stop it bleeding through?

A. If the wall is painted in waterborne paint there should be no bleed of colour but it may be difficult to achieve complete coverage in two coats; we recommend applying a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat then two topcoats in this situation.

Q. What paint do you recommend if I want to paint a concrete wall and use it as a projector screen?

A. Assuming it is smooth internal painted concrete, you can use Resene Quick Dry and then two coats of Resene SpaceCote Flat tinted to Resene Silver Sand. If it is not smooth, you can use the same system but the issue then becomes one of a suitable profile for projection. If the pointing is deep set then skimming is the only way, if bare then we would use MultiStop as the flushing material then Resene Sureseal and the topcoats.

Q. I am going to paint the walls in the living room. They have textured wallpaper and were painted over. The paint is in pretty good condition so I would like to just paint over it rather than trying to strip the wallpaper, it appears that the paint on the wallpaper is oil paint enamel. It would be difficult to sand them because of the texture. What is the best way to paint over it? Should I paint a coat of oil base enamel before two acrylic topcoats? Or can I just put two acrylic topcoats?

A. Can you please check that the wall paint is not softened or dissolves upon rubbing with a cloth wet with methylated spirits? If there is no softening of pigment transfer to the cloth then this will confirm that it is solventborne enamel. If this is the case than the only option is to apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and leave the sealer to cure for 48 hours then overcoat with Resene Zylone Sheen or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. I'm painting a timber mantelpiece on top of an unused fireplace. Would I just wash, light sand, prime, light sand and then use the Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss paint? Or do I really need to get all the existing varnish off before painting?

A. Yes, use Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat as the primer after a thorough sanding. Alternatively degrease then apply a coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer, then leave to cure for 48 hours then apply two coats of Resene Lustacryl. The paint system will take seven days to gain good adhesion.

Q. We just bought an old Lockwood home and we want to paint the interior. We read up a little bit about your advice on prepping the wooden surface. What is the difference between your product Resene Paint Prep and Housewash and Resene Paintwork Interior Cleaner?

A. Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner is a non-dulling neutral cleaner designed for use on all interior painted surfaces. It dries film free, eliminating the need for rinsing. Resene Paint Prep and Housewash is generally what we recommend to clean exterior painted surfaces. It is good at removing windblown salts and other contaminants. It’s also good at removing chalkiness from exterior paints which promotes good adhesion when repainting. This product needs to be rinsed off with clean water.

For painting interior Lockwood walls we recommend the following: Use Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner and ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease; pay particular attention to hand contact areas. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow curing without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. Roll all coats using the recommended roller sleeve.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

Q. We painted some walls in low sheen acrylic and hung some artwork two or three days later. A couple of years later when the artwork was removed, we noticed that the pictures had left marks like shadows on the walls. I do understand that the sun can play a part to this, but in most of the areas the sun did not hit the walls where some of the pictures were. My question is can the paint be affected by what sort of pictures and materials that are hung on the walls, even if the sun is not on the walls to cause the shadows?

A. Paint may dry in 2-4 hours but can take several weeks to cure. It is important to let the curing process complete this cycle before blocking the airflow with pictures etc. Blocking the airflow can lead to improper cure leading to film irregularities including colour differences.

Q. I have to repaint the entire house. The current paint is in good condition. I am repainting because the paint is dirty, has non erasable pencil marks and is chipped. I don’t like the colour. The kitchen had really greasy walls. The cleaners used diluted caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) to clean the walls. They used this process: Wipe with a sponge dipped in diluted caustic soda solution, scrub, and wipe off dirty liquid from walls with cloth. Wipe with sponge dipped in water then wipe off water with cloth. Let dry. Can I repaint these walls now?

Will any remaining trace of caustic soda solution create problem for paint now or a few years from now?

A. All residues of sodium hydroxide need to be removed before painting. This can be tested using pH paper available from a swimming pool supplier. The reading should be close to 7.

Q. We are painting our interior plasterboard walls with your Resene Zylone Sheen product. Is it ok to use this paint on a paintable, wall-mounted, cement-board panel heater?

A. We have not evaluated Resene Zylone Sheen for this application. Our recommendation is Resene Lumbersider or a Resene waterborne enamel, such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. If James Hardie Villa Board® has a 1-S Rating why does it need a Uracryl type finish when Resene SpaceCote is acceptable over other 1-S finishes?

A. The main reason is durability and resistance to wear.

Q. I have bought a Lockwood house and want to change the wooden wall colour. The ceilings are white fortunately. I have been told there is some bleaching you can do. Is there a paint product that would successfully cover the brown?

A. Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, paying particular attention to hand contact areas. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow curing without water contact for at least 48 hours before over coating. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom. The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

Q. I had two bedrooms painted, one with Resene Woodstock and the other with Resene Aquarius and Resene Bowie (using Resene Zylone Sheen). I then had carpet laid and the paintwork has been scratched. The carpet company are going to pay for the repairs. However I am concerned that the paintwork has scratched so easily. One of the children knocked a desk chair into the wall which also damaged the paint. Is there a problem with the paint or the prep of the room? Can you shed any light on why this is happening?

A. Damage to painted walls is a common occurrence with carpet backing as the backing is very sharp and abrasive.

This sounds like it is a prep issue. The failing paint will need to be removed back to a sound base; the remaining sound paint will need to be sanded to provide a key for the new paint. Spot prime any bare substrate with Resene Sureseal then apply a full coat of Resene Enamel Undercoat and finish with two coats of Resene Room Velvet.

Q. I need to paint over an oil based painted wall. I know I need to undercoat the wall first, but, will any undercoat do? I want to repaint the walls in an acrylic semi-gloss. Or, is there some kind of special undercoat that needs to be used when putting on undercoat on top of oil based paints?

A. For best results clean down using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner, sand the enamel dust off then apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry Waterborne Primer Undercoat then apply the two coats of waterborne topcoat paint.

Q. What paint do you suggest to hide old plasterboard wall imperfections, rather than replacing the plasterboard? It is already painted.

A. The ability of paint to hide surface imperfections depends upon the depth of the imperfections. Typically a film build of 35-40 microns is achieved per coat for application of standard paints, two coats is the equivalent of the thickness of standard cello-tape. We do have a high build product Resene Broadwall 3 in 1 which can be applied up to 1mm but this requires specific spray equipment for application.

Q. I need to paint compressed PVC with a matt black paint. What do I use for a primer if I want to use Resene FilmPro matt black paint for the finish? This is for a wall divider routered out of 20mm material.

A. If the topcoat finish is black then prime with the darkest Resene Acrylic Undercoat Varishade colour. While Resene FilmPro is a Flat Black it does not have the burnish resistance for this application, Resene SpaceCote Flat would be a better topcoat option.

Q. What product would you recommend to paint internal exposed LVL beams? (white)

A. Prime with Resene Quick Dry Waterborne Primer Undercoat and finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. Is there a special paint required for media walls, i.e. a green wall in a studio for example?

A. We do have Resene FilmPro Digital Green.

Q. We bought a house two years ago that had been lived in by a couple for most of their lives and they smoked in the house. We repainted the lounge, dining, kitchen at the time we bought it, but nicotine still runs down the walls. What primer/sealer do you recommend using and does this stop chemicals being released from the walls altogether? We have a one year old son and I worry about his health in this house. In the bedrooms are we best to remove the existing wallpaper and seal the walls or is it safe to seal overtop of the wallpaper and then paint it? We have fibre plaster walls.

A. I would remove the wallpaper in the bedrooms and then paint. Apply Resene Broadwall Surface Prep and then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. For the other walls the only suggestion is to wash down using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner following label directions, then apply a full coat of Resene StainLock and then finish with the two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

The Resene StainLock should lock in the nicotine staining

Q. What paint would you recommend to paint fibro cement that will be situated behind a wood heater with a wet back on it?

A. If you can maintain hand contact on the wall when the wood heater is at full heat then you can paint the area. Apply a coat of Resene Sureseal and finish with two coats of Resene Lusta-Glo. These are all solventborne alkyd paints. These will be the best heat resistance wise but will yellow on ageing and heating.

Q. I'm using a new painter and he has used Resene Lumbersider paint on my interior walls and ceiling. This is a complete surprise to me because I assumed he would use normal interior paint. When I compare the other areas (previously painted with Resene SpaceCote), I can see his area has heavy brush and roller marks. The sheen seems to be a bit glossier and the colour looks slightly different (even though I've supplied him with the exact same colours). I appreciate Resene Lumbersider is designed for the outside elements (sun and rain). How else does this product differ from interior paint? Am I seeing brushstrokes because of poor technique rather than differences with the products?

A. Before we launched Resene Zylone Sheen and Resene SpaceCote as dedicated interior wall paints Resene Lumbersider was used for both exterior and interior painting. The appearance of brush strokes in the dry paint is not related to interior use; this is a characteristic of the paint and is not an issue for exterior application as close viewing over a smooth surface is not common as it is for an interior paint job. Resene Lumbersider does have different gloss levels than our dedicated interior wall paints, especially side gloss. The way the eye perceives colour is influenced by gloss level.

Q. My panel heater was dyed a red colour. Is there any possibility I could use your paint to cover it?

A. Wash down the surface using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner following label directions then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. We are thinking of painting wooden board and batten paneling in our living room to lighten the room. I assume I need to apply a sealer first before an undercoat and topcoat? What sealer would you recommend as well as the primer and type of topcoat finish? There may be a thin coat of clear varnish on the walls.

A. Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, paying particular attention to hand contact areas. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow curing without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. Roll all coats using the recommended roller sleeve.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and will continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

Q. What paint should I use in a hallway following one application of Resene Broadwall Prep & Seal?

A. We recommend Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. I am designing for a primary school library and would like to know what type of paint is best for the walls. I usually use Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, but am unsure if there might be another product better for the school environment.

A. Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen is still what I would recommend for this application.

Q. What can I overcoat vinyl wallpaper with?

A. Coat the wallpaper with a coat of Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer then apply two coats of Resene wall paint such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. I have just had new plasterboard put up in the bathroom and now need to know what type of undercoat and topcoat paint to use.

A. Prime any bare plasterboard with Resene Sureseal then apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry Primer Undercoat and finish with two coats of a Kitchen & Bathroom waterborne topcoat.

Q. Can I use outside roof paint on my walls inside?

A. Roof paints are formulated for exterior application; when used inside they are often not suitable as they do not have the robust features required for an interior wall paint such as hardness and scrub resistance.

Q. We need to paint a wood scotia that has been stained and then varnished. The stain is a dark brown. How should we prep the surfaces before painting?

A. Clean down using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner, then for best results sand (no need to remove the existing varnish layers) and apply a coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer. Leave the sealer to cure for 48 hours with good ventilation then apply two coats of Resene Lustacryl waterborne enamel. The paint system will take 7-14 days to achieve adhesion and hardness but full cure will not occur until a month after application.

Q. What sheen should be used on walls and ceiling in a kitchen/dining area?

A. Usually low sheen for walls – Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, and for ceilings – flat – Resene SpaceCote Flat Kitchen & Bathroom or Resene SpaceCote Flat.

Q. Can you put ceiling paint onto wallpaper in a bedroom?

A. No, ceiling paint is not recommended as a wall paint.

Q. I would like to paint over the pine panel walls in my hallway. How do I go about preparing them? They have a polyurethane finish.

A. Clean down using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner, then apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and leave to cure for 48 hours then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. We have lino on our walls in our laundry and wondered what could we use to repaint it, including primer and finish coat?

A. Clean down using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner following label directions then apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure in dry conditions for two days then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom. The system will develop good adhesion after seven days and continue to cure for another two weeks.

Q. Since I live near the sea, what paint should I be applying to the interiors of my flat for longest durability?

A. Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen is the toughest interior wall paint that we produce.

Q. Is it advisable to paint the top few centimetres of interior walls the same as the ceiling?

A. There is no technical reason to do so. If the ceilings are square stopped it is advisable to use the same wall/ceiling colour.

Q. Is it longer lasting to paint directly on plasterboard rather than on lining paper?

A. If the plasterboard is new then as long as the plasterboard is sealed with a quality sealer coat I see no benefit in lining paper.

Q. Does the Resene Enamacryl Metallic Bedrock come in high gloss and how much is would it cost?

A. There is only the one gloss level for Resene Enamacryl Metallic colours; however you can apply a coat of Resene Aquaclear if you want to alter the gloss level.

Q. How do I get rid of a white powdery look on my paint? We painted about 10 years ago but in the last few years two rooms have developed this white look. I think it's a type of mildew. I have cleaned with white vinegar but it is drying with the same look. Have you got a paint that protects from it? We are using a dehumidifier in the rooms as they are the coldest areas with teenagers that spend a lot of time in there.

A. Wipe down with Resene Moss & Mould Killer diluted and used to label directions taking care not to splash the solution onto furnishings. Leave for 24 hours then wipe down with fresh water and a cloth 2-3 times. Apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat and finish with coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom.

Q. I am creating a home theatre and would like to use the wall as a screen rather than a pull down screen. What paint is recommended for this purpose and which colours are best?

A. Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen tinted to Resene Silver Sand has been used for this purpose.

Q. I want to paint my woodwork that I've just recently finished but I would like to use poster colour paints as I don't think I should buy one wood paint just to paint the top of the woodwork and not its whole body. Can I actually use a poster colour paint to paint the woodwork? And if so do I need to add any other mediums before painting?

A. You can use Resene testpots if you want a range of colours. The timber must be primed first then two topcoats applied.

Q. I want to paint my fireplace surround which is either varnished or glazed stamped brick. What do I need to use to ensure the paint adheres to the varnish or glaze?

A. Based on the assumption that the coated areas are sound and you can maintain hand contact on these when the fire is at full heat, apply a thin adhesion coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and leave to cure for 48 hours before overcoating with two coats of a Resene waterborne enamel topcoat such as Resene Lustacryl.

Q. I have painted a wall with two coats of Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel. I have decided I want a lower gloss. Can I sand the wall and paint Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen straight over top?

A. If the Resene Lustacryl has been applied for two weeks or less you can overcoat with Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen without the need for sanding.

Q. I want to paint over some treated pine lining boards in three bedrooms of my home. I am looking to do these white. What do I need to do to prepare or can I just prime and paint over?

A. Clean and/or wash down, prime with Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer and two coats of your selected topcoat (Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss etc) as required.

Q. What is the best paint to use to paint over the brick surrounding the hearth? Which paint would be safe to use against the heat of the fireplace? The bricks are always cool to touch when the fire is full on.

A. If the bricks are glazed apply a coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer (note the product is not designed to achieve a high wet film build or opacity) and leave to cure for 48 hours then apply two coats of Resene Lustacryl.

Q. I have had an offer accepted on a house, but on two separate occasions it has smelled very strongly of curry. I have a feeling this might be a permanent problem. Am I right in thinking there is a sealant that could be applied to the walls and ceilings before repainting that would 'seal in' the odour? I realise I'll need to steam-clean the carpets and curtains etc. too.

A. I am not aware of any paint that can be applied that will prevent odour from being detected. Walls and ceilings can be washed down using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner. I would also suggest that curtains and the like are dry cleaned or washed and carpets steam cleaned as an additional step to removing odours.

Q. We recently bought an older bungalow. It had a mould issue along the top of walls and ceilings where they met due to being left empty for some time. My painter cleaned and painted over the mould but I don't know what he undercoated it with because now I get wet patches where he treated, mainly in the mornings, they dry out again during the day. The roof is completely dry. Is there a chemical reaction happening here with his undercoat or can you advise?

A. Cannot see any reason to suspect any chemical reaction is occurring. The appearance of wet areas can only be due to water, due to leaking or condensation.

Q. We have just finished our new house and have started with the interior painting. We were sold Resene Lumbersider for the interior paint for the bedrooms, hallway and lounge. Is this correct as we have bought the paint but now double checking your site it recommends Resene SpaceCote for interior walls?

A. Before we introduced Resene Zylone Sheen and Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, Resene Lumbersider was our low sheen waterborne paint for both interior and exterior application. Can still be used for painting interior walls in any room with the exception of bathrooms, laundries and poorly ventilated rooms such as may exist with a kitchen.

Q. I'm about to paint my new home interior. What is your recommendation for Resene topcoats including the bathrooms, ceilings, walls, door frames and window sills? I want to use the Resene system throughout.

A. For wet areas (lined with Aqualine® or equivalent) the sealer must be Resene Sureseal. For these areas the topcoat must be a waterborne enamel. For areas above the shower I would apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry undercoat prior to applying the two coats of a Resene Kitchen & Bathroom waterborne enamel.

For all other wall areas you can use Resene Zylone Sheen. Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen is best for kitchens and hallways where extra burnish resistance is required.

Q. Can I use black roof paint on an interior wall like the main bedroom in the house.

A. Resene SpaceCote Flat can be tinted to Resene Black. This is a better option for an internal wall paint than a roof paint.

Q. I mistakenly used metal, highly flammable, paint on the concrete around and under my wood burner stove. Should I try and remove it and what with? Is it dangerous as it is?

A. If the paint has fully cured with good ventilation to remove any solvents released from the paint then there should be little risk.

Q. What paint should be used for my steel radiators which I would like to be white?

A. Resene Super Gloss or Resene Lusta Glo enamel.

Q. What sort of paint should I use to paint a material covered pin board please?

A. A waterborne paint such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen is recommended.

Q. Can I paint an internal wall that's cream low sheen acrylic with a burgundy low sheen acrylic or do I have to use an undercoat?

A. Two coats at the recommend coverage rates should give coverage over the cream base colour.

Q. I have applied two coats of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer onto the front panel of our night store heater in preparation for painting it with Resene Zylone Sheen wall paint. For the first coat I used a roller and got lots of air bubbles and it didn't look like it was fully covered. So this morning I lightly sanded the bubbles off and brushed on another coat. It still doesn't look like I have a good coverage as I can still see the colour of the panel. Is this to be expected?

A. Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer is an adhesion primer and for adhesion is best applied as a thin uniform coat. It is not designed to give opacity or build. I would not use Resene Zylone Sheen to paint a night store heater that will get hot in the painted areas, better to use Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. I accidentally spot painted solventbased sealer/undercoat on a small section of a room where it previously had Resene Lumbersider. My topcoat is Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne. Will this cause a problem?

A. Lightly sand the area of the solventborne paint with 220 grit sandpaper, dust off then proceed with application of the Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. We have used Resene Zylone Sheen low sheen waterborne paint throughout our new house and are delighted with the finish. We do have a minor issue however in that it seems to mark really easily, for instance when putting up artwork, leaving scuff marks. What is the best way of cleaning the walls to remove such scuff marks without damaging the paint work?

A. When fully cured under the right conditions Resene Zylone Sheen has good scuff resistance. If the paint was applied under certain conditions there can be migration to the surface of surfactants which may well be the reason why you are seeing marking. Suggest you clean a whole wall down using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner (follow the instructions in the Resene Caring for your paint finish brochure). Rinse the cloth often and change the water if the water becomes cloudy.

Q. I have just finished painting one of our rental properties using three different paints. Each day after cleaning up I always had paint splattered on my skin. Two required considerable scrubbing to remove but the other always washed off with a gentle warm water scrub. Does this mean it has less adhesion properties?

A. Certainly not, be assured that your observations have no relevance to dry film adhesion. Full adhesion is not achieved until a minimum of five days after application and assumes that the film has cured to achieve the correct film properties.

Q. I am painting new plasterboard. I have sealed with Resene Sureseal, then applied Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. Why do I get little air bubbles as I roll? Most disappear as the paint dries but a good proportion leave a burst dimple in the paint. The paint has been well stirred.

A. It's more than likely related to rapid drying at this time of the year. Are you adding Resene Hot Weather Additive? Also are you applying a couple of roller widths then laying off from top to bottom?

Q. We have a brick hearth that we want to paint. What product would you recommend? The bricks seem to have a waxy finish.

A. Painting of the hearth will only give a colour change as the painted finish will not be resistant to hot ash or embers contact. If by waxy you mean they are glazed bricks, then the following can be used: Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensures the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, paying particular attention to hand contact areas. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. Roll all coats using the recommended roller sleeve. The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

Q. I have just moved into a new house and my small room for office space has been refurbished. It's been a few months now and the paint smell is so strong I get headaches and a bad taste in my mouth when I am using that room. I keep the window open when possible. I have tried sliced onions to soak up the smell, as well as a bucket of water, baking soda, and candles. The smell is still quite strong. Do you have any suggestions on how to make the room ok to be in? Also is it oil based paint that I smell? I don't know anything about it but is there a possibility that the paint contains lead and am I breathing it in? Any suggestions on making the paint smell disappear would be great.

A. It is highly unlikely that there was any lead in the paint recently as local manufacturers don't use lead in decorative paints. Residual odours may or may not be associated with paintwork. If lead was used in paints, it is not there as a gas so there is no chance of inhalation. Both water and solventborne paints are capable of a residual odour but with ventilation this disappears within 7-14 days. It may be something to do with the flooring, depending what it is and how it was applied.

Q. We have just built a new shed which has one clear light strip in each bay to let the sun in. Problem is its way too hot and now I want to paint the clear sheets to block out the sun. Which paint system would you recommend, the darker the better?

A. Any Resene exterior acrylic is suitable for this application.

Q. I have walls that are painted in acrylic that need to be repainted. Husband bought paint, got waterborne enamel. Can I just paint over existing acrylic?

A. In principle yes but due to the unknown existing paint I would suggest a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat first then the waterborne enamel.

Q. I have vinyl wallpaper and wish to now paint with the appropriate Resene paint. What do I need to do? Can we paint over or do I need to strip and prepare the surface?

A. Apply a seal coat of Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer then finish with two coats of an interior Resene wall paint such as Resene Zylone Sheen or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. Resene SpaceCote is best used where a harder wearing finish is required.

Q. I have applied Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer. Can I follow this system with an Altex system?

A. Resene Vinyl Wall Paper Sealer can only be over coated with waterborne paint systems.

Q. How do I paint Formica®?

A. Using Resene Interior Paint Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, pay particular attention to hand contact areas. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. Roll all coats using the recommended roller sleeve.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

Q. Last year about this time we painted several rooms of our house. We painted over an existing wallpaper and the paint dried in no time. We had a couple of rooms wallpapered with a paint on paper. The paint still has a tacky feel today. Did we not wait long enough before painting?

A. Application of waterborne paints over some wall papers can cause plasticiser migration through to the new paint. This causes the new paint to remain soft and with a surface tack. Our solution is to apply a coat of Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer and re apply the wall paint.

Q. We want to paint our dining room a light grey. The existing wall is yellow so all testers are a lot darker than we want. Do we have to use a primer first?

A. It really depends upon the intensity of the yellow base colour but we would expect that two coats would give opacity. However if you are concerned apply a basecoat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat first.

Q. I want to paint clear glass with the colour on to the glass. Can I use an automotive two pack or do you have a special paint?

A. We supply Resene Imperite I.F. 503 to the splashback industry. The product needs to be spray applied and back coated. The glass used is low iron glass. If you apply to standard glass the green tone of the glass has a dramatic effect upon the colour viewed through the glass.

Q. I have a darkish blue paint colour (royal blue) to cover up with a white paint. Is there a product that will cover this without having to put lots of coats of white on to cover the dark paint?

A. Apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry primer undercoat before the two coats of topcoats.

Q. Can you tell me which paint is best in a residential family situation for an easy to clean option?

A. The best option is Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen (for walls) which is a durable waterborne enamel which can be used in general areas and also wet areas such as bathrooms. We do have other options for walls, but Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen is the best for cleaning and durability. Trims wise, most people opt for Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel, unless you want a gloss finish in which case Resene Enamacryl gloss waterborne enamel.

We also have solventborne versions of these, but find most decorators prefer the easy water wash up of the waterborne enamels instead.

For ceilings we have Resene SpaceCote Flat, which is a flat version of the Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen and means you can wipe off fly spots without damaging the paint. It is suitable for general areas and wet areas (e.g. bathrooms). Or you can use standard Resene Ceiling Paint for general living areas if you're not planning to wipe your ceiling and then use the Resene SpaceCote Flat for bathroom/kitchen areas.

Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, Resene SpaceCote Flat and Resene Lustacryl also come in a kitchen and bathroom version with anti-bacterial silver and MoulDefender for extra protection in these areas.

Q. What products do you normally recommend for a home's interior?

A. If it's for an interior then the products we normally recommend are:
Interior walls (non wet areas – e.g. not bathrooms, kitchens, laundries) – Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel (or you could use Resene Zylone Sheen waterborne low sheen paint), trims and joinery – Resene Lustacryl waterborne enamel, ceilings – Resene SpaceCote Flat waterborne enamel or Resene Ceiling Paint.

Then for wet areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, laundries – Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom waterborne enamel, ceilings in wet areas – Resene SpaceCote Flat waterborne enamel and trims in wet areas – Resene Lustacryl Kitchen & Bathroom waterborne enamel.

Q. I am painting our bedroom. It has a base of light pink wallpaper from the 1970s which is in great condition. I had planned to use a wallpaper sealant but when I went to buy it I realised it was an oil-based enamel. I've got a young baby and have to paint it myself and didn't like the idea of doing that while breastfeeding because of the VOCs. The lady at the counter said some people wing it and paint straight over. I have done about a square metre of paint straight over which has been there for about six months and is fine. Can I take a risk and just use my acrylic or is it going to be a huge disaster?

A. If you have applied the wall paint direct to the wallpaper and there has been no stickiness develop then you could proceed with the same approach. Application of waterborne paints to some vinyl wallpapers result in plasticisers from the paper being released into the paint and this causes the paint to remain soft and sticky.

Q. I want to paint our brick fireplace the same colour as our trim (Resene Quarter Black White). Will it work to add Resene Hot Weather Additive to the trim paint? Or do I need a different sort of paint? Also, what sort of sealer/primer would I use first on the brick?

A. When the fire is at full heat can you maintain hand contact on the surfaces to be painted? If it is too hot to maintain contact then normal Resene decorative paint finishes are unsuitable.

Resene Hot Weather Additive does not change the properties of a dry paint film. The additive extends the open time of waterborne paints when applied under hot or windy conditions.

Further A. Assuming the heat issue is resolved seal the bricks with Resene Sureseal then apply 2 coats of Resene Lusta-Glo. This also assumes that the bricks are not glazed.

Q. Which product is best to use for the interior topcoat (colour) walls?

A. We recommend Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. Is there any paint that I can use to paint my Lockwood wall as my wall colour is a bit dark and dull?

A. Use Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner and ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease; pay particular attention to hand contact areas. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. Roll all coats using the recommended roller sleeve.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

Q. Besides completely stripping crocodiled paint, what's the next best system to use? A specific primer etc?

A. Sorry a complete strip is our only recommendation. The effect is usually due to application of a harder coating over a softer paint. Applications of additional paint can compound the issue and will not necessarily fill the profile to achieve a smooth finish.

Q. We have plasterboard walls which have had low sheen waterborne enamel painted over low sheen acrylic. The paint is peeling off so we have decided to remove it. Any ideas about how to make this tedious job easier please? Some of the paint is easy to scrape off, but some is not.

A. To avoid damage to the substrate removal of paint from plasterboard needs to be undertaken with a degree of care. I assume you are looking to only remove the topcoat to expose the underlying paint layer. Use a broad blade to scrape off the loose paint then carefully sand using No Fil 120 grit sandpaper. I recommend sanding the exposed underlying paint layer before repainting.

Q. We are repainting the interior of our preschool. Some of the surfaces are hessian type material (like old pin board). We want to change from the purple and green we have to a fairly neutral off-white colour. Can you help with what type of paint we should use? I was thinking we would do a white undercoat and then two coats of something in gloss or semi-gloss acrylic. Is there anything in particular you would recommend to use on our surfaces, recognising that it is pretty hard wear and tear it receives? Also can you confirm whether our plan of a white undercoat and two topcoats seems reasonable?

A. The best topcoat would be a Resene waterborne enamel such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen, two coats applied over a basecoat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat.

Q. My house is painted with a paint which has a vinyl finish. However when chipped goes down to the plasterboard. It was painted about 8 years ago before we bought it. What type of paint would be the best to use on this as it will not be possible for us to strip the paint without having to redo the plasterboard and we can't afford to do that for every room in the house? There is a white powdery substance on the back of the chip and I have to be careful if I put anything on the walls suchas particular masking tapes and cannot use command strips/hooks as it rips the paint off.

A. The presence of the white powder is almost certainly from stopped areas and the stoppings and the paper face were not sealed before painting. Unfortunately the best solution is to remove the paint from affected stopped areas back to bare then seal with Resene Sureseal and topcoat.

Q. I have a wall behind our wood burner and it has been painted with semi-gloss enamel. Can I paint with a flat finish enamel over the top? It is opposite a large ranchslider so the semi-gloss is quite shiny.

A. Yes, clean down using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner following label directions, sand to degloss using 220 grit sandpaper then apply the two coats of flat enamel.

Q. I have a feature wall in Resene Hot Chile and I want to paint it a shade of white or grey. How easy will it be to cover this strong colour?

A. Suggest you apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat to be sure of coverage with two topcoats.

Q. Can I use Resene Lumbersider paint on plastic? I have an old toilet and the plastic cover on the cistern and the seat are degraded so wondered about simply painting them?

A. Yes, Resene Lumbersider will develop excellent adhesion when applied to PVC and polycarbonate plastics but not polyethylene or polypropylene.

Q. I am using Resene Zylone Sheen in Resene Black White. I need to go over a bright purple wall. Will the two coats I plan cover up the purple? If not, can I just use any basic white paint to do the cover up first? If I do not do this I am going to run out of Resene Zylone Sheen.

A. Suggest that you apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat first.

Q. I want to paint the interior of my Lockwood house and wonder if there is a primer/sealer that I can use to paint straight over top of the stain without having to sand all of the stain off first?

A. Using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner ensure the surfaces to be painted are clean and free from grease, pay particular attention to hand contact areas. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water contact for at least 48 hours before overcoating. Then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. Roll all coats using the recommended roller sleeve.

The new paint system will take five days to develop good initial adhesion and continue to cure for an additional three weeks until full cure occurs. In the early stages the paint surface will not have good resistance to cleaners or abrasion as these features develop as the film undergoes curing.

The walls of a Lockwood do move and when and if this occurs it may result in the appearance of a line of the original varnish. The likelihood of this occurring cannot be predicted but if this does occur then repeat the above.

Q. Can I patch paint a powder painted internal wall? I would like to paint over the scuff marks on the stairs in my home and would like to know if I can patch paint this.

A. Yes powder coated substrates can be painted but if touching up or patch painted the repair area is likely to be a different texture and gloss level compared to the original powder coating. It’s generally best to paint a full wall area to a natural break in the wall so the old and new finish aren’t side by side.

Q. I am painting the inside of a house that has new plasterboard and plaster. It was relined after a fire. I have been told to seal the whole area with pigmented sealer before applying undercoat and two topcoats of water based paint. What sealer do I need to use? What undercoat do I need to use? What topcoat do I need to use?

A. If using a waterborne topcoat then apply a coat of Resene Sureseal pigmented sealer. And undercoat is only required for wet areas such as bathrooms - use Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat. For the topcoat use Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel, and you could choose to use Resene Room Velvet in bathrooms (solventborne). You could also use Resene Zylone Sheen in dry areas (not bathrooms/kitchens) for walls. Resene SpaceCote is a more washable finish than Resene Zylone Sheen.

Q. How do you repaint Lockwood walls which have old clear finish on them? Does everything have to be sanded right back?

A. Prep all surfaces using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner then apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure for at least 48 hours before over coating with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. Adhesion will take at least a week to develop and it will reach final adhesion after three weeks curing. Note if there is changes in the dimensions of the boards there may be an appearance of a line of the original varnish.

Q. I have a black feature wall (the rest of the room is cream) in the bedroom and I want to repaint the whole room in Resene Half Truffle. Can you tell me what undercoat I should use?

A. Apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat white over the feature wall colour. Will not give total opacity but will be sufficient to get coverage with two topcoats applied at the correct spreading rates.

Q. I am painting walls and ceilings which are stopped plasterboard. I'd like to use Resene Alabaster white for everything - a flat for the ceiling and semi-gloss for the walls/trim. Do you have a paint which acts as a sealer and a primer/undercoat?

A. Resene Broadwall Surface Prep & Seal can be used for non-wet areas (excludes bathroom). You can then overcoat with Resene celling paints or waterborne enamel paints.

Q. We are painting a drama room in the school. The teacher has asked for two of the four walls to be painted black for filming. What type of paint do you recommend and would it be matt or semi-gloss etc? Also do you have a shade of black recommended? As it is a classroom it will need to be a hardwearing paint.

A. We offer Resene Set Black for this application, which is a flat black waterborne paint finish.

Q. I have a dark brown armoire that I want to make black for my office. It has a couple of chips where you see light brown, but it is generally dark brown. I have never done this type of stuff before. I would prefer not to take the doors off. It has to look very professional and black. Is this doable? If so, how do I do it? It appears to have been stained and overcoated.

A. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure for at least 48 hours before overcoating. Then apply two coats of any Resene waterborne enamel paint and leave to cure for an additional 48 hours after the last coat of Resene Lustacryl before placing into use. For the best finish roller apply the finish coats using a Resene No.4 sleeve.

Q. I have a pail of low sheen paint that has been sitting for about 6 months since I bought it and it now has a bad smell to it. Is this normal? Should I still use it?

A. The odour is consistent with the paint having a high level of bacterial contamination which would be unusual but not impossible for new paint. If there is bacterial contamination then I would not recommend application of the paint.

Q. I have recently moved into a rental property (4 weeks) and had left a plastic spray and wipe bottle on the toilet window sill where direct sunlight hits. I lifted it up this morning and now there is a perfect outline of the bottle on the paint. The paint on the outlined area has melted and bubbled up.

Not sure what caused it? The heat? The bottle was dry when placed on the sill.

A. The most likely cause is the contents of the Spray and Wipe. Some waterborne paints are softened by the product if it sits on the surface for an extended time.

Q. I have a plastic retro light shade that is yellow and want to change the colour to something like your Resene Scrumptious. Is this possible?

A. If the plastic is a PVC type then no issues but it isn't possible for other plastics.

Q. Is there a heat resistant paint that can be used on a fire surround? It's been previously painted in acrylic enamel of some sort but is discolouring as well as blistering.

A. The failure of the waterborne enamel paint does suggest that the surface gets too hot to allow painting. Can you maintain hand contact on the surface when the fire is at full heat output?

Q. When building my new house I specified to the builder that inside paint finishes should ensure that in wet areas such as kitchen, laundry, toilet and bathrooms the paint finish should be with a washable paint. The whole of the inside walls of the house have been painted with Resene Zyclone Sheen. I questioned this at the time and was told this is a multi-purpose paint suitable for all areas but have now been told that's not correct

What can I do about this?

A. We do not recommend Resene Zylone Sheen for bathrooms or any area where there is a steamy environment. We recommend one of our kitchen and bathroom waterborne enamels for these areas. Wipe the walls down with a sponge and warm water replacing the water often. The wash water should end up remaining clear. Then apply two coats of the waterborne enamel Resene Lustacryl Kitchen & Bathroom (semi-gloss) or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen Kitchen & Bathroom and leave to dry with ventilation and warmth for at least three days before exposing the newly painted surface to steam.

Q. I want to repaint the interior of a rental house built in 1950. It has textured wallpaper on all walls and they have been painted. The painter is suggesting skim plastering over the entire walls in each room and then painting. I am uncertain that this will have a good outcome. Do you have any comments or recommendations?

A. Really depends upon the condition of the painted wallpaper and the paint type and how many coats of paint have been applied. If the painted walls are in good condition and painted with an acrylic paint then spray application of Resene Broadwall 3 in 1 would be an alternative to skim coating with a plaster based product.

Q. Our house was professionally painted recently with Resene Blackjack and we are putting Resene Clearcoat UVS on ourselves. We are using a paintbrush but are finding it is leaving brushstroke marks from the end of each stroke. Will that go away as it cures or should we use a paint pad?

A. The brushmarking will only disappear as the coating undergoes weathering and gloss reduction. However with the Resene Clearcoat UVS this will not be rapid. Our best suggestion is to add Resene Hot Weather Additive as this will assist in maintaining a wet edge which is why you are seeing brushmarks as the end of each stroke. Also avoid painting in direct sun.

Q. I am about to restore a couple of large MDF audio speakers and wish to finish them with a high gloss black. Currently they have a waterbased acrylic finish which looks awful. I am thinking of a two pot finish which I can buff up. What do you recommend?

A. Apply a seal coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat then Resene Uracryl 403 Black. To increase depth of gloss apply a coat of Uracryl 403 Clear over the tinted Resene Uracryl base colour.

Q. How long should you leave an unventilated room that is has been sealed with pigmented sealer before sleeping in it?

A. You must achieve ventilation of the room so the solvents from the pigmented sealer can be removed to the outside. If you can still smell the solvents then better or longer ventilation is required.

Q. I am wanting to specify a Resene paint system for a daycare centre. Could you please help me with what would be a suitable system for over plasterboard that is also 1S and hardwearing?

A. Any paint system that has Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Lustacryl as the topcoat would be suitable for this project.

Q. Need a recommendation for paint for a new plasterboard ceiling in a bathroom and kitchen. I need a primer/sealant and finisher.

A. Apply a coat of Resene Sureseal followed by a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat and finish with two coats of Resene Room Velvet.

Q. We wish to paint over the Lockwood interior of our house, which is varnished wood. What is the process and what products are needed?

A. Clean down the surfaces to be painted with Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner then apply a coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and leave to cure for 48 hours before overcoating with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

The paint system will take five days to develop good adhesion so care must be taken not to damage the new paint until cure has reached this point. The interior boards of a Lockwood construction can move and this may reveal a line of the original varnish system.

Q. I am looking to paint over some old wallpaper that has already been painted before. The condition is fine and all edges that have come up have been re-glued but I was just wondering because it is already painted can I just go straight to a topcoat, or do I need to put on a primer first?

A. If the existing paint is waterborne then more than likely no need but you could apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat prior to applying two coats of Resene waterborne wall paint.

Q. I am considering painting the interior walls downstairs in our recently bought house. I am unsure what type of paint is on the walls. How can I tell if it is acrylic or enamel? If it is enamel is there a product I can prime them with so that I can paint over with acrylic? If it is already acrylic do I need to use an undercoat? The walls are a mixture of hardboard and softboard.

A. Softening or dissolution of paint upon contact with methylated spirits is the standard test used to determine if the paint is an acrylic (waterborne). Clean down a small area using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner. Take a cloth of contrasting colour to the paint colour, wet with methylated spirits then immediately apply to the paint and gently rub. Check for softening of the paint or colour transfer onto the cloth. If either occurs then it is more than likely a waterborne paint.

If the paint is an acrylic then you could apply a Resene waterborne wall paint to the clean surface but given the brand of paint is unknown it would be sensible to apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat before applying two coats of topcoat. If the paint is an enamel (does not soften) with meths the best prep is to sand with 180 grit sand paper, dust off then apply the Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat and topcoat as before. Note any bare areas of hardwood will need to be primed with Resene Sureseal, and the same sealer can be used for bare areas of paperfaced plasterboard. If you visit your local Resene ColorShop the ColorShop staff can assist you with topcoat and colour selection.

Q. I am considering painting interior walls downstairs in our recently bought house. I am unsure what type of paint is on the walls. How can I tell if it is acrylic or enamel. If it is enamel is there a product I can prime them with so that I can paint over with acrylic? If it is already acrylic do I need to use an undercoat? Walls are a mixture of hardboard and softboard.

A. Softening or dissolution of paint upon contact with methylated spirits is the standard test used to determine if the paint is an acrylic (waterborne). Clean down a small area using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner.

Take a cloth of contrasting colour to the paint colour and wet with methylated spirits then immediately apply to the paint and gently rub. Check for softening of the paint or colour transfer onto the cloth. If either occurs then it is more than likely a waterborne paint.

If the paint is an acrylic then you could apply a Resene waterborne wall paint to the clean surface but given the brand if paint is unknown it would be sensible to apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat before applying two coats of topcoat.

If the paint is an enamel (does not soften) with meths the best prep is to sand with 180 grit sandpaper, dust off then apply the Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat and topcoat as before.

Note any bare areas of hardwood will need to be primed with Resene Sureseal, the same sealer can be used for bare areas of paperfaced plasterboard.

If you visit your local Resene ColorShop the ColorShop staff can assist you with topcoat and colour selection.

Q. I am looking to paint RHS steel in a metallic finish for interior conditions and would prefer a paint system that can be applied using a roller. I understand that the Resene Enamacryl Metallic four coat system could be suitable, if not ideal, and I wanted to check that I am correct in that understanding. Please advise: wire brushing of steel RHS, 1 coat Resene Quick Dry sealer/primer, 1 coat Resene Lumbersider base colour and 2 coats Resene FX Metallic.

A. Assuming the steel is unpainted Mild Steel and not Galvanised you need to swap out the Resene Quick Dry for Resene Rust Arrest.

Q. I have painted the walls with a Resene enamel primer, turps clean up. Can I paint over this with Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel?

A. Yes this is fine to do.

Q. We have painted our internal walls with Resene Zylone Sheen. We are going to put up large decal stickers on the walls. But I am wondering how long we should wait for the paint to dry completely so as not to damage the paint if we take the decals off.

A. Two weeks with good ventilation should be sufficient. Also suggest that you wipe the entire wall down with Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner, rinsing the cloth out and changing the water often and allow the wall to dry before applying the decal.

Q. I painted a feature wall with semi-gloss waterborne paint but after three coats put on with a roller I still keep getting rough patches. It is the paint, not the wall because it is smooth as a baby's bottom. I am at my wits end on why this is so! Any ideas?

A. I suspect you are getting roller marks in the paint. This may be due to the roller sleeve being used or overworking the paint when applying. Also, roller marks will be more noticeable with semi-gloss paint so you may wish to use a low sheen product such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen as the lower the sheen level the less noticeable surface imperfections are.

Q. I have used a semi-gloss waterborne enamel applied by airless spray on a cold day in a room heated by a diesel heater. The paint will not sand a week after application; it seems to cut the paint and clog the paper. Will it go hard?

A. A waterborne enamel can take 2-4 weeks to fully cure in ideal conditions. At this time of the year waterborne coating curing times will be much extended even with the use of heaters etc as often there isn't any airflow through the room (which is imperative with curing). The coating will slowly cure; however it's impossible to give you an accurate time frame. While it may not help you in the instance we suggest the use of oil based products such as Resene Room Velvet when curing conditions aren't ideal for waterborne coatings.

Q. I have painted using metallic paint but it doesn't look the same as the chart.

A. The appearance of metallic paints is always dependent upon application method. Our colour charts are screen printed which is similar to what you get with a spray effect. The appearance is different when metallic paints are applied by roller but should still be uniform.

These differences arise as a result of differences in orientation of the metallic pigments, and orientation will change with application method. The appearance of a metallic paints also varies with viewing angle and the size of the aluminium pigment used to make the metallic paint. Fine aluminium pigments give a more uniform appearance irrespective of application method. The metallic flake we use for Resene metallic paints is a large size aluminium flake and this does make the viewing angle differences greater than metallic paints made with small sized aluminium pigments.

If using the colours on the wall to compare with the chart you should hold the chart vertically also, as the metallic look quite different when laid flat on a table vs a wall as they catch the light quite differently. This is often referred to as flop angle differences. Also good lighting will help get the best of the metallic effect.

Q. Stains on surface to be painted deposited by mounted fly spray dispensers. Seems difficult to deal with. What is the best way?

A. Wipe the affected areas down using Resene Emulsifiable Solvent Cleaner, then wipe well with water (change the water often) until the water wash remains clear. Then apply a coat of Resene Sureseal and Resene StainLock before applying two coats of a waterborne wall paint such as Resene Zylone Sheen or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. I am painting one bedroom in my house and I am using Resene Ceiling paint and Resene Lumbersider in a quarter strength of the colour. I am having a lot of trouble getting this colour in a 4L can. I have been forced to buy a 10L pail because the shop employee cannot break the colour down into a 4L can. I see no point in having colours that do not break down. Every colour I have ever used over 40 years has been broken down to quarter, why not this colour?

A. Resene tinters are very high quality and concentrated which means you don't need as much to make a colour. The less tinter used to make a colour usually the better the durability and performance.

With a colour at a quarter strength the amount of a specific tinter can be tiny. Tint machines can only tint in set minimum amounts. If a quarter colour cannot be tinted in a smaller size it means at least one of the tinter amounts is below the minimum dose the tint machine can measure, so the colour cannot be tinted accurately.

When Resene designs our colours we endeavour to have ones that can break down into smaller pack sizes to give customers as much choice of pack size as possible. This works well for most colours.

For some colours the quarter strength unfortunately has a tinter mix that the tint machine cannot accurately measure in small pack sizes. Because of this our colour lab will restrict the formula so it is only available in sizes where a consistent colour can be tinted.

If you were able to switch colours store staff could suggest other similar colours that can be tinted into smaller amounts.

Q. I'm currently renovating and painting the first room in our house. I've stripped wallpaper and used a pigmented sealer followed by Resene Broadwall Prep and Seal. After applying and sanding there have been ridges from where my prep work wasn't up to scratch and weren't able to be hidden by the paint. I've gone over these areas with Gib Plus 4® to smooth and feather out.

Do I need to go over these touched up areas with pigmented sealer again followed by more Resene Broadwall Prep and Seal or would you just undercoat these areas as the Resene Broadwall Prep and Seal will make it too thick in these parts?

Also I don't think it's from anything I've done wrong but I can still see textural differences in the wall from where the Resene Broadwall Prep and Seal has been applied to the plasterboard as opposed to plaster areas. It's a lot smoother surface over the plastered areas as opposed to the plasterboard texture in the plasterboard areas.

After sanding do you wash down the walls with soapy water or just dust them and not get the walls wet?

A. All stopping compounds must be sealed before applying two coats of wall paint. After sanding dust down to remove dust. Wipe with clean water and a cloth to remove residual dust.

Q. Have you got fly proof paint?

A. We have two products that can help but neither is fly proof.

We have a Fly Resistant additive that discourages flies from sitting on the surface – the less they sit, the smaller and fewer the fly spots. It doesn't kill or harm the flies though – they just don't land for as long as normal and therefore you end up with fewer/smaller fly spots.

The other option is Bug Juice which is a contact pesticide that is added into paint. To work properly the insect needs to rest on the surface long enough for the product to take effect. Because of this it tends to work best on crawling insects rather than flies that tend to land on and off.

Q. I am researching painting a wall for use with a projector. Americans suggest ProClassic Smooth Enamel Satin Finish. The paint has a gain of 1.1. Do you have a similar product in NZ? Or a better suggestion?

A. We have not researched the gain of our colours but have recommended application of Resene SpaceCote Flat tinted to Resene Silver Sand for this application.

Q. I'm looking to paint anaglypta wallpaper. It's in a fairly dark hallway, so I want a glossy paint to help bounce light around. What's the best paint to use?

A. I'd recommend trialling an area or sample first to ensure you are achieving your desired result before commencing. As for product you could use our waterborne enamel Resene Enamacryl. This will give you excellent cleanability.

Q. What colour and painting method do you suggest to paint a MDF board that is being used as a screen to project movies on to?

A. For projector screens there isn't a specific colour that is used however whites, off-whites, Resene Silver Chalice and Resene Silver Sand are common choices. It's best to use a flat paint such as Resene Ceiling Paint or similar to avoid reflection from the surface (prime first with Resene Quick Dry). Standard application with a roller is normally fine as a small amount of surface texture again diffuses the reflection. It's common for people to paint out an area on their wall at home using a flat white paint for use as a projector screen and achieve a great result.

Q. I have a room that will be used as a gym with mirrors on one side and a blank wall on the other side which will be a stretching wall. I was wondering if the Resene FX Write-On Wall Paint would be useful so that the wall can be cleaned on an occasional basis? I have noticed in the past that with regular walls, sweaty palms tend to leave marks on the wall (and other exercises like wall squats) which makes it difficult to clean, so I was thinking of having a clear coating over the wall to protect the paint finish.

A. You are on the right track with your idea to use Resene Write-On Wall Paint in your gym. It will clean down very easily. The only area to consider is that Resene Write-On Wall Paint is a gloss coating so will give you a gloss sheen on your walls. Most people are used to seeing a low sheen finish on their walls. Other than that, it would suit your requirements.

An easier option may be to just use a waterborne enamel such as Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen first and see how it performs for you. My experience in gyms is that most walls are painted in standard acrylic and actually aren't cleaned down very often, if at all, hence the hands marks etc build up. Being your own gym, and that you'll clean regularly, I believe Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen will perform well for you.

Q. Would love to paint the unglazed brick frame of an old unused fireplace in my lounge. What product would I use?

A. Apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal then finish with two coats of any Resene waterborne enamel. If there is any sign of smoke deposits then you will need to apply a coat of Resene StainLock over the Resene Sureseal.

Q. I want to use Resene Qristal ClearFloor 1K varnish on seats in a gym changing room. Would it handle sweat?

A. We have tested the barrier properties of four coats of the product on timber by placing a wet sponge onto the cured coating system for 24 hours and seen no film whitening so I would expect that it would be suitable.

Q. Does Resene make any sort of very high-build primer/undercoat which would help hide plasterboard stopping under glancing light conditions? I believe that the plasterboard stoppers did a fairly professional job of a level 4 finish but there are a couple of walls that get light perfectly parallel to the joins in winter.

A. Paint cannot address critical light issues, the framing also must be done to the same level of finish. Use of a high build base system such as Resene Broadwall 3in1 and a paint system such as Resene SpaceCote Flat can improve but not necessarily correct critical light issues.

Q. Our school hall has hessian wall cladding and it is beige. Obviously we want to change this. We want to paint over the hessian but still be able to use the boards for wall displays (as is their intended purpose). What is the best way to paint these, with what, and what is the preparation required?

A. You can paint over hessian boards with waterborne paints. Roll a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat thinned about 10% with water, then finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. We are building a board and batten bach in a coastal environment. Are we better to use a dark Resene CoolColour™ on H3 pine or a plywood? We have looked at cedar but it needs regular oiling and we don't want that maintenance! And the advice seems to be you can't just leave it to weather as it doesn't weather evenly. Could you confirm if we go to painted pine weatherboard the maintenance wouldn't be any more than for stained cedar or ply?

A. Staining will always be high maintenance, and ply or cedar will require the same level of maintenance. In a marine/coastal environment the maintenance is often more frequent with staining due to the exposure to windborne sand. The maintenance interval for any timber based substrate painted with a correctly installed solid paint system far exceeds that for a stained surface.

Q. Our bathroom was painted 18 months ago and is mouldy. It was prepared and undercoated and then two coats of Resene SpaceCote Kitchen & Bathroom were applied. This room is very damp and doesn't get much of a chance to dry. Do you think this has happened as a result of the dampness? Perhaps that old extractor fan isn't powerful enough.

A. Mould growth certainly is indicative of a dampness and poor air ventilation. The mould component of the paint is inhibitive but it will not kill existing mould spores. Existing mould needs to be treated with Resene Moss & Mould Killer before painting, otherwise it grows through the fresh paint.

Q. I have an old Fraemohs house (looks like a Lockwood inside). The interior walls are solid timber with what I assume is a polyurethane finish as the wood is very yellow. I would like to paint the walls to lighten the house up. To use paint on this surface what undercoat/primer do we need to use on the polyurethane finish?

A. Clean down the areas to be painted using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner then apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure with ventilation for 48 hours then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. Paint adhesion will develop over five days and during this time the new paintwork may be susceptible to mechanical damage.

Q. Do I need to sand Seratone® before I use smooth surface sealer?

A. In most cases no as long as the Seratone® is clean and free from all contaminants. The following paint system can be used in all areas with the exception of the shower lining. Apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure without water or steam contact for 48 hours then apply two coats of Resene Lustacryl Kitchen & Bathroom. The paint system will take at least five days to develop good adhesion. During this time the new paint may be susceptible to mechanical damage.

Q. We are renovating some sections of a double storey late 19th century residential house in Sydney's inner west. House is not heritage listed. It has major problems with rising damp in the ground floor, a back section that contains the kitchen. In some areas mould has grown on the walls of the kitchen/living room area. New plasterboard will be used in the kitchen and living room areas for the walling and ceiling. Could you please tell me what sort of undercoat or primer is needed? What is the difference between a undercoat and primer? Is a sealer required? How does plasterboard need to be treated/painted to ensure that mould does not grow again?

A. Our standard system for painting new stopped plasterboard in a kitchen is to apply a seal coat of Resene Sureseal then apply two coats of a Resene Kitchen & Bathroom waterborne enamel, such as Resene SpaceCote Flat Kitchen & Bathroom or Resene Lustacryl Kitchen & Bathroom (semi-gloss)

Primers are applied to provide specific properties to the paint system; the prime function is adhesion to the prepared substrate and in the case of metal primers anti-corrosion properties. Undercoats are usually used to increase film build of the system and may be required to ensure topcoat adhesion. Some such as our Resene Quick Dry Waterborne Primer Undercoat can function both as a primer and undercoat.

Mould growth is symptomatic of an environment issue and while paint can control mould growth (paint coatings with increased mouldicides) it is environment change that will give the best control - increase ventilation, remove moisture and increase light levels.

Q. Could you please give me some tips on how to paint over a Lockwood interior?

A. Ensure the areas to be painted are cleaned down using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner following label directions then apply a thin coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and leave the sealer to cure for 48 hours then apply two coats of a Resene SpaceCote interior wall paint. Paint adhesion will take a minimum of a week to develop so care is needed early to avoid mechanical damage to the newly painted surfaces. Be aware that if there is board movement the original varnished surface may re-appear.

Q. I have just painted a room with Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel. About 15 hours later I did a small touch up and now it shows where I have touched up. Do I have to repaint the whole wall again?

A. If you used the same can of paint for touch up it normally wouldn't be obvious unless you touched up by brush and originally applied the paint by roller. Leave it to cure for a few more days then assess the difference.

Q. In the house that I rent out, the painted wallpaper has been ripped on one wall. What's the best/easiest way to deal with this? Do I remove the whole wall of wallpaper, re-wallpaper with a similar texture (there may be spare in the garage) and repaint?

A. Easiest would be to replace the damaged wallpaper and repaint.

Q. I have a small internal area to paint and want to achieve a satin (or semi-gloss) finish. I have an excess of high gloss oil based paint in the desired colour. Can I flatten the gloss by adding oil based undercoat, and if so in what proportion?

A. While the two products can be mixed and there will be a gloss reduction the film that results will not have the same properties as a custom designed semi-gloss paint.

Q. Is the Resene paint called Resene Sonyx 101 suitable for interior walls? Is it easy to use?

A. Resene Sonyx 101 is a semi-gloss waterborne exterior paint used to paint all primed surfaces with the exception of windows and joinery. Resene Sonyx 101 is not normally used for painting interior walls as lower gloss finishes are preferred. For interior walls we recommend either Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen or Resene Zylone Low Sheen. All products are easy to apply.

Q. What is your best interior low sheen option for a home that will be easy to clean?

A. Our premium internal wall paint is Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. This is based on a cross linking waterborne enamel resin and cures to a very tough film.

Q. I recently purchased oil-based paint (Resene Sureseal pigmented, interior/exterior paint). It was recommended that I use it, as I need to cover a dark red wall. My question, which I forgot to ask when I purchased the paint, is will I be able to cover it with a latex-paint afterwards?

A. Yes you can overcoat Resene Sureseal with Resene waterborne paints as well as solventborne enamels.

Q. I had some flaking paint in my room, so I painted over the flaky paint with a tester pot in the same colour. It seems to have dried a lot lighter than the darker pink next to it. They are both the same colour. Is there any way I can make them the same colour without having to repaint the whole wall?

A. Touch up is always tricky even if the original paint is used. It is possible that the difference is due to a difference in the gloss level of the wall paint and the testpot paint. The colour can be the same but the human eye sees them as different (the lower sheen is muddier/darker and the higher sheen brighter/cleaner). The best option is to repaint the wall for an even finish.

Q. I want to paint the heating radiators in my apartment. What paints are recommended? A gloss surface would be preferred choice if possible. They look like they are old cast iron.

A. Strip the paint then remove rust from any corroded areas using a sanding disc such as as 3M Rust and Paint Removal Disc, then apply a coat of Resene Rust Arrest and finish with two coats of Resene Super Gloss or Resene Lusta-Glo.

Q. If I have non-vinyl wallpaper that I want to paint what should I use?

A. Use Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer over vinyl wallpaper and Resene Sureseal over anything else. Using Resene Sureseal is the safest approach as it can lock in stains etc before you use waterborne topcoats. Then you can use Resene Broadwall Surface Prep & Seal if needed to smooth the surface a bit.

Q. We are repainting the lounge and dining room of our 1926 home. Above the picture rail is solid plaster and we have had a lot of trouble in the past with the paint cracking and peeling almost immediately, even after sealing it. Do you have any suggestions for dealing with this?

A. I would say that the cracking is as a result of many years build up of paint thickness and an underlying original coat has lost adhesion. To rectify: scrape back flaked areas to a sound edge then apply a coat of Resene Sureseal to the bare areas. Sand the sound coating. Dust off and then apply two coats of any Resene interior wall paint.

Q. My house is wallpapered with vinyl wallpaper and I want to paint over the paper. What paint type is recommended and what type of brushes/rollers?

A. The paper is a vinyl paper and so you need to seal with a coat of Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer and then finish with two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. We are in the market for a paint for a projection wall.

A. We recommend Resene Silver Chalice. This could be tinted into Resene SpaceCote Flat (or low sheen Resene Zylone Sheen or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen).

Q. Have tried to repaint a wall with the same colour with a roller suitable for flat plastered walls and I cannot get a perfect finish even with two coats of paint.

A. We recommend using a Resene No.1 roller sleeve for application of Resene Zylone Sheen.

Q. I have a wall that is picture framed quite badly on one side. How do I fix it? I can only find suggestions on how to avoid it, not how to fix it. If I have to repaint the whole wall what do I do about the edge?

A. There really isn't any alternative to painting out the entire wall to remedy a 'picture framing' issue. If you were to try to just touch up the area you would essentially be left with the reverse effect of the newly painted area being clearly obvious.

As with all painting we recommend painting up to a natural break i.e. the corner of the wall etc. When paint is on a different surface/elevation the colour almost always appears slightly different so it shouldn't be noticeable providing you know what the colour currently is (or can get a close match).

Should you need any assistance I'd recommend stopping into your local Resene ColorShop for advice and they could colour match the colour for you if you don't know what it is.

Q. I've got to paint a metal bar that's used to rest your feet on at a hair salon. It's been painted before with a black colour. Not sure of the product though. What should I use to paint it again?

A. A traditional solventborne enamel paint (Resene Super Gloss or Resene Lusta-Glo) will be the easiest to use. You will need to sand the existing paint and prime any bare metal with Resene GP Metal Primer.

Q. My interior wall paint seems to be fading in the sun. What can I do to combat it?

A. Noticeable interior fading is relatively uncommon with wall paints. It is most likely to occur where you have a strong wall colour near a window that gets a lot of strong sunlight or when a low quality paint is used. The exposure to the sun can wear down the top layer of the paint leaving some of the pigment exposed which leaves a fine powder on the surface which makes the colour appear lighter (this is known as chalking). If you clean the wall carefully it will usually remove the powder. Sunlight that is affecting interior paint will affect other interior furnishings also such as carpets and fabrics. Consider investing in voile curtains or tinted glazing as these will help to reduce damaging U.V. light. When purchasing paint choose a quality paint tinted correctly for maximum colour durability. Cheaper products use lower quality pigments that are less durable and while they may look the same initially they won't wear as well.

Q. We have put all new plasterboard up in our rooms, and I was wondering if we need to seal the walls with wallboard sealer and then use an undercoat before applying the topcoat which will be Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen waterborne enamel.

A. You will need to seal the new plasterboard and stopping with Resene Broadwall Waterborne Wallboard Sealer before applying two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. This is recommended for dry areas (i.e. not wet areas such as bathrooms – for those areas you would use Resene Sureseal).

Q. I am looking at the David Trubridge Coral fixture and he uses your Resene Lustacryl. I am wondering if it can withstand a small amount of humidity or if I should seal it with something?

A. If the correct priming system has been used then there should be no need to seal the Resene Lustacryl topcoat.

Q. I have stripped a bedroom of textured plaster down to the paper of the plasterboard and plastered major dents and holes and sanded smooth. The paper is quite rough due to scraping and sanding and still fairly uneven from the different paper layers. I plan to apply Resene Sureseal which should lock down the fibres. Should I also apply Resene Broadwall Surface Prep & Seal before wallpapering and if I do should I then recoat with Resene Sureseal before wallpapering?

A. Yes to sealing with Resene Sureseal. Yes to using Resene Broadwall Surface Prep and Seal, you may need 2 coats. You can then apply 2 coats of Resene Zylone Sheen or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen without the application of a further coat of sealer.

Q. In our lounge we painted our Besser bricks a deep red using waterbased paint. Can I paint over in a lightish grey? And how?

A. Apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat and then two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen tinted to the grey.

Q. Can I paint the tiles around our Yunca multi-fuel fire? We just want to change them to black and painting them would be much easier than retiling.

A. It's possible but the paintwork would easily be damaged if the hot fire contents came in contact with the painted surface.

Q. I'm using Resene Zylone Sheen to paint my interior walls. I sanded before the undercoat and the first topcoat, but do I need to sand between the first topcoat and the second topcoat?

A. There should be no need to sand between the two coats of Resene Zylone Sheen. Acrylics are difficult to sand and fresh acrylics even more so.

Q. In my laundry room I have a double sink set into a surround that I would like to change the colour of if possible. The sinks and cupboards underneath are fine but I am unsure if there is any type of paint that would work as it is the old type of Formica® benchtop that I am hoping to change the colour of.

A. Ensure the laminate is clean then prime with Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and allow to cure for 48 hours then apply two coats of Resene Lustacryl. The adhesion will take about 5-7 days to develop. This is a decorative finish and will not have the features of the original laminate.

Q. What is considered standard practice when painting architraves a different colour from the walls? Is the change in colour at the wall or at the outer corner of the architrave?

A. The change of colour is at the junction of walls and skirting. This is also true of scotias and architraves and is a standard trade practice.

Q. There is a comment online that the wall and skirting may be painted the same colour with the same paint if using Resene SpaceCote. Is it recommended to do this with any of your other wall paints?

A. Resene SpaceCote is based on a cross linking waterborne resin and as such develops a harder finish than Resene Zylone Sheen which is based on a conventional acrylic resin. For skirtings a harder finish is required to resist scuffing and knocks. However for the best hardness we still resort to the traditional solventborne enamels. For a solventborne enamel wall paint/skirting paint use Resene Room Velvet or any of the Resene waterborne enamel paints.

Q. Do you need to seal all Anaglypta and Paint-on with Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer before applying two topcoats?

A. No you don't – you can apply the two waterborne topcoats direct.

Q. I am hoping to get a very flat, matt, velvety finish on my walls but so far as I know you do not do a matte wall paint? Could you let me know if there are any other options here or if low sheen is the closest I can get to a matte finish?

A. We do have a matt (flat) finish, Resene SpaceCote Flat.

Q. I'm doing the painting on our renovation and soon have to paint our large bedroom (4m x 4.5m). I'm not a pro and based on what I've researched everyone does small areas at a time. However I'm concerned they will dry by the time I get to do the next row and therefore won't blend correctly. Is there some technique or product I can use so that the edge remains wet and I can get a good finish without seeing the joins?

A. Resene Hot Weather Additive can be used to extend the open time (wet edge) of Resene acrylic paints.

Q. I want to paint over plain concrete block on an interior wall. What should I use to seal it and also what paint?

A. The following system can be used as long as the exterior face of the wall is weathertight. Ensure the blockwork is clean and free from loose surface material then apply a coat of Resene Concrete Primer and finish with two coats of either Resene Zylone Sheen or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. We are working 8am-2pm each day and need a paint that will cover large, glass windows in the office, to cut down on glare etc, that we can simply scrap off when we leave. What do you recommend?

A. We have no strippable coating but Resene Hi-Glo would be the easiest to remove by scraping.

Q. I have a laundry area that has been painted (many years ago) in a peachy high gloss and wondered how I would go about preparing the wall to paint it.

A. Clean down using Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner then thoroughly sand using 180 grit sandpaper to degloss, dust off then apply Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat. You can then apply any Resene interior wall paint.

Q. We have bought a house and the walls of the dining room have a bad textured plaster job. Can we roll on a coloured textured paint to minimise this? If so what is the best to use?

A. Application of a high build acrylic such as Resene Thixalon will fill in some of the texture but I would be surprised if you can achieve a near level finish. Application of textured coatings may exacerbate the problem.

Q. Do I have to prime fibrous plaster cornices? I have your Resene Sureseal and am wondering if this can be used?

A. Yes it should be sealed/primed and the correct sealer/primer is Resene Sureseal.

Q. Could you please advise me on what product I would need to paint over wallpaper? I know there is some sort of sealer that needs to be applied so that it does not soak up coats and coats of paint.

A. We recommend application of Resene Vinyl Wallpaper Sealer for vinyl papers; for older wallpapers and papers with metallic as part of the pattern use Resene Sureseal.

Q. I am painting the interior of a playcentre and walls/trims are about 220 square metres. Would Resene Zylone Sheen, which comes in pails, be the alternative to Resene Lustacryl, which doesn't come in pails? What is the difference between the two? The colour is going to be off white, and walls and woodwork all the same colour. It is an old building.

A. Resene Lustacryl is a waterborne enamel and as a result is much tougher than Resene Zylone Sheen, which is formulated on a conventional acrylic resin. Waterborne enamel paints have better wear resistance. Resene ClinicalCote is the other product that you may look to use for this application and this is available in a 10 litre pail.

Q. I painted all my living room walls and ceilings with Resene Zylone 20 Pearl Lusta several years ago. I have now patched and painted part of one wall with Resene Zylone Sheen. It has a definite sheen and does not match the original matt surface. Do you have a paint that will match the original or can the Resene Zylone Sheen be matted?

A. Resene Zylone 20 was a flat finish whereas Resene Zylone Sheen is a higher gloss low sheen level. Resene SpaceCote Flat is now the only interior waterborne wall paint we sell in a flat finish but we cannot guarantee that both products have exactly matching gloss and side sheen.

Q. I am currently doing a renovation of a high school and was wondering what are the best paints to specify for existing radiators, a clear finish for doors and frames and a non clear finish for doors and frames.

A. For existing radiators - sand existing enamel paint finish to remove any corrosion products and to provide a mechanical key for the new paint system and spot prime any corroded areas with Resene Rust-Arrest then apply two coats of Resene Lusta-Glo.

Clear finish to go on doors and frames: Resene Qristal Polyurethane

Non clear finish for doors and frames: Traditional solventborne enamel such as Resene Super Gloss or Resene Lusta-Glo.

Q. Have just painted new laundry doors with white waterbased semi-gloss enamel (two weeks ago). My wife wants oil based. Can it be done easily?

A. Lightly sand then undercoat with Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat then apply two coats of Resene Lusta-Glo.

Q. I'm in a rental and have a lot of chips in my walls and am wondering how I would fix them and colour match them or will I have to paint the whole walls?

A. Paint will not fill crack or chips. Usually a filer like PAL Contract Filler is used to fill defects and then sanded, primed and then repainted. Colour matching of the colour may well prove difficult and my suggestion would be to repaint the walls.

Q. I am converting a closet into a darkroom and need to paint the interior of the room a matte black. Please can you suggest what product I should use?

A. Resene Film Pro Set Black. You could also use black Resene SpaceCote Flat.

Q. I have a wall which is already painted (primer plus two topcoats). I would like to repaint it with Resene Bedrock metallic. Do I have to prime the surface first or is it ok to paint straight on top?

A. All Resene metallic colours require a tinted basecoat colour to achieve the colour. Hence the answer is yes but not application of a dedicated primer. If the existing topcoat is an enamel then it will have to be sanded to provide a mechanical key for the new paint system.

Q. Could you please advise me on what is the best paint for anaglypta wallpaper?

A. Any quality interior wall paint such as Resene Zylone Sheen or Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen.

Q. I am painting a laundry, bathroom and bedroom. I purchased paint through Resene but just want to double check that the Resene Sureseal pigmented sealer that I was supplied is going to be sufficient. The brand new GIB® and plaster has just been done. This is just for the undercoat or should I be using something else?

A. For new Aqualine® for wet areas Resene Sureseal is the correct sealer. Coverage can vary but typically is 14-16 square metres per litre. You can calculate the areas by multiplying the length (width) by the height of each wall in each room then adding it up to get the total area.

Q. I want to paint wooden Lockwood walls that don't look good. I am thinking something apricot/yellow like a half or even Resene Quarter Moonbeam. But I don't want a 'flat' colour. We did add a sky light to the lounge and it has made it brighter, but I don't know how to cover up the wood.

A. Degrease with Resene Interior Paintwork Cleaner following the label directions, then apply a coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and leave for 48 hours to cure ensuring good ventilation. Then apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat followed by two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen tinted to your chosen colour

Note that the Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer is not designed to give film build or opacity. The development of adhesion of the entire paint system will require a minimum of five days to develop.

Q. We have enamel radiators and want to change our interior colour scheme. Is there a paint that we can use on the radiators? The radiators are heated with water, not oil.

A. Thoroughly sand, prime any corroded areas with Resene Rust Arrest and then apply two coats of Resene Lusta-Glo. There is no waterborne system for this application and there may well be an odour when the newly painted heaters are fired up so make sure there is good ventilation for the first few weeks.

Q. I have used some Resene paint that was in this house we have just bought and it has left the room smelly three weeks after it was painted. The paint was probably 6+ years old. Can you explain the reason for this? And what can we do about it?

A. Waterborne paint can undergo bacterial growth over time after the can was originally opened and this is the most likely cause. The potential for bacterial growth is a function of storage temperature and if the can was inoculated with bacteria from application equipment or airborne bacterial spores. All you can do now is to wipe the painted surface down with a dilute solution of bleach and then make sure the room is well ventilated.

Q. Am I able to get the same colour paint with one as a normal room paint and the other as a child safe bedroom paint?

A. Almost all of our waterborne paints are Environmental Choice approved so there is no reason to use a separate paint for children's bedrooms as opposed to other rooms within a house.

Q. We have a new house build. The weatherboards come preprimed with a yellowish primer. I want to paint with Resene Pravda. Do I need to apply an undercoat and if so what type?

Condition: Preprimed weatherboards have been left to weather for some time and are chalking and have areas of mould.

A.Note: Factory applied primers can be of questionable quality even when new. Weathering any primer for any period of time is not beneficial. Resene strongly recommend that all factory primed timber and weathered quality primer primed timber is thoroughly sanded back to a sound substrate and re-primed with a full coat of Resene Wood Primer.

The only exception is if the primer used was Resene True-Prime. This primer does not require re-priming before painting, for up to 6 weeks.

PREPARATION FOR PAINTING:

1. Treat areas of moss or mould infestation with Resene Moss & Mould Killer, diluted at the rate of 200 grams to 1 litre of clean water. Leave for up to 48 hours to achieve full kill. For heavy infestations more applications may be needed.
2. Thoroughly wash down with a 25 % solution of Resene Paint Prep and Housewash and water to remove all dirt, dust, grease, moss and mould residue, chalk, cobwebs and other contaminants. Rinse thoroughly with clean water. Allow to dry.
3. Thoroughly sand (using P180 grit paper) to produce a smooth, sound surface and to reduce any sharp arrisses to a rounded profile. Wipe surface with a damp rag to remove dust.
4. Apply a full primer coat of Resene Wood Primer at the spreading rate of 12 square metres per litre. Take care to apply primer well into nail holes
5. Fill all nail holes, damaged or split timber with Resene Easy fill or similar product applied in accordance with manufacturers instructions. Spot prime filler (after 24-hour dry) with Resene Wood Primer.

PAINTING:

6. Apply a full coat of Resene Sonyx 101 CoolColour™ at the spreading rate of 12 square metres per litre.
7. Apply a second coat of Resene Sonyx 101 CoolColour at the spreading rate of 12 square metres per litre.

Q. The interior of main lounge/dining room in the house we've just purchased is Resene Thorndon Cream and the area above the fireplace has a sooty area. How can I clean this and could I use something mild like Sunlight liquid? It is a matt finish and I can see other small areas that have been badly spot cleaned by the previous owners.

A. The cleanability of a painted finish decreases as the gloss level decreases. Flat paints tend to be easily burnished which means that the gloss actually increases in the areas when rubbed to clean. Resene SpaceCote Flat has the best burnish resistance of our interior wall paints. Try Resene Interior Paint Cleaner or the easiest option may be to clean the area down, seal off any residual soot with Resene StainLock and then apply 2 coats of a Resene SpaceCote finish.

Q. I have stripped wallpaper off plasterboard walls. The plasterboard is in very sound condition, no gouges, surface paper is intact. Do I still need to seal the walls before using Resene Broadwall? The stopping that was under the paper is to a very good (level 4) standard. My concern is adhesion of Resene Broadwall to the plasterboard as the plasterboard has obviously been sized before the paper went up, and will have glue from the paper hanging absorbed into the plasterboard paper face. Should I sand the plasterboard (it is bare, stripped of wallpaper and very sound) before applying the sealer?

A. Lightly sand with 180-220 grit sandpaper then apply the sealer. We recommend applying a coat of Resene Sureseal pigmented sealer before applying the Resene Broadwall as this seals and locks in any sizing or adhesive residues which would otherwise be dissolved and mobilised by the Resene Broadwall.

Q. I have a bach with 1970s hardboard wall linings with an imitation wood grain finish. It is shiny and easy clean, washable. Can I paint over it? Do I need a special adhering coat first? What about the grooves and the plastic jointers?

A. Clean down to ensure the surface is free of contaminants, dirt/dust/grease etc. Apply a coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer and leave to cure with good ventilation for at least 48 hours then apply a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat followed by two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. Allow the system to cure with good ventilation and warmth. The system will take a minimum of five days to develop adhesion. The Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer is not designed to be high build or give opacity.

Q. I am wanting to paint over Lockwood interior wood. Do you have a product that does this? If so how many coats would it need and does it need sanding before the first coat and after the first coat and before the covering coats?

A. Clean down the surfaces to be painted with Resene Interior Paint Cleaner. For best results sand with 220 grit sandpaper and then apply a coat of Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer. Allow the sealer to cure for at least 48 hours with ventilation and then apply two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen. We recommend a coat of Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat be applied prior to application of topcoats – it's not essential but it does ensure system adhesion is developed. The Resene Waterborne Smooth Surface Sealer is an adhesion coat and not designed to give opacity or high film build. Adhesion will take at least 5 days to develop with full cure being achieved 30 days post application. Good ventilation and warmth will ensure correct curing is achieved. Note that any board movement may expose the original varnish line.

Q. I have a light shade that is plastic that I am wondering about painting. Is this advisable? Can you paint plastic without it streaking or looking like it's been painted? If it is ok, what paint do you use?

A. It does depend upon the plastic but most Resene topcoats will adhere to plastic light fittings – use two coats and there should be no streaking. The paint will be a fully pigmented layer.

Q. I was trying to go from oil based enamel, which was done about 15-20 years ago, to a waterbased enamel finish and thought putting pigmented sealer on after sanding was going to be my best option. However I was told today that this wasn't the best option. I still need to plaster some cracks and holes. Do you think that once I have done the plastering, if I paint the whole area with Resene Quick Dry, it will all be ok for my topcoats?

A. Yes, a full coat of Resene Quick Dry over repairs and existing enamel (thoroughly sand old enamel first) would be a good option prior to applying Resene Enamacryl (gloss) or Resene Lustacryl (semi-gloss).

Q. I own an old Defence Force home. I have lots of wall that are flaking. I've been told by painters it is because the topcoat is waterbased and the bottom coat is enamel base.

A. I think the flaking is more likely due to multiple applications of paint without any real attention to surface preparation.

Q. We have just repainted our chimney breast. As the chimney breast gets very warm (40 to 60°C) we would like to know how long the paint should cure before we start using our log burner again. Here's how we prepped and repainted our chimney breast: We washed the old paint (Resene Zylone low sheen), the discolouration above the log burner was removed with meths, the chimney breast was lightly sanded and sealed with Resene Wood Primer, then an undercoat of Resene Quick Dry, finally two coats of Resene SpaceCote Low Sheen were applied.

A. Heat accelerates the curing process of the Resene SpaceCote topcoat and as long as it is not excessive there is no issue. However I would leave the new paint to cure at ambient temperatures for at least 48 hours before using the chimney.