I like matte finishes. But they tend to scuff easily showing up as glossy scars on a flat finish. So, I don’t use it frequently.
I am painting interior window trim that is currently (probably) Douglas fir with (definitely) shellac finish.
Window trim is not generally subject to scuffs, and I am going for the current trend of matte black finish.
General Finishes “milk paint” requires the quotation marks. It is not a real milk paint, instead it is a modern formulation of a 100% acrylic finish. It is rated for both indoor and outdoor applications.
This paint is remarkable in the fact that when dry it leaves no brush marks and looks like it was a factory sprayed finish. I am impressed each time I use this stuff because of that trait.
General Finishes claims that no primer is required. I tested two coats on the shellac, allowed it to dry, and then scored the finish into 1/4” squares. I then applied clear packing tape over the test area, burnished it down and then pulled it off. None of the squares lifted. I am calling that very good adhesion, and so I skipped the primer step.
General Finishes recommends foam brushes for application, and I have done that in the past. But I cannot seem to be able to cut in on the edges with a foam brush. Instead I am using art brushes with (I believe) “Taklon” nylon bristles. The generic name seems to be “gold” or “brown” nylon.
With these brushes I get a dreadful-looking first coat with poor coverage, but the second coat fully covered the old finish and looks sprayed on.
In the can, prior to stirring, the paint looks like a gel. It is very thick and wobbles like Jello. Out of the can like that it would be very difficult to apply. However using my drill spinning paint stirrer quickly converts the paint to a thick liquid that never seems to drip off the brush and never runs.
I applied thin coats with the Taklon brushes. Cutting in has been easy, but I did tape off the white walls.
Pluses:
1. The finish looks great.
2. No drips
3. No runs
4. Excellent adhesion
Minuses:
1. Limited number of colors available.
2. Matte finish is subject to scuffing
3. Expensive. The last time I checked it was about $100.00 per gallon plus shipping.
Unknowns:
1. Durability interior
2. Durability exterior
I will try to post a photo late today or tomorrow. I have to wait until the late afternoon because so much light comes through the windows earlier that all you see is the silhouette of the window.
Recommendation:
For suitable application the look and the application ease are excellent. As a base coat with a clear top coat, a good choice. I have used it as a base coat and it worked out well.
The Howard-Johnson-28-flavors is probably its biggest short coming. The actual number of colors is a scant 12. However, this paint appears to be marketed towards finishing wooden furniture. So the 12 colors may be adequate. The “Lamp Black” appears to be a well-saturated black.
I will try to post a photo later or in the morning.
Note: Prep was a thorough cleaning with soapy water and a scrub sponge. All the soap was cleaned off with wet rags. The casings were allowed to dry thoroughly before application of paint.
I am painting interior window trim that is currently (probably) Douglas fir with (definitely) shellac finish.
Window trim is not generally subject to scuffs, and I am going for the current trend of matte black finish.
General Finishes “milk paint” requires the quotation marks. It is not a real milk paint, instead it is a modern formulation of a 100% acrylic finish. It is rated for both indoor and outdoor applications.
This paint is remarkable in the fact that when dry it leaves no brush marks and looks like it was a factory sprayed finish. I am impressed each time I use this stuff because of that trait.
General Finishes claims that no primer is required. I tested two coats on the shellac, allowed it to dry, and then scored the finish into 1/4” squares. I then applied clear packing tape over the test area, burnished it down and then pulled it off. None of the squares lifted. I am calling that very good adhesion, and so I skipped the primer step.
General Finishes recommends foam brushes for application, and I have done that in the past. But I cannot seem to be able to cut in on the edges with a foam brush. Instead I am using art brushes with (I believe) “Taklon” nylon bristles. The generic name seems to be “gold” or “brown” nylon.
With these brushes I get a dreadful-looking first coat with poor coverage, but the second coat fully covered the old finish and looks sprayed on.
In the can, prior to stirring, the paint looks like a gel. It is very thick and wobbles like Jello. Out of the can like that it would be very difficult to apply. However using my drill spinning paint stirrer quickly converts the paint to a thick liquid that never seems to drip off the brush and never runs.
I applied thin coats with the Taklon brushes. Cutting in has been easy, but I did tape off the white walls.
Pluses:
1. The finish looks great.
2. No drips
3. No runs
4. Excellent adhesion
Minuses:
1. Limited number of colors available.
2. Matte finish is subject to scuffing
3. Expensive. The last time I checked it was about $100.00 per gallon plus shipping.
Unknowns:
1. Durability interior
2. Durability exterior
I will try to post a photo late today or tomorrow. I have to wait until the late afternoon because so much light comes through the windows earlier that all you see is the silhouette of the window.
Recommendation:
For suitable application the look and the application ease are excellent. As a base coat with a clear top coat, a good choice. I have used it as a base coat and it worked out well.
The Howard-Johnson-28-flavors is probably its biggest short coming. The actual number of colors is a scant 12. However, this paint appears to be marketed towards finishing wooden furniture. So the 12 colors may be adequate. The “Lamp Black” appears to be a well-saturated black.
I will try to post a photo later or in the morning.
Note: Prep was a thorough cleaning with soapy water and a scrub sponge. All the soap was cleaned off with wet rags. The casings were allowed to dry thoroughly before application of paint.
