Preparing Walls for Lazure

Wall Preparation for acrylic based Lazure Painting 
Prepare the walls as for any painting job, patching and priming, etc. Apply two coats of high quality latex flat paint, comparable to Benjamin Moore’s flat Eco Spec (a no voc paint). If a paint is too flat it will absorb too much lazure color as it is applied and result in “blotches”. Usually that will be the cheaper flat latex paints. Semi-gloss or paints too glossy will cause streaking. They will not absorb the color. Other techniques of treating walls, known as glaze or faux finishes, often work best with these satin or semi-glass paints. For rooms with very large walls an eggshell or satin finish may be used.

Floors should be protected unless it is planned to refinish them.
The preferred method is the application of builders floor paper – also called red rosin paper. The cost for a standard 3 ft x 100 ft roll is about $13.00. By taping the paper to the floor all the way around the edges you provide a surface that protects the floors and does not slip underfoot or snag on ladders. When overlapping the floor paper, spotting tape every few feet to the first layer on the floor is okay.

I recommend a brand of tape manufactured in the western part of MA: Diamond Vogel.  For those in the east, it can be ordered, as it will not be readily available in stores.

Preparing the surfaces:
1. Always clean oily and dirty surfaces which might interfere with paint adhesion.
2. Sand and clean glossy surfaces
3. Sand bumpy or flaky surfaces
4. Naturally, all cracks, bubbles, nail or screw pops should be repaired.

Priming:
Prime glossy and repaired surfaces. When this is extensive, prime entire surface. Also, when the existing color is very dark it is best to prime before applying 2 white finish coats.

The standard 100% acrylic primers available today are quite adequate except where water stains or ink marks need to be sealed to prevent bleed through. In this case, use alcohol based “B.I.N.” on the spots and prime over with acrylic primer to assure consistent absorption.  Do not use when casein paint will be applied over.

Finish paint:
To prepare the surface for Lazure painting, apply 2 coats of high quality flat acrylic paint or casein paint (when preparing for the all natural system where beeswax medium will be used for the lazure). Keeping a wet edge between “cut in” (brushed edges) and the rolled on paint is always best and is recommended when practical to do so. It is especially valuable when using casein paint as the overlap (doubled application) is rather noticeable and may effect color appearance.

For very large spaces such as assembly halls or stairwells, we often recommend the application of Benjamin Moore’s Aquavelvet paint. It is slightly less absorbent than the flat paint and offers a little more working time, as well as a harder surface.

Notes on the use of casein paint:
1. Caulk must be primed using acrylic primer to assure bonding of casein.
2. Casein may dry on buckets and get into the supply. Strain using a large kitchen strainer. Follow instructions from manufacturer as these may vary. Some already prepared casein paints require thinning up to 10% with water.

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