Questions and answers

Q. Which roller to choose?
A. The nap (length of roller hairs) will depend on the finish desired. For example short hairs are suitable for lacquering, whereby less paint can be applied and the roller lines soon disappear upon drying, leaving a thin layer with a smooth and shiny look. For walls, choose a roller with a nap of 10 to 12 millimetres so as to retain sufficient amounts of paint, thus avoiding the need for multiple layers. Rollers with naps of 15 to 20 mm are used for façades.

Q. How to stop the paint at the bottom of pots from drying?
A. Before putting them away, place the pots upside down for a few minutes. The paint will seep into the side of the lid, preventing any oxidation and thus any paint from drying out.

Q. Is it possible to mix caseine paint with water?
A. Yes, but it must be used within 24 hours. After this period of time, the caseine begins fermenting and can emit an unpleasant smell due to bacterial activity in the water and also to the fact that it is an organic substance. It is better to dilute only the amount of paint you plan on subsequently using.

Q. Is it possible to paint over an old layer of painting?
A. Stripping and preparing surfaces are unavoidable steps. It is vital that you systematically remove old layers of paint, otherwise the new paint will not stick properly and the old defects will be accentuated. If you use caustic soda for stripping, remember to thoroughly wash your hands after any handling.

Q. If you mix colours yourself…
A. If you decide to do the mixing yourself, ensure that you prepare enough paint for covering an entire room. Also remember to keep the formula in a safe place, in case you need to repaint an entire room to cover up spots.

Q. Painting an L-shaped room
A. To highlight an L-shaped space, make the colours uniform. By painting the two parts of an L in the same tone, you're supporting the architecture therein, as though you had added space to the room. By creating a distinction between the spaces, you're marking your interior with a pleasant, calm feeling.

Q. Traces of soot reappear even after five layers of paint. Why?
A. Irrespective of how many layers of paint you apply, traces of soot will persist in reappearing. This phenomenon stems from the fact that the soot particles present in the ceiling work are dissolved into the components of the paint, and because of this they rise back up to the surface. They are poetically referred to as "migrant particles". To avoid this problem, the initial application of an "isoprim" bottom layer gives excellent results: it is a primer paint that effectively isolates the surface from traces of soot and humidity.

(Extracts from Déco Idées, June 2004)