Edward Bulmer Eggshell Review

I’m a professional decorator who, up until a couple of weeks ago, had never used Edward Bulmer. However, a client specified it on MDF panelling in a dressing room type area. I thought I’d document the job in this blog and use it to deliver an Edward Bulmer eggshell review.

The specifications from my client on this project were 2 coats of Edward Bulmer nature-based primer and 2 coats of Edward Bulmer Water-Based Eggshell. I turned up and did the usual prep. I wanted to get a coat of primer on the panelling to highlight pin holes etc to fill.

Surprisingly, there is no colour at all in the Edward Bulmer Primer, it’s almost completely clear. After opening the tin, the first thing that hit me was the smell. Now I’m an old-school decorator, so I’m not adverse to paint with a strong odour, but this really did stink!!

After it was mixed up, I used a small foam roller and sash brush to apply the product. It felt like PVA.

I didn’t really expect too much from this product, but the smell really is unbearable. I’ve never experienced anything like it before. It flows everywhere too, very runny stuff, so you need to be careful to avoid drips, which would be very difficult to sand out once dry.

The Edward and Bulmer primer has a 6-hour recoat time, so I applied the first coat, then left the second until the next day. It felt like a scene from the film slime when I left!! This is a very strange product.

The next morning, I came back to the job and the smell was still very strong!

Edward Bulmer recommend you sand between coats, so that’s what I did.

And the surprises come!

It’s like Ronseal rotten wood primer, in that it soaked in to the MDF, hardened out and it’s a F***g dream to sand edges, corners, no more fluffy or hairy edges. This primer gives you a fantastic result!! (It still stinks though).

All the flat surfaces came out like a glass finish. Unbelievably smooth!

I applied the second coat of Edward and Bulmer primer, then left it to dry overnight again. It felt like the first coat, in that there was a slimy looking film over the MDF.

When I went back for the third day, I didn’t know how, but after the second coat of primer, the surface lost the smoothness. It went back to having fluffy edges and a rough surface. I needed to sand it all right back again before I could apply the eggshell!

Edward Bulmer Eggshell

I finished the prep, dusted it down, then opened the Water-based eggshell, which stinks even worse than the primer!!!

The owner’s 7-year-old daughter even said to her mum, “what smells so fishy?”

I started to apply the first coat of Edward Bulmer eggshell with a foam roller and a sash brush again. I’m fast, but this stuff takes a magician to keep a wet edge! It dries so quick!! This makes Edward Bulmer Eggshell very difficult to apply! I tried several methods, but it just dries too fast!

I applied the first coat of Edward Bulmer Eggshell as best I could, then left for the day.

I went back the next day and checked over the finish. The opacity of Edward and Bulmer eggshell isn’t very good. I could still see the MDF colour through the paint, which after three coats isn’t ideal. The paint doesn’t go very far either, and I needed to buy an extra tin, which is annoying because Edward and Bulmer eggshell isn’t cheap.

I did some extra filling and sanded everything down again. I applied the second coat of Edward Bulmer Eggshell, which was very difficult. You need to try and apply generous coats because there is no opacity in the paint, but it sags, so you’re constantly looking back over what you’ve done.

Four coats of any good quality eggshell paint system are normally ample, but this needed a fifth! Which I applied on the next day.

Prices wise and quality; I have to say Edward Bulmer Eggshell is not the best. You can get a better result from Farrow and Ball eggshell.

I had tried to apply it with a roller and brush, maybe if I sprayed the paint, it would have been better?

I personally don’t like this paint system; I think it’s far too expensive for the quality. BUT, and this is a big “but” we must live with it in the future because it’s eco-friendly, low pollution.

Can see some potential in the primer. It is very useful on edges, but I think other brands cost less and do the same job.

Both of these products are available online by clicking here.

Review Summary

FAQs

Can you colour match Edward Bulmer paint?

Like any other brand, you can match Edward Bulmer paint colours into other brands. The colour might not be exact, and the finish may be slightly different, but it’ll be fairly accurate. We always recommend Decorating Centre Online for colour matching, as they make it very easy and they’re closer than anyone else we’ve tried. Click here to visit their website.

Is Edward Bulmer paint durable?

All Edward Bulmer paint products are durable. That’s a big positive.

Is eggshell more durable than matt?

As a rule, eggshell will always be more durable than even the most durable matt paint. Matt seems to have a pitted surface which scuffs. Whereas eggshell is a very smooth film, which is more resistant.