Paint issue - need advice

9 years ago

I'm working with a general contractor on a major home addition. We're at the painting stage (interior) and the painters have just finished the trim. They sprayed the trim using Benjamin Moore Satin Impervo latex.

The problem: the finish on the trim and doors is rough -- unlike I've ever seen or felt on trim. You can see and feel the spray texture, which makes the doors and trim look almost like a cheap, pre-painted product or even made from some kind of cheap material.

My contractor is telling me this is normal, but as I said, I've never seen any trim like this before. (And I have used the Benjamin Moore Satin Impervo latex on other woodwork in the house and haven't had the same issue).

I would appreciate any input y'all have about:

- whether this is to be expected given the product used

- what might be the issue - e.g., is it likely applied it too heavily? not sanded enough?

- best way to resolve - sand and paint using a brush? or sand and respray with lighter coats?

I'm a bit apprehensive about asking the same painters to fix it, given that they seemed to feel the current result was acceptable. I certainly don't want to make it worse, but I've invested a lot in this addition and this current trim paint job really cheapens the whole thing, in my view.

I appreciate any advice!

Thanks!

Michelle

Featured Answer

paintguy22

9 years ago

No, it's not normal. The finish should be smooth and there should be no spray texture. If the wood was raw, there should be some raising of the grain going on after applying the primer coat which would make the wood rough, but this should be sanded smooth before applying finish coats. Most jobs though when the trim is being painted, the contractors will use Masonite doors and pre-primed trim, both of which come pretty smooth already and hardly require any sanding to end up with a smooth finish as the final result. You are right to be concerned. Any decent painter using a sprayer should be able to end up with smooth trim when done. There could be an overspray issue, where sprayed paint hits trim that is already dry causing it to be rough. To avoid overspray hitting dry trim, the painter needs to plan out his spraying so that overspray is only landing on trim that is wet, so the spray blends into the wet paint and doesn't cause roughness. It is also possible to apply the paint too light, which usually results in pinholes everywhere...this usually doesn't cause the trim to be rough, but it doesn't look very good. If the paint is applied too heavily, the paint will sag, but this shouldn't make the trim rough. It is most likely an overspray issue or just not sanding well, if at all.

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Comments (6)

Steph
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Could the roughness be caused by grit left behind from sanding first and not wiping the wood before painting it? I would think over spraying would cause drips not roughness. Did you see them do any of the work? You obviously know what's involved in completing the work and what the finish is usually like. You should trust your instincts. I would try getting my money back then complete the work myself or you will have to convince them to do it, which involve a lot sanding. Good luck with that if you already paid them.
Emmi J thanked Steph
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Michael
9 years ago
Could be

wrong tip

worn tip

dry overspray

incorrect pressure

and 12 other different things

inexperienced spray painter is the most probable
Emmi J thanked Michael
Emmi J
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you, everyone, for your insights and suggestions! Very much appreciated.

It seems that some spots are worse than others, which the painter acknowledges. I have spoken with the painters and my GC and they would like to address my concerns.

What we have discussed is sanding and repainting with a brush, as many here have suggested. I also heard from my local Benjamin Moore store that we might consider the Advance product for the trim. The painter suggested he could brush one side of my closet window with Advance and the other with the Satin Impervo and I could decide which I liked.

Does anyone have experience and thoughts on the Benjamin Moore Advance product for trim? Can we successfully apply this over the Satin Impervo? Thoughts/preferences/tips on the two different products?

I get the impression my painters don't use the Advance product regularly (and maybe haven't ever) so that is a slight concern for me if they don't know how best to handle it.

I will admit to being concerned about having these guys finish the job given that I was concerned about the first round -- but they do seem to be earnest in wanting to make it right for me and that is worth a lot.
paintguy22
9 years ago
You can paint over the existing finish with Advance, but this should not make a difference in terms of smoothness. Advance may be better at self leveling and may show fewer brush strokes, but it should be easy to achieve smooth finishes with either product. This is more of an application issue than it is a product issue.
Michael
9 years ago
The painter suggested he could brush one side of my closet window with
Advance and the other with the Satin Impervo and I could decide which I
liked.

If it turns out he's not experienced with Advance, it will show.

I suggest you examine the surface prior to either application and make sure it's ultra smooth prior to painting. If there's any rough surface, neither product will smooth it out.