Forum The ultimate caulk/paint compatibility test

Johnstone’s Trade announced today Country Soil (PPG15-30) as its 2027 Colour of the Year. A warm, saturated hue that blends beige, taupe and grey, Country Soil draws inspiration from the natural world, evoking clay-rich earth and weathered stone. Inspired by clay-rich landscapes and weathered stone, the warm, earth-inspired neutral reflects a growing desire for calm, comfort and authenticity in the built environment. Country Soil captures a wider movement towards grounded, restorative spaces that foster wellbeing and connection. As designers and specifiers increasingly seek to create environments that offer refuge from the pace of modern life, its warm, natural character provides a sophisticated foundation that feels both contemporary and enduring. Since 2013, colour experts from PPG, the global coatings company behind Johnstone’s Trade, have gathered annually to analyse the societal, cultural and design influences shaping colour preferences across architecture, consumer products and industrial design. For 2027, the forecast marks a notable shift from the bright, expressive hues of 2026 toward more muted palettes, reflecting a growing desire for calm, comfort and authenticity in the built environment. “Country Soil is designed for slowing down,” said Donna Taylor, Johnstone’s Trade Colour and Design manager, Architectural Coatings. “For 2027, we have selected a grounding colour that acts as a solid foundation for any project. Inspired by the warm, natural hues of clay, it pro

Rabart’s ever-popular Welsh Decorating Show is back this November, and promises to be bigger and better than ever. The event – now in its fourth year – has moved to November, but will still take place at the Cardiff City Stadium, where there is plenty of free parking. With over thirty decorating suppliers on hand providing advice, demonstrations, competitions and give-aways, the show aims to have plenty to keep professional decorators, DIY enthusiasts and interior designers alike occupied. It’s a great opportunity to meet up with fellow professionals, talk about the latest product innovations and basically spend an afternoon talking all things decorating with some like-minded people. If you get bored of talking paint, there’s free hot food, free drinks tokens and a free raffle to keep you amused. And if that isn’t enough free stuff, there are normally plenty of freebies available from the suppliers, and the entry tickets are free too! You do have to book though (use this link: The Welsh Decorating Show 2026 Tickets ) , you can’t just turn up on the day. On top of all of that, former two-time PDC World Darts Champion Adrian Lewis will be making a special guest appearance at this year’s show. He’ll be doing a Q&A session for all you darts enthusiasts, and there will be a darts tournament on the day, in which attendees at the show can compete for a chance to play against Adrian in the afternoon. Rabart Welsh Decorating Show 2026 – Key Information Date: Thursday 19th November 202

Many people will look at the title of this blog and ask “Why would I need to apply a primer to a wall?”, because most of the time we think of priming wood, metal or other surfaces like tiles or melamine that paint struggles to adhere to. But over my twenty years working as a professional decorator, I’ve come across many different scenarios were priming a wall (or parts of a wall) have been necessary. Using a primer in these situations will help you achieve a better, more even overall finish, by helping your emulsion paint to adhere properly, blocking out stains or contaminants, sealing porous surfaces, reducing the number of coats of paint you need, and so on. In many situations you won’t need a primer for your walls, but in this blog we’re going to look at scenarios where a primer will help, and give you some specific recommendations of products that are designed for the job. When Do I Need a Primer for a Wall? If your walls are in good condition, already painted , and all you are looking to do is give them a refresh (without a dramatic change in colour), then you probably don’t need a primer. But here’s a list of situations when you would probably benefit from applying a primer – in the broadest sense of the word – to your walls (or specific sections of the walls): New plaster (including lime plaster once it’s fully curerd) Bare plasterboard Previously wallpapered walls Stains (such as water stains, nicotine, crayon, grease, etc) Dramatic change of colour (especially going

Some professional decorators like to “look the part” when they turn up to work, in either a bib and brace, or white decorators trousers and a company-branded polo shirt. Others don’t. Personally, I’m in the former group – I think “looking the part” is more professional, but each to their own. But even when you have crips white trousers, it’s only a matter of time before they’re looking a little worse for wear; paint, wood stain and caulk somehow end up all over them, the knee areas get grubby from kneeling down on dirty floors, and at some point they start to come apart (usually at the seams). Mine seem to fail around the crotch area – the seams split (often if I’m working low down, painting skirting for example), and no amount of repair work is able to fix them once they’ve gone. So when ProDec launched their new UltraFlex Decorators Trousers – accompanied by a promotional film of a gymnast wearing them while doing his thing on a pommel horse – it got my attention. Could these finally be the work trousers that are built to last (and equally importantly, to save me the embarrassment of revealing my underwear to unsuspecting elderly customers)? Advertisement Facts & Figures Designed to offer a high-level of movement with the storage and toughness needed for site wear Lightweight nylon/elastane 4-way stretch fabric Elasticated waistband Available in regular trousers, shorts, and a version specifically designed for female decorators Available in the following sizes: Mens trouser

As a professional decorator, I’m aware of the challenges that paint comes up against in humid environments like kitchens and bathrooms. To survive in those places, paint needs to be tough, and ideally mould-resistant. There are a few good ones on the market – not as many as you might expect – and I think I’ve reviewed them all at one time or another. But I have recently became aware of a new paint from Scotland’s Smith & Rodger; knowing the quality of their other products ( Rocktop , Flow&Bond and Blockade ), I was really keen to try it out. Here’s my honest review of Smith & Rodger’s Duro Mould-Resist Paint. Smith & Rodger Duro – Key Facts & Figures Suitable for interior use only, ideal for bathrooms, kitchens, commercial and rental properties “Engineered for long-term protection against mould and mildew”. Pack sizes: 1L, 2.5L, 5L Finishes: Matt, Satin and Gloss Colours: White (can be tinted in-store with water-based tinters) Coverage: up to 12m² per litre Drying times – touch dry in 30 minutes, re-coat in 2 hours, fully cured in 5-7 days Can be sprayed, or applied by brush and roller Water based – clean tools with water and mild detergent (such as Pretty Boy Brush Cleaner ) Advertisement What’s Different from Other Paints? One of the things to stress about Duro is that it’s not just another anti-mould paint. It’s also scrubbable, making it easy to clean in areas like kitchens and rental properties where stains can be a common problem. And because it contains the same techno

LickPro Interior Wood & Metal Paint has been available for a couple of years now, in both satin and gloss finishes, but only in Pure Brilliant White. That’s fine – in my role as a professional decorator the vast majority of the woodwork I paint is white or PBW. The thing with us decorators is, we tend to find something we really like and then stick with it, until something else comes along that piques our professional curiosity. I’m no different to anyone else in that respect; I have my favourite products for woodwork, but when I read that LickPro were making all their colours available in their satin finish, I thought “That’ll be handy for media walls and colour drenching projects, maybe I should give it a try”. So I’ve been trying out the satin in both Pure Brilliant White and a colour, and below you’ll find my honest review of the product. LickPro Interior Wood & Metal Paint – Key Facts & Figures Suitable for interior use only “A top quality tough, quick-drying and non-yellowing trim paint…provides excellent protection from scratches, stains and grease”. Pack sizes: 1L, 2.5L (1L in Pure Brilliant White only) Finishes: Satin and Gloss Colours: Pure Brilliant White, and now all the Lick colours and some popular RAL and BS colours too (colours only available in Satin – Gloss is Pure Brilliant White only) Coverage: up to 14m² per litre Drying times – touch dry in 1 hour, re-coat in 2-4 hours Can be sprayed, or applied by brush and roller Water based – clean tools with water an

LickPro’s popular Interior Wood & Metal Satin paint – previously only available in Pure Brilliant White – is now available in the full range of Lick colours, plus best-selling RAL and BS shades. LickPro Interior Wood & Metal paint is ideal for all sorts of interior projects, from everyday doors, skirting , architraves and radiators, to furniture upcycling . Pure Brilliant White has been available to order from Screwfix for a couple of years, where customers have rated it 4.7 out of 5 for ease-of-use, performance and overall product quality. Now the same industry-leading formulation is available in all the Lick colours, plus a selection of RAL and British Standard colours, meaning that current on-trend projects like media walls and colour drenching can now be accomplished using LickPro paint. Or, if you just fancy doing something different and making more of a feature out of your woodwork by painting it something other than white, well now you can! LickPro Interior Wood & Metal Paint – Key Facts Quick drying – touch dry in one hour, re-coat in 2-4 hours Smooth flow and excellent self-levelling Easy to apply, using brush, roller or spray Hard-wearing, durable finish, designed to stand up to scuffs, knocks and stains Water-based formulations (so the white is non-yellowing, and clean-up is easy with water and mild detergent) Available in 2.5L size (1L size also available in Pure Brilliant White only) Available in Satin and Gloss finishes (gloss only available in Pure Brilliant Wh

Mural specialists, Many Hands Studio recently transformed MOMO Kombucha’s new South London brewery with a large-scale mural and bespoke exterior signage. The team of designers selected Bradite One Can , a versatile, all-in-one primer and finish, to create an impactful and durable design that celebrates MOMO’s distinctive brand ethos. Award-winning designer Luke James launched Many Hands in 2022 after more than a decade of designing and creating murals and installations. Bradite was delighted to partner with Many Hands on the MOMO Kombucha project, supplying One Can in a palette of nature-inspired RAL shades, chosen to reflect the brand’s organic ingredients. The brewery transformation was undertaken by a team of highly skilled designers and creatives who applied One Can using a combination of brushes, rollers and an airless sprayer . “One Can is the perfect product for this type of project in an industrial environment,” says Luke James, Founder of Many Hands. “It’s water-based but covers really well.” Offered in both Matt and Eggshell, One Can provides outstanding durability and adhesion to almost all interior and exterior substrates, from woods and metals to building plastics, without requiring a separate primer. Luke commented, “It’s great to be able to use just one product despite having several different environments to work in.” Bradite One Can is touch dry in just 30 minutes, with recoats possible after 1 hour, making it ideal for exterior painting where speed is an ess

Designed to make choosing colours pleasurable and intuitive for the user, Little Greene’s updated colour cards reflect the changing way we use colour. With colour confidence central to the Little Greene ethos, the new cards incorporate colours that span over 300 years of historic interior design alongside a palette of contemporary shades which embrace modern interior design aesthetics and provide a multitude of opportunities to introduce depth, character and a considered use of colour. “Our ‘Colours of England’ and ‘Colour Scales’ collections evolve in line with changing approaches to colour in our homes,” comments Ruth Mottershead, Creative and Marketing Director. “The popularity of colours changes over time; it’s an evolution rather than a revolution, with a movement towards different colours feeling like a natural transition. It’s fascinating to look back to see how colour use has changed throughout history, and to look forwards to predict and then create the favourite colours of the future. “The shifting of colour trends is gradual. In 2016, we experienced the use of a lot of blue shades, with blue-based whites and strong blue hues rising to the fore. This move towards blue had evolved from the love of grey that we had seen in the early 2010s. Over the past decade, colour trends have moved through rich blues into teals, then softer, neutral greens, and five years ago we introduced three new bold yellows in response to yellow’s growing popularity and the use of greens enco

Wood stains are both versatile and practical and can be used both inside and out. Properly applied, a good wood stain will add both colour and protection to wood, without hiding the natural wood grain. Paint is opaque, and once it’s applied you don’t really see the wood anymore. Wood stain on the other hand is translucent, so you can see the natural beauty of the wood through the stain. Wood stain can be applied to interior doors, skirting boards , panelling or furniture, or externally on doors, windows, garden buildings, garden furniture, cladding etc. Pretty much any wood surface that doesn’t already have a coating on it (because paint, oil, varnish etc will stop the wood stain being absorbed into the wood). The exception is that you can add more stain on top of existing stain, although only in the same (or darker) shade – you can’t go lighter, because the old dark stain would show through the new light one. Advertisement Choosing a Good Wood Stain A good quality wood stain will offer protection from the elements (including UV protection), and be flexible, so that it won’t crack or peel as the wood naturally expands and contracts. Wood stains are available in both solvent-based and water-based formulations. Historically the feeling was that solvent-based stains offered better protection and richer colour, but water-based formulations are improving all the time. The downside of solvent-based wood stains is that they take longer to dry, give off strong odours and high levels