Paint Dilema

[some_one]

Hi guys, I have got few cracks in my place due to restumping done on the property. Now the property may have some movement in some time I am told so what is the best type of crack filler I can use which is both flexible and can be painted over too. Also can such an filler be used on the exterior surfaces too? Thanks.

[Wood Butcher]

I've used 'No More Gaps' in the past painting my old house bogging up the gaps between the weatherboards. 4 years on the paint work is still looking really good and the gaps haven't opened up. I do remember reading somewhere that you are not supposed to use it like that but I know a lot of people that have.

[Master Splinter]

I'd be tempted to leave it to settle for about a year before worrying about filling in cracks.

Hang out in the paint section in your local hardware store and see what they have. There are a bewildering variety of indoor, outdoor, and combined indoor/outdoor fillers, but they come in two basic types - silicone and acrylic gap fillers (in calking cartridges), and plaster based fillers (either ready mixed or in powder form).

Some of the silicone and acrylic filers are paintable (generally the better it is at doing its job of being flexible and resisting the weather, the less paintable it will be). All plaster based fillers are paintable.

The silicone and acrylics are best where the gap is between two dissimilar materials (such as wall and windowframe), and there is a decent gap of a few milimeters...it doesnt work well if it is only a feather edge/real narrow gap, simply because you cant get enough material in to let the sealer flex properly. (it might be able to cope with 50% movement, but 50% of 0.5mm is only 0.25mm, which isn't a lot compared to the sort of movement you get in a house)

Plaster based fillers are flexible only for suitably small values of 'flexible'. Dont expect them to cope with too much, because they won't. (if the stress is enough to cause the plasterboard to crack, it will easily be enough to cause the filler to crack if the wall hasn't stopped moving)

[Wood Butcher]

I have always had the assumption that any silicon based product was not able to be successfully painted over???

[some_one]

I went to a local paint shop where I have been recomended a filler called "NORDSJO", any one heard that one? Some other person said there was a new range of fillers by polyfilla and that these were flexible, any ideas what I have been told? I will be a Handy man when I finish doing all the work at my place? will I ever finish?...hummm :rolleyes:

[Sturdee]

I went to a local paint shop where I have been recomended a filler called "NORDSJO", any one heard that one?

Been using that for years, mainly because it dries the same white as white melamine boards and you can fill small holes and make minor repairs to melamine.

It is available from most paintshops but it is cheaper at Bunnings. It comes in three types being either suitable for plaster filling, timber filling or both.

Doubt if it is suitable for your problem as it is not a flexible type of filler.


Peter.

[some_one]

Finally painting job has finished. There are a few good products that I can recommend. If you have large gaps or even small gaps there is product by polyfilla it is in their professional range and I could only find it in Dulux Trade Centre, no other place had even heard of it nor do the web sites have a link to it yet. One is called S20 other I will get the name very soon, but it is for larger gaps and they both are wonderful products. I never had to refill anything, as there was no shrinkage or cracking. Easily paint able and water clean up so no smell of spirits around the joint.<O:p</O:p
Ceiling got ceiling white colour paint which too varied in quality a lot, so look for or test the paint over a dark colour card and see what paint works best to hide the colour that is the way to go. Professional Tip (PT)! Walls got China white. Looks great. If you have to paint over a glossy surface and do not want to sand the whole place, same as my case we had a picture rail painted in a very dark colour so dark that it took the attraction of the whole room! Use Taubmans 3 in 1 with it there is no need to sand gloss surfaces so it says on the tin but till now it all is looking good. All other primer sealer stuff said sand before use.
Many us may already be familiar with the above products bit if anyone is doing a job for the first time like me all the above products I found very easy to use but check your own situation to see what suits you best and any suggestions on my recommendations are welcome. And most important shop around variation in price of items was amazing, and do not forget the 2 dollar shops a lot of items need to do a place up are much cheaper there. But I used the best available rollers, which proved to be as good as they were claimed to be.<O:p</O:p
PT! Wash your brushed as often as it gets a bit hard to move, as you will need only one brush and you will be able to use it again and again and again, but I found it after wasting three brushes. Money spend on the brush will also show on the walls, it is true for first timers. Roof is the most difficult part to paint and a few days at the gym before would get your arms used to the weight. I was glad the roof was finished. While doing the roof safety glasses a must! Found out after paint drops got into my eyes. How could I see that coming I had to finish the roof in 1 day. What 1 Day? Forget it. Take it easy do not rush into it. And finally a warm not hot day is better than a cold one.:) <O:p</O:p

[Carpenter]

I have given up on "no more gaps" products. It works OK for small gap filling tasks, but on bigger stuff I've found its not really all that flexible after all, & it cracks. For bigger gaps that are highly likely to cop movement, you cant beat polyerethane gap/joint fillers. You may have seen it in tilt up concrete panel joins or similar situations. It sets & remains highly flexible, can be painted over, in fact it can be used to fill an overhead joint up to 40mm wide without sagging. It comes in tubes for use in a caulking gun & has names like "Sikaflex" (sikkens) Fullaprene (Fullers) etc. Gun it on & scape/dress the joint with a filling blade or plasterers setting tool then was up in turps.

[some_one]

Finally painting job has finished. There are a few good products that I can recommend. If you have large gaps or even small gaps there is product by polyfilla it is in their professional range and I could only find it in Dulux Trade Centre, no other place had even heard of it nor do the web sites have a link to it yet. One is called S20 other I will get the name very soon, but it is for larger gaps and they both are wonderful products. I never had to refill anything, as there was no shrinkage or cracking. Easily paint able and water clean up so no smell of spirits around the joint.:) <O:p</O:p

The name of the Gap filler is F6 Deep Filler and I have used it for large gaps and no dramas. Both the S20 and F6 come in grey coloured containers and not the usual yellow colour polyfilla stuff and as I said before I could not find it anywhere else but DTC.:)
The guys said it was a new product and was supposed to work and it is still working. You can try with a smaller tube and then go for the bucket if you like but it is highly recomended.:)

[Munga]

A point to keep in mind is to wait till the driest time of year when the cracks are at their widest before filling as the filler will compress and return easier than stretching and returning.
Arch.

[some_one]

:confused: Well there is a point there but the product is supposed to be flexible? Humm?:confused: