What... Is.... A... Mist..... Coat???

[Freshair1]

I'm getting quotes for a decorator to paint my ground floor following a renovation. One chap says just one coat of contract Matt needed to mist coat, and it doesn't need to be watered down? So many questions as I did my entire top floor using a water down Matt before coating properly and now I'm panicking.

Hes just cutting corners, doesnt mean you've done it wrong, a mist coat cant hurt!
Is it bare plaster?

Bare plaster does usually need a mist coat op so you’ve done it right. The paint will just soak into the plaster otherwise so a mist coast just does a light covering then the next coat goes on properly. Your fine.

See attached.

A mist coat is half water half paint. It's used as the first coat on fresh plaster because it's so absorbent. If you put a coat of normal thickness paint on it often peels or chips away

Sorry - just read the full original post....

Paint started peeling off our new plaster when there was no mist coat. I would play it safe and get one done.

No. As far as I've ever known (DF and DP both plasterers, I've heard more about it than I'd care to remember!) a mist coat is always watered down. I think contract matt is a bit thinner than normal emulsion, but still needs to be watered down.

I would cross him off your list OP, I wouldn't trust him to do a good job.

Definitely needs to be watered down but I also had a decorator tell me it’s not necessary. They obviously can’t be bothered.

I think he is basing that on how thin and watery contract Matt is. He did say he would dilute so if everything else is good with his quote you could still go with him?

If you’ve got a question about decorating ask the staff at your local Dulux or Johnson decorator centres. Always helpful and know their stuff - best place to get a recommendation for local decorators, too.
and a must coat I’d absolutely essential on bare plaster. You can even buy ready done mist coat paint if you’re unsure about the water/paint proportions or can’t be bothered with the faff of mixing it.

Makes sense to mist coat.. you need the initial layer to 'bite' into the plaster, gives it a better grip iyswim. If you put straight paint onto plaster it really just sits on the top, making it more likely to peel and chip in the long term.
Thats how i've always thought about it anyway!

I'm really struggling. I had a really bullish bloke come round yesterday who basically gave it the big I am. Negged everything about the plastering, about whether I'd actually mist coated properly when I did my own painting, suggested the builder would probably delay and mess about. Really shook me. So now I'm really unsure because everything in my research says you are meant to do a 10-25% watered down mix before layering with top coats. And then this?

A relevant article:

www.thedecoratorsforum.com/do-not-use-contract-matt-as-a-mist-coat/

I don't get impression he's trying to be dodgy, he sounds very detail oriented person which I like but he just has learnt an 'old school' way of doing things by looks of it

The hunt continues then.

I presume you're by yourself and female? I've really noticed the difference in the attitude of some male tradesman towards me now as a single female, as opposed to when i had a big built male partner!

Some male builders/ decorators like to do the big 'i am' in these situations, makes them feel important.. dont let the bullish twat phase you, I'm sure you were spot on with your painting!

If your decorator was recommended by someone you trust, just tell him you'd like a mist coat first, you're employing him, youve researched and have been advised (by us ) so he can get on with it, quite frankly

Go to Screwfix and buy new plaster paint. £27.99 for 10 litres. It goes on bare plaster and once dry you can paint over it with any paint.

Any aggressive male tradeperson visiting my house gets short shrift for sure and no work from me.

I would mist coat with watered down followed by 2 coats of Matt, always.

And a mist coat can just be ordinary matt watered down, so you are fine.

My friend has just had three newly plastered rooms sprayed in three hours. I'm watching with interest as to how it holds up. It's fabulous

Need details!

From his messages I am interpreting that he is saying g the contract paint that he uses is already fairly water heavy so adding just a bit fo water is fine. I'd be inclined to believe him because we just bought some contract paint and it says on the back the a ratio of 10 to 1 is recommended for a mist coat. We were nervous having always done closer to 2 to 1. We actually did somewhere in between and now the top coats have gone on, a week in and it still looks fine and normal.

If you are worried, you could always ask to know excited what brand of contract paint they plan to use and look it up.

Ignore horrible bullying one. (I take it that isn't the same one as the messages you shared)

I've had the same advice in the past from a decorated that if the paint is vinyl it doesn't need the mist coat

Sorry isn't vinyl

Another vote for screwfix bare plaster paint. Works brilliantly. We did the whole of downstairs with it and our decorator is about to do all of upstairs with it as well.