Was I rude to painter?

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Plastered my flat and got quotes to paint it. Three decorators said it needs a mist coat. They also quoted between £6k and £10k.

The fourth decorator quoted £4k. I asked about the mist coat and they said they didn't know what it was and it was a made up term but to instead use a primer coat.

I sent them an article, all very polite, about the differences between the mist and primer and i got a very angry, rage quitting message back telling me if i am the expert i should paint it myself.

This happened over message. i never met him as my partner was in when he came to quote but he said he was cold and short with him.

Was I rude?

I’ve heard it called a slip coat too but only by people who are now well past retirement.

You were rude.

6-10k

Lol.

Your rationale on sending an article on the difference between mist coat and primer makes no sense. If you were simply trying to clarify what he was doing you’d at the most send an explanation of what it was. Or you’d ask him what material he intended to use, sending him the difference was rude. He was rude in response.

If he’s 5 stars reviews and well priced I suspect you needed him way more than he needed you.

Lesson learned. Just as his language was poor, doesn’t mean he is a fool.

I feel this is common sense: you get what you pay for. The super affordable option comes with rude service and not exactly what you want, that’s not unusual. I’d just keep getting new quotes until you’re comfortable

Absolutely you were rude.

£10K, was it Buckingham Palace?

Oh, and yes, YABU.

I’ve had plaster painted before and I don’t recall hearing the term. That’s why I thought it was a new term.

If you had it painted for you, those doing that job may not have stepped through what is required and what they would be doing.

Google “painting fresh plaster” and see what immediately comes up…

A mist coat (not a term I’ve heard before) is a primer coat; they’re one and the same thing and he’s obviously never heard the term before either. Both terms refer to a watered-down coat on top of the fresh plaster to key in the subsequent coats of paint.
Maybe you’re confusing primer with undercoat and assuming that’s what he’d use. He’s totally correct in suggesting primer and just because he’s never heard of the new-fangled descriptor for it doesn’t make him a bad decorator.
I think you jumped to the wrong conclusion and he’s the touchy type. You could’ve explained your understanding of the term in a friendly text and he could’ve explained nicely that they’re one and the same thing.

It's like raaii-aaiiinn, on your wedding day...

I am aghast at the quotes - how huge is the flat ?

For 6k I’m expecting George Clooney on hand with the coffee, Tom Cruise checking Im okay and a hunky professional painter painting the equivalent of the Sistine Chapel - 6-10K - wow I’m seriously out of touch - I’ve never had a painter - DH & I painted our rooms in our house ourselves, obviously not to a professional standard but they’re ok

I can’t believe he didn’t know what a mist coat was. I believe a primer coat would be the special paint which would do the same (probably at a higher cost). You mentioned the language though, so I don’t think you were unreasonable to check this out in case he just didn’t understand the term (but hard to believe if he’s been here any time as a professional decorator!).

Yes, thanks, I have done.

Like I said, we have had fresh plaster painted some time ago and ‘mist coat’ was never mentioned. The painter said he’d put on a layer of watered-down paint to prime the plaster. So that’s why I think it’s a new term.

Sounds like OP’s painter’s primer and mist coat may mean the same thing.

What was the point of sending him the article? Were you hoping to get the work done for his low price, but educate him so he'd do it properly? I think it was rude and unnecessary to send it.

So true.

Of course a mist coat is a thing. There are also primers (it would have to be one specifically formulated for bare plaster). So if he was thinking of using a regular primer that wouldn’t be ideal.
I think you were rather extreme sending him an article, but he was totally unprofessional in his response.

I’d say more foolish than rude tbh.

You can use an acrylic primer instead of a mist coat, just for your info. Plenty of products on the market now for such a job. There never used to be, hence why watered down emulsion was used. Also, using watered down contract emulsion is the cheap way.

This seems to be the product all the decorators touting on instagram use in lieu of a mist coat: https://www.thepaintshed.com/tikkurila-optiva-wall-ceiling-primer?

Exactly as I said. No decorator would buy a pot of primer for this job; watered-down emulsion is all it takes, and whether it’s named a mist coat or primer is irrelevant.

I don't know if you were rude exactly but you tried to tell a professional you were considering employing how to do his job, and you were wrong.

I don't know why you'd waste both your time, surely you're not going to employ him if you believe he doesn't know what he's doing.

His lack of customer facing skills might explain why he is forced to quote lower than others.

Even if the tradesman was wrong, you're wasting your time trying to "educate" them as they'll always do what they want to do. If you're not confident in them, you don't give them the job and move on to someone else.

It really isn’t.

Not a new term at all. Been around for decades.