Testing… 1, 2.

PaintAccess recently opened a new location at 462 Bunnerong Road, Matraville and as part of the fit-out we built ourselves a testing bar - a place for tradies and DIY customers to come and try any of our products or equipment.

In the weeks since we’ve opened we’ve helped a whole bunch of customers try a whole bunch of equipment and products. We’ve also had a chance to start some “sample projects” to test groups of products to see how well they work together, and to see what sort of finish we can produce when we use the right equipment together in the right ways. 

This week we were joined by paint industry influencer Harriet. We hung three sheets of Gyprock plasterboard, prepared them, and painted them with two top-selling brands of paint to see if we could achieve the legendary “Level 5” finish which has become so popular in the US and Europe.

To make everything a bit easier to understand, we divided the project into two halves (preparation and painting) and created two videos. Here’s a breakdown of those videos and some of the great products we used (all of which are available from PaintAccess).

Testing bar plasterboard wall - Part 1

In the new PaintAccess testing bar at our new Matraville store, we hung some plasterboard and then prepared the surface for paint. We used a wide range of products and equipment. That’s the whole idea of our testing bar - a place where tradies and DIY’ers can come and test any equipment or product they might be thinking of using professionally or at home.

Tradies can test whether new products and equipment is an advancement on their current gear, or test two pieces of similar equipment in a head-to-head challenge. DIY’ers can check if the product they plan to use really is right for the job.

The plan for this plasterboard wall? Achieving a “Level 5” finish. Dan explains that this sort of finish is now common practice in Europe and the US, but is only starting to gain traction with commercial painters here in Australia.

Having hung three sheets of plasterboard, Dan applies fibreglass tape to the joints. Dan then prepares a quantity of Gyprock filler, making sure to put on his iQuip Black Nitrile Gloves before firing up the iQuip Power Mixer 1600W (with paddle). Dan applies the filler using tools from the Graco ProSurface Drywall Tool Kit and then scrapes the surface smooth with the outstanding LiNBiDE 50mm General Purpose Scraper.

Dan then applies a second coat, having dealt with a wayward screw or two. As a final step, Dan uses the Mirka LEROS S 950CV Wall Sander to produce a smooth and even surface. As a dustless sander, the Mirka LEROS S is the cleaner, healthier option that doesn’t leave your workspace covered in dust.

With that, the surface is ready to cover with Gyprock topcoat, and Dan fires up the Graco TexSpray Mark V Electric Airless Texture Sprayer. Job done and the wall is now ready to sand and paint; the focus of our next video.

Testing bar plasterboard wall - Part 2

For Part 2, Dan is joined by paint industry influencer Harriet, and they start by preparing the Mirka LEROS dust free sanding system for walls and ceilings. In particular, they apply the Mirka Pad Saver designed to protect the sanding pad of the Mirka LEROS system from stray screws or nails.

Harriet and Dan get to work masking edges and corners, and covering a nearby glass wall panel to ensure the paint only goes where it is supposed to. Again, it’s about selecting the right tools for the job, which include the  iQuip 4 Knot Duster Brush, iQuip Pretaped Masking Film & Dispenser, iQuip Hand Masker Masking Film and Paper Dispenser, and iQuip 30-Day Envo Masking Tape. Also on the list is Promask Kraft Masking Paper.

Helpfully, Dan and Harriet pause their project to provide a quick step-by-step tutorial for the iQuip Hand Masker, showing just how easy it is to set up and use.

Now it’s time to paint. Being a testing bar, we couldn’t just test one paint so Dan selected two leading brands: Dulux 1Step Prep Water Based Primer, Sealer & Undercoat and Zinsser Smart Prime Undercoat. Both are hard-wearing water-based paints perfect for family homes, utility areas and even commercial applications. And both are perfect for this test on our testing bar plasterboard wall.

Again, Dan and Harriet take a minute to provide a quick-start guide for the Graco Ultra 390PC Electric Airless Sprayer and Graco Airless Low Pressure RAC X LP SwitchTips. And you can get in-person assistance at either of our PaintAccess locations if you need it.

Dan and Harriet take turns spraying the wall, with Dulux 1Step Prep Water Based Primer, Sealer & Undercoat on one side and Zinsser Smart Prime Undercoat on the other.

Great results!

In each case the finish is fantastic and the testing bar plasterboard wall was a great opportunity to try a range of different tools. Now it’s your turn! Come down and try any equipment or paint from the PaintAccess range at our new testing bar at 462 Bunnerong Road, Matraville.