If you have some matt emulsions leftover and you’re thinking of painting over your glossy skirting boards you might be wondering whether it’s possible to paint over that gloss with your matt emulsion.
The aim of today’s article is to address this question and offer our expert advice.
Can You Paint Matt Over Gloss?
You can paint matt over water-based gloss after thorough preparation but we would advise against painting matt over oil-based gloss as bleeding can occur.
Should You Paint Matt Over Gloss?
Now we’ve addressed whether you can paint matt over gloss, let’s assess whether you SHOULD do it.
In my professional opinion, I couldn’t think of any reasonable or logical reason why you should paint matt over gloss. Gloss within the home is usually found on woodwork or metal and whilst you can paint emulsion onto woodwork, there’s just so many better options out there.
For example, if your previously painted skirting boards are too glossy for your liking, drop down the sheen level by opting for water-based satinwood instead. Quality paints like Johnstone’s Trade Aquaguard look great and more importantly goes straight over gloss. And once fully cured, it’s basically bomb proof!
Giving Yourself the Best Chance When Painting Matt Over Gloss
If you’re still dead set on painting over gloss with matt then there are some things you can do to give yourself the best chance of avoiding the gloss coating bleeding into the matt.
First of all, you should give the glossy surface a good clean down with sugar soap and clean water. This should be followed by a good sanding down to take the sheen off.
After this, make sure no dust is left behind as painting onto a dusty will likely result in flaking occurring.
Before going on with your matt, it’s advisable to use a high quality primer/sealer such as Zinsser Bullseye 123. This will ensure the previous coating doesn’t bleed into your matt and therefore ruin the look.
Optionally, you can apply a coating of clear varnish to give the matt emulsion that extra bit of protection from knocks and scratches.
Final Thoughts
Whilst you can paint matt over gloss with some success, the laborious preparation process, as well as the questionable durability of the matt, should make you think twice.