I’ve been a Professional Painter and Decorator for all my working life, and I’ve used most trade paint products in my time on the tools. My Customer supplied this Armstead Quick Dry gloss. It’s one of the few paints I wasn’t familiar with.
My Experiance Using Armstead Quick Dry Gloss
Normally, 95% of the time I use water- based anyway, so I thought it was going to be ok. This is a fully water-based paint available online or from Dulux Decorator Centre at a reasonable price. You must use an adhesion primer if you want to use it on surfaces previously painted with old oil-based coatings.
I Primed the trim, which had been previously coated with oil, using otex akva from Tikkurila. I applied 2 coats of the Armstead QD Gloss using a good Purdy paintbrush.
I must say, this is the worst water-based gloss I have ever used. I tried the usual trick of adding floetrol, water etc. But the brush marks are terrible, the viscosity and opacity are bad. It is like applying vinyl silk. In fact, I think that may be better.
I love a lot of Armstead products and most of them are good quality. Unfortunately, this isn’t one of the good ones. Dulux Trade QD Gloss is much better, so if you’re reading this, then I’d advise going for that one instead.
Summary
Armstead Quick Dry Gloss Review - Decorator's forum UK
A water-based gloss used for interior woodwork such as doors, skirting boards and windowsills.
Product Brand: Armstead Trade
1
Pros
- Reasonably priced.
Cons
- Poor opacity.
- Poor flow.
- Cheap finish.
FAQs
Can you paint over water-based gloss?
It’s a lot easier to paint over water-based gloss than it is its oil-based counterpart.
Why does water-based gloss peel?
This usually happens when people don’t prep correctly before applying the gloss, which leads to an adhesion problem. Or sometimes people forget to apply an appropriate primer / undercoat before applying water-based gloss.
Do I need to undercoat over old gloss?
It’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions when applying paint over oil-based gloss. The alkyd oil carries on hardening over time, which can make it difficult for new paint to adhere to. The prep is important, and more times than not, you will need an adhesion primer or undercoat.
Can I put gloss paint straight onto wood?
No, you need to follow the correct system. Wood should be primed and prepped before you paint it with anything. Then you apply an undercoat, followed by your gloss paint.
What do Other Decorators Think?
This the same stuff but sprayed. Armstead QD Gloss can look fantastic.
Adding water has the opposite effect in water-based paints, makes it dry faster and leaves more brush marks 👍
Horrible stuff. Opt for something better.
Armstead certainly isn’t the best water-based gloss on the market. In fact, it’s nowhere near!! However, it doesn’t pretend to be. I’m a believer in “you get what you pay for” and Armstead quick dry gloss is cheap as chips. It’s never going to be scuff x, but it still fills a gap in the market.
The Armstead Quick-Dry satinwood is terrible by brush and you need a separate adhesion primer if you aim to go over existing oil-based paint. That said, it is cheap. I suppose it’s a case of “you get what you pay for”.
One thing I would say is it sprays lovely!! It is very easy to achieve a great finish either through an airless or HVLP.
As a contrast, the Armstead water-based satinwood is awesome. You still need to use an adhesion primer if you’re going over old oil-based, but the finish via brush and roller is a lot better.
It has to be the worst paint or one of them on the market, might as well use milk ….