Jacob":1cgy0ai8 said:
It's catching on slowly. There's a "real paint" movement developing - a bit like the real ale thing. Bound to happen because it really is much better then modern paints.
The main thing has been the realisation that it isn't the lead in old paints which gives it quality, it's the linseed oil.
Modern paint has been the death of trad joinery as once the old paint is removed its life is drastically shortened by modern paint.
Well, here's my tale of woe with paint. When I moved into my house it was about four years old and the owners had done nothing to it from new. Brilliant you may think, no bodges. Then I noticed how yellow the gloss work looked when compared to the new paint I was using, on I merrily went decorating every room in the house as you do. Six months or so later we are back to yellowing white again???. Apparently, according to my neighbor who is attached and bought his house from new, the builders idea of primer and undercoat was gloss and paraffin!!.
Being a lover of nice paintwork I set about ripping out all the original woodwork and doors right back to the door liners, and decorated the place properly. It looked fantastic and I was at last happy. I then bought an Irish Wolfhound pup! His one and only act of doggy destruction was to gnaw the first 12" of every door frame and newel post in the house in a teething orgy.
So, I then had the joy of repairing all this, which included a complete redecoration of our dining room. This had the boiler housed in it which I had just enclosed with a nice unit with glass shelves above, down lighting etc, and I have to say it looked a treat. So, all done and dusted! BUT, clearing up the last bits of carpet before a final hoover up I hear a strange rustling a noise coming from the boiler. 'Whats that' I wondered? so opened the doors, lifted the cover off and out flew a blackbird or it may have been a starling. This terrified bird shot out of the bottom of the boiler and flew in panic around the room and then the rest of the house. It had got down the boiler flue on the roof and as you know a boiler flue is full of the most intense black known to man and this sodding bird must have ricocheted off every surface possible. Ceilings, walls,wallpaper,curtains,you name it.
Then, just to round off the joy, I used Dulux satinwood ...Everywhere... Oh my god...I think most people will know how that has gone, yellowing, sticky,won't dry out properly and looks dirty in a matter of days (google it for more tales of woe)
It will all have to be done again one day, if I ever regain the will to live with decent paintwork
So, I hope I have made you feel that your experiences with paint could have been worse. I don't think mine could have been.
I just wonder what is wrong with Linseed paint... there must be something I should know first for a change.