# Forum Home Renovation Painting  Glossing Doors with Dulux Aquanamel Hi Gloss

## Hogie

Please help! 
Has anyone been able to get a reasonable finish using Dulux Aquanamel to gloss doors? If so, I would love to hear how you achieved this. 
I was advised to use the following technique, would love your thoughts on it;  _"Apply generously_ _using a_ _9-10mm n__ap_ _roller__,_ _lightly tipping off the product just once after each 2x 40-50cm sections have been applied, lightly blending the 2 sections together__ will achieve the best results, as it will hold plenty of product, ensuring that enough product is being applied to maintain a wet edge. After rolling on the coating, again, lightly tip off and leave to settle."_ 
Ive mixed DHWT, water, Floetrol and Latex Extender in many different ratios.  
Im guessing that spraying is the only option. Has anyone successfully sprayed their doors with Aquanamel? If so what spray gun and how did you thin the paint? 
Thanks

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## Uncle Bob

I'm watching this thread as I've four doors left to do and the first/last looked like the surface of the moon  :Frown:

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## strangerep

> Has anyone been able to get a reasonable finish using Dulux Aquanamel to gloss doors?

  I assume you're talking about flat doors? (I.e., not panelled doors -- which are easy by comparison.)   

> I was advised to use the following technique, [...]  _"Apply generously_ _using a_ _9-10mm n__ap_ _roller__,_ _lightly tipping off the product just once after each 2x 40-50cm sections have been applied, lightly blending the 2 sections together__ will achieve the best results, as it will hold plenty of product, ensuring that enough product is being applied to maintain a wet edge. After rolling on the coating, again, lightly tip off and leave to settle."_

  I don't clearly understand: "_after each 2x 40-50cm sections" ?_ Does it mean roll the sections horizontally or vertically?   

> Ive mixed DHWT, water, Floetrol and Latex Extender in many different ratios.

  Regarding Floetrol, one must understand that it is roughly half water and half clear acrylic (iiuc). The acrylic component dries hard, hence increases the body of the paint. In contrast, thinning with pure water does increase paint body, since it all evaporates eventually. 
In this application, you don't want to increase paint body. You want those brush lines or roller marks to "lie down" as they dry. Typically, the thickness of a paint layer decreases by about 50% as it dries. Hence heavy brush lines don't look quite so bad when fully dry. Therefore, water is the right thinner to be used here, not Floetrol. (Can't comment on Latex Extender though -- it's propylene glycol based, and I'm not sure what happens in that case.)   

> Im guessing that spraying is the only option. Has anyone successfully sprayed their doors with Aquanamel? If so what spray gun and how did you thin the paint?

  I tried spraying with a Wagner airless spray gun, thinned heavily with water. Trouble is... if you're not an experience sprayer, it's too easy to get runs in the paint, and then you've got to sand and start again. I don't spray anymore. 
Here's my current strategy (for flat doors): 
1) Re-think whether you _really_ need high gloss. Try to scale back closer to semigloss if you possibly can. For re-painting of old doors (which are probably dinged, or have imperfectly-flat surfaces, semigloss will probably look better anyway. I now use a mix of 3 parts Taubman's semigloss to 1-part Taubman's gloss. Taubman's semigloss level is around 20%-25%, but their gloss is up around 70% and there seems to be nothing in between. After  experimentation, I found the 3:1 mix was right for me, but of course your situation and preferences may differ. The main thing to remember is that a lower gloss level shows fewer imperfections (including brush strokes!) so don't use a higher gloss level than you really, really need to. (BTW, I know you said "Dulux", not "Taubmans", but I don't bother using Dulux anymore.) 
2) Application: thin _heavily_ with water only, almost to spray paint consistency. Apply with 270mm roller (6mm nap) to the whole door (this size roller holds enough of this thin paint to cover a typical door -- if you roll it out _quickly_. Don't fuss with roller too much -- just get it roughly uniform over the whole door fast. Then lay it off with a 100mm foam brush, going vertically and working your way quickly across the door in the same sequence as you rolled the door. Again, don't fuss with it too much or else the paint on the far side of the door will go tacky before the foam brush gets over there. Don't try to go back over any laid-off areas -- you'll just make it worse. It also helps if the foam brush is _slightly_ moistened with thin paint before you start laying off. If you're doing several doors, then make sure you dip the foam brush in water and squeeze out any drying paint therein before trying to lay off the next door -- otherwise little lumps form in the brush which ruin the smooth laying off effect. 
3) Leave it to dry thoroughly -- I like to wait until (at least) the next day to do the next coat. Remember that the acrylic in the paint needs far more time to cure and shrink than water needs to evaporate. 
4) Just accept that you're gonna be doing many coats because the paint is so heavily thinned. Hence it's wise to apply several acrylic undercoats first to achieve a solid base undercolour. Wet-sand the undercoat to a smooth finish before starting the topcoats.

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## phild01

I have tried Dulux and Taubmans.  While I find Dulux much superior to Taubmans, I just don't bother anymore with the so-called water based enamels. I always get a rubbish finish compared to oil based.  I wish the water based enamels were better as they have virtues.  Anyway these enamels are so expensive it is still economical to use oil based and just throw rollers/brushes away.

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## Random Username

Automotive enamel works pretty well from a spraygun.....

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## scotthas

> Automotive enamel works pretty well from a spraygun.....

  Ive found the Resene product gives a marginally better finish over the Dulux aquenamel....which is very good. 
Not sure I agree with the previous post to apply generously though. Several thin coats are better using a thin
nap roller 5 - 6 mm and a new brush or well clean soft existing one. 
Use a small amount of water... say half a cup to a 4L tin. 
Finish can also depend on the undercoat too... any undercoat should be sanded with a fine paper ( 180 - 240 )for the best top coat finish. Zinser smartprime / undercoat flattens out well on drying, leaving a good surface without the need for too much sanding prior to the topcoat. Use a fine nap roller for the undercoat too.
Also the Zinser smartprime is a true white, as opposed to a lot of other undercoats ..particularly oil based ones, which tend not to be white. This can aid the finish when white topcoats are required  
Most problems with water based enamels occur when you try to get a good finish with just one coat. Bite the bullet mentally and just be prepared to give everything two coats 
Good luck

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## ringtail

Just use real gloss and be done with it. Do it once, do it properly. :Tongue:

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## Oldsaltoz

Try tipping off with a foam brush, no groves and make sure you heep a wet edge as you go. 
Good luck.   :Smilie:

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## David.Elliott

The only way I got any kind of reasonable result with aquanamels is on the doors with the pressed "grain" in them, as the grain hides the flaws. I actually was pretty impressed with it. But... when I came to do the architraves and frames, there was no way...the best aquanamel product I found was a WA based company Paint Industries. Even they admit there is still a lot of development to go with gloss water based enamels...but they had to get a product in the market to keep up with the Joneses...
With my kitchen cabinets however I used a Dulux high gloss enamel off my cheap spraygun thinned with gloss enhancing enamel thinners...they're the grey cupboards in this pic. You can see reflections in them. I'm pretty stoked with that as a result...So...get a cheap spray gun and compressor, and thin out with 30% thinners, a few light coats sanding between each you'll be rapt...

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## Hogie

> The only way I got any kind of reasonable result with aquanamels is on the doors with the pressed "grain" in them, as the grain hides the flaws. I actually was pretty impressed with it. But... when I came to do the architraves and frames, there was no way...the best aquanamel product I found was a WA based company Paint Industries. Even they admit there is still a lot of development to go with gloss water based enamels...but they had to get a product in the market to keep up with the Joneses...
> With my kitchen cabinets however I used a Dulux high gloss enamel off my cheap spraygun thinned with gloss enhancing enamel thinners...they're the grey cupboards in this pic. You can see reflections in them. I'm pretty stoked with that as a result...So...get a cheap spray gun and compressor, and thin out with 30% thinners, a few light coats sanding between each you'll be rapt...

  Could you use thinners in water based acrylic paint? Anyone tried?

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## ringtail

I have got excellent results with aqua enamel by spraying with a HVLP gun and thinning with floetrol and water. But it took 6 coats and rubbing back with wet and dry in between coats. Lots and lots of work that could have been avoided by simply using oil based to start with. 
So what is the issue with using oil based ?

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## strangerep

> So what is the issue with using oil based ?

  Gradual yellowing. 
As I write this, I'm looking at some parts of my lounge room I painted 3 yrs ago. Most of it is oil-based, but one panel is acrylic (both done at roughly the same time). Their whiteness was similar initially, but now the oil-based is distinctly cream compared to the acrylic.

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## phild01

> Gradual yellowing. 
> As I write this, I'm looking at some parts of my lounge room I painted 3 yrs ago. Most of it is oil-based, but one panel is acrylic (both done at roughly the same time). Their whiteness was similar initially, but now the oil-based is distinctly cream compared to the acrylic.

  One of the few things water based has in it's favour, if you didn't have this side by side then you probably wouldn't notice the change so readily.

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## Hogie

> I have got excellent results with aqua enamel by spraying with a HVLP gun and thinning with floetrol and water. But it took 6 coats and rubbing back with wet and dry in between coats. Lots and lots of work that could have been avoided by simply using oil based to start with. 
> So what is the issue with using oil based ?

  Just painted a room with Knights oil based gloss and I can't stop smiling at how beautiful and smooth and glossy the finish is. I keep going in the room to look and touch the architraves because I feel like a professional painter rather than the architraves looking like a 2 year old painted it with Aquanamel.  
I wish I had never started using Aquanamel. Staff at Bunnings and Dulux Inspirations could not speak highly enough of this wonderful water based gloss that does not yellow. The advertisment boards that the sales staff showed and read to me, lead me to believe that  I would have no need to _"compromise"_ on performance, I would get an _"exceptional finish"_ and as is stated on the can, an _"ultra smooth finish"_. Exceptional means above average. My question would be compared to what? Can't be comparing Aquanamel to anything but the oil based gloss sample architrave that is sitting right beside the painted sample of Aquanamel architrave. Not happy as I feel that the advertising is false and I've been totally mislead. There is no mention that the only way you can get a finish any where near an oil based gloss finish is to use an HVLP spray gun and I wouldn't call almost getting a finish like oil based gloss anywhere near exceptional, plus Aquanmel does compromise convenience and performance if you have to spray it. Most weekend hacks and renovators don't want to spend hours and hours prepping the whole house to spray it.

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## Hogie

> One of the few things water based has in it's favour, if you didn't have this side by side then you probably wouldn't notice the change so readily.

  You can tolerate the shabby brush mark finish on the architraves as the surface is not big and flat. The finish gets worse when you start painting sills and when you try and paint a flat door the rough finish is magnified that much more. Rang 7 Dulux recommended tradies, 5 don't want to know about Aquanamel and the other 2 want to roll and brush the doors because it is faster and easier. But the finish looks dramatically different to oil based finish with roller and brush.  
My house was built 7 years ago and had oil based Whisper White on the architraves. I now using same colour Whisper White and the paint has significantly yellowed. Looks like two completely different colours.

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## strangerep

> One of the few things water based has in it's favour, if you didn't have this side by side then you probably wouldn't notice the change so readily.

  Yes. Probably the only reason I persevere with water-based for my doors, windows, architraves, etc. Several years later, they still look really bright white.  :Smilie:

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## strangerep

> [...] Can't be comparing Aquanamel to anything but the oil based gloss sample architrave that is sitting right beside the painted sample of Aquanamel architrave. [...] 
> [...] You can tolerate the shabby brush mark finish on the architrave [...]

  On a long, narrow surface like architraves, skirting boards, etc, one can indeed achieve an exceptional finish with water-based paints. Requires preparation (several undercoats, sanded smooth with 240g) and good brush technique. For those applications, I use taklon fibre artist brushes (incredibly soft), and you've gotta make sure not to leave the paint on too thick, but rather draw it out strongly as you move along the surface. I apply 2 of these topcoats, sand lightly with 320g, then 2 more topcoats. I consider the result to be excellent. There are no brush marks whatsoever. So if you're getting brush marks on these relatively easy surfaces, it's most likely due to using too coarse a brush, combined with suboptimum brush technique. 
But large flat doors are quite another matter, and are very difficult. I once found a video of a Dulux-sponsored tutorial day for professional painters where they worked with water-based paints on doors. But they only used panelled doors, not doors with large flat surfaces. 
BTW, when comparing paints you've also got to check the gloss levels of both. E.g., if you're comparing (say) a 70% gloss level paint to one that 85%-90%, of course the results will be different. Gotta compare apples with apples.   

> Not happy as I feel that the advertising is false and I've been totally mislead. [...]

  Feel like you've been given a wedgie? This old Dilbert strip seems appropriate: Dilbert comic strip for 05/08/1994 from the official Dilbert comic strips archive.   

> Don't improve the product, just find dumber customers!

   :Annoyed:

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## phild01

> On a long, narrow surface like architraves, skirting boards, etc, one can indeed achieve an exceptional finish with water-based paints. Requires preparation (several undercoats, sanded smooth with 240g) and good brush technique. For those applications, I use taklon fibre artist brushes (incredibly soft), and you've gotta make sure not to leave the paint on too thick, but rather draw it out strongly as you move along the surface. I apply 2 of these topcoats, sand lightly with 320g, then 2 more topcoats. I consider the result to be excellent. There are no brush marks whatsoever. So if you're getting brush marks on these relatively easy surfaces, it's most likely due to using too coarse a brush, combined with suboptimum brush technique. 
> But large flat doors are quite another matter, and are very difficult. I once found a video of a Dulux-sponsored tutorial day for professional painters where they worked with water-based paints on doors. But they only used panelled doors, not doors with large flat surfaces. 
> BTW, when comparing paints you've also got to check the gloss levels of both. E.g., if you're comparing (say) a 70% gloss level paint to one that 85%-90%, of course the results will be different. Gotta compare apples with apples. 
> Feel like you've been given a wedgie? This old Dilbert strip seems appropriate: Dilbert comic strip for 05/08/1994 from the official Dilbert comic strips archive.

  So learning the art of getting architraves right, yet we can't get the doors looking any good...what then! :Shock:  
Where do you get the "taklon fibre artist brushes"?  
The new nylon brushes that replaced natural bristle just don't do it for me. After 5 minutes of use I want to throw them away.

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## strangerep

> So learning the art of getting architraves right, yet we can't get the doors looking any good...what then!

  I didn't say you "can't get the doors looking any good". I was only implying that you can't get them as good as the narrow areas like architraves. But I consider my doors to be "acceptable". Other people (who don't look at them as closely as I do) consider them to be "good". I described my technique earlier in this thread.   

> Where do you get the "taklon fibre artist brushes"?

  OK, the ones I like best are made by Mont Marte. Mont Marte: Professional Quality Art Supplies Affordably Priced
E.g., M.M. Artist Brush Taklon Flat Wide 50mm | Mont Marte Art Supplies & Artist Materials 
But... now that I look at their website again,... I see they've stopped making the raked (angled) brushes in the larger sizes. Damn! I'm glad I bought several when I did. Now I'll have to raid all the local suppliers to see if they've got any old stock left. I love the 75mm raked taklon for going around windows. 
On the Mont Marte website, there's a "stockists" page where you should be able to find your nearest supplier.
I got mine from local newsagents, but they seem to have changed over to "Prime Art" brushes and I haven't tried those yet. 
BTW, the Mont Marte website implies these taklon brushes are only for acrylic, but I've used them successfully with oil-based paint, and even Zinsser Bin Red (metho based), for ages. You've just gotta clean them thoroughly with solvent and soapy water. Also, even with acrylic, don't allow the paint to get too clogged up in the ferule. When that happens, refresh the brush by swirling in water and wiping off the excess.

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## Strom

> Just use real gloss and be done with it. Do it once, do it properly.

    :What she said:  :What she said:  :What she said:  :What she said:

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## shauck

> 

  Guess you're not well known in the painting section, Ringtail. he he. It's usually me that gets this sort of mistaken identity but in reverse to you. 
Hey Strom, "What He Said" would suit in this case but you can use above for me, that is of course if you find reason to agree with me.  :Biggrin:

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## strangerep

Just wanted to note that the two parts of the quote:  

> Just use real [oil-based] gloss [for flat doors]

   

> and be done with it.  Do it once, do it properly.

  are not entirely compatible. Using a paint that goes yellow within a few years (and hence begs for repainting) is not consistent with either the phrase "_be done with it_" nor with "_do it once, do it properly._".  :Annoyed:  
[Shauck: I noticed Ringtail shopping for ladies lingerie section the other day, so maybe Strom got it right.  :Biggrin:  ]

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## phild01

> Just wanted to note that the two parts of the quote:  
> are not entirely compatible. Using a paint that goes yellow within a few years (and hence begs for repainting) is not consistent with either the phrase "_be done with it_" nor with "_do it once, do it properly._".  
> [Shauck: I noticed Ringtail shopping for ladies lingerie section the other day, so maybe Strom got it right.  ]

  Sure oil base yellows over a long time, but it isn't that significant to dismiss it.  My oil based doors are 25years old and I just don't notice the yellowing at all.

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## an3_bolt

I have used Wattyl aquatrim all around my place. 
With regards to doors - i have found my best results with a quality high build oil primer to remove the lumpy bumps and a sand with 220 
Next is the aquatrim - my best results are by using a small amount of flowtrol, and some water to put through my spraygun. I used 3 coats - light sand in between. Looks magic. 
The best part of this stuff is being able to spray edges, details etc and it tacks off pretty quickly then do the main body. This is obviosly best done outside in the shade.  
I did at first try painting a doors with very good quality brush. Took maybe 4 coats with liberal sanding between to keep getting rid of the brush marks. Results average. Then pulled out the spray gun and have not looked back. 
Hot days - forget it - no way around the brush marks on a hot day when using a brush. Early morning and evening in that case. 
trims etc - I just add some flowtrol and paint away. Must keep a good wet edge though. Results I have been getting are same as enamel. But took a bit of learning as can not brush off a large area like with enamel - as you get the brush marks. Different technique.

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## Hogie

> With regards to doors - i have found my best results with a quality high build oil primer to remove the lumpy bumps and a sand with 220

  You start with a perfectly smooth flat primed surface. You then apply Aquanamel with roller and or brush. The result is you are left with either orange peel effect or brush marks. You sand door surface smooth again and reapply Aquanamel. The same orange peel and brush marks just come back. Getting a smooth finish has nothing to do with the in between surface sanding. Unless of course the last thing you do is sand the door with 2000 wet and dry and then buff the door with Farecla cutting compound. I've tried this with some inconsistent success.
The problem is not the sanding, but rather the fact Aquanamel will not settle to a smooth  finish unless watered down 20% or more and sprayed with 6-10 coats. Sanding  just removes the gloss finish.

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## an3_bolt

The sanding when I was using the paint brush was to get rid of ridges caused by the paint brush. 
I now just pull the door off the hinges - lay it flat on the saw horse and spray. It takes 3 coats with a spray gun for me. Thats it.  
Don't know what you are doing to get orange peel......I have not been getting any orange peel at all - the last time I got orange peel was using 2 pack on an aircraft wing! 
Im using the Wattyl. - works just fine for me.

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## an3_bolt

I have been known to be compulsively anal retentive perfectionist - kind of suits my day job...... 
However - doing the doors was actually really quick. Longest part was stirring and applying the primer - since I painted from raw timber. 
Anyway - stick with it!

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