Waterbased Eggshell Painting Tips

Eggshell Painting Tips

1. Earthborn Eggshell doesn't require an undercoat and can therefore be applied directly to either wood or a previously painted surface.
2. The secret of a great finish is in the preparation (boring I know!). To prepare a previously painted surface sand down with a suitable grade of sandpaper. The reason for sanding is to provide a key for the eggshell to sit on, so any shine should be removed -you don’t need to remove the paint .This may require a rough grade of sandpaper to begin the job-say 60 grit and then finishing of with a finer grade 120 grit or finer. Make sure that you don’t leave scratches on the surface as this will look ugly and always sand with the grain of the wood even if the grain can’t be seen. If you are painting directly onto the wood then you are sanding to provide a smooth surface.
3. If you are painting directly onto wood, your first coat of eggshell can be watered down with approximately 10% water. Water can also be added to subsequent coats but for aesthetic purposes only. Eggshell can be applied with either a roller or a brush. I often apply the first coat with a mini foam roller and the second coat with a brush. This technique confuses any brush strokes.
4. As water based eggshell dries quickly you will need to be organised when applying it. Don’t paint too large an area unless you have to. If you are painting a panelled door then use the diagram below. Any time that you go over onto another surface of the door that you aren't yet painting then just feather out to make sure their are no lumps of paint that will show up under the second coat.

After applying the first coat sanding the paint is usually suggested but as Earthborn Eggshell dries so hard I recommend that you skip this process.