Apply a Wall Coating or use Masonry Paint? 5 Things you need to know before you start (part 1 of 5)

Part 1 of 5 - Wall Coatings? Not a DIY job

Wow! It’s been all hands on deck, with wall coating installations since Christmas! Now that we have brought our blog in house, I guess I should get back on track with my posts. Due to overwhelming questions on this topic, in this 5 part post, I will impartially discuss the real differences between wall coatings and masonry paints.

Can I buy wallcoatings from you?

We are occasionally asked, if we would supply wall coating products to members of the public who would like to do some DIY and apply the wall coatings themselves. Quick answer, no! We don’t supply wall coatings to the general public, here’s why:

Wall coatings must be applied using specialist equipment and by well trained staff, I can’t stress that enough. These coatings are very thick, up to 20 times thicker than Masonry Paint and cannot be brushed or rolled on in the conventional way. In order to apply these wall coatings correctly, the underlying wall must be properly prepared, I won’t go into too much detail here, but if you would like more information on wall preparation, visit our masonry coatings page.

When I was a lad....

When I was a lad a wise old man told me it should take 80% of the time to prepare a wall and 20% of the time to apply the new wall coating. If this ratio is not met, then you are cutting corners! This has stood true and is a good basis to gauge any refurbishment work.

If you have the training and you have the equipment, I’d have no problem supplying wall coatings, but basically, it would be irresponsible of us to supply a DIY enthusiast with no experience in coating applications, the noose to hang himself/herself.  It would inevitably end in disaster and need doing again. As we have a reputation throughout the UK for high quality standards, we have been asked to remedy new poor quality applications, some DIY jobs, but most applied by companies claiming to be wall coating experts (usually taking a side step from the building trade). The majority of the problems we find and are asked to remedy, usually fall into three categories:

1. Inadequate wall preparation before applying the wall coating
2. Applying the wall coating in unsuitable weather conditions such as rain or worse frost!
3. Applying to incorrect substrates, such as solid stone rubble filled walls and lime renders.

Any company breaking these fundamental rules should be avoided, if you spot any of these practices, do yourself a favour and stay clear.

Conclusion:

In conclusion masonry paint can be applied by anyone who can hold a roller and has a head for heights, but it is still very important the correct prep work is undertaken remembering the 80:20 ratio and remember it will need doing again in about 1-3 yrs time. Wall coatings require specialist equipment and trained staff to apply properly... but don’t reach for your paint brush just yet... read our next posts on longevity and maintenance requirements, physical properties, substrate suitability and (the often missed) guarantees of wall coating applications vs masonry paints.