Johnstones Trade Aqua Guard Water Based Satin Paint 2.5l Brilliant White J-435197

Product Information

Featuring an innovative surface protection technology, Johnstone's Trade Aqua Guard Satin has been designed to protect interior surfaces against scratches, wear & tear and finger marks. A durable water based paint, this brilliant white also features advanced application qualities, extending overall working time, covering powering and long lasting whiteness. In terms of application, it goes on nicely but the opacity isn’t quite there with two coats in my opinion. I tend to apply 1 coat of Caparol Haftprimer followed by 3 coats of Intelligent Eggshell to get the picture-perfect finish I’m after and would recommend the same to you. Sure, that’s 4 coats and a lot of waiting around, but the finish is definitely worth it.

Besides which, the Johnstone’s Aqua undercoat is brilliant!! Easy to apply, dries flat and has great opacity. It is one of the best “nearly water-based” undercoats on the market. Its coverage is impressive; a little goes a long way compared to cheaper alternatives. This means you’ll need less of it, even for large window sills. It’s even versatile enough to go over old oil-based finishes after a good rubdown. I tried it with undercoat first, then without undercoat over keyed old oil-based gloss doors and skirts. It adhered just the same on both. Not just that, but the finish looked pretty much the same too. Albeit the 2 x satin compared to 1 x u/c & 1 x satin maybe had a slightly better sheen? It wasn’t really that noticeable though. Johnstone's Trade Aqua Guard Satin - Brilliant White is available in 3 sizes including, 1L, 2.5L and 5L and delivers long-lasting durability with a touch dry time of 1-2 hours and is recoatable after 4 hours.While Superdec is a good performer, it sometimes requires three coats to bring out its best. I normally apply the first two coats one day and finish off the third the next to allow curing time. The wait is worth it though, especially considering its impressive 10-year lifespan on wood. If you like, Aqua Guard is an evolution of Johnstone’s Aqua. They have developed something that out-performs its predecessor. MDF isn’t the easiest surface to paint as it’s so smooth. This can expose you to the risk of painting errors being more pronounced. If you’re a professional decorator then ease of application isn’t going to matter but for DIYers, a paint that’s easy to work with (and preferably self-levelling) will minimise the chances of leaving brushmarks, orange peel effects and paint drips.

Another point is washing your brush after the job. Remember Johnstone’s Aqua satin and gloss products do contain a small amount of oil, so water alone will not be enough to clean out of your paintbrush. Clean Spirit is designed to clean hybrid paints so that is your best option, but virosol will also work. In fact, white spirit will do the job too. Clean what paint you can from the brush using clean or soapy water, then use one of the three products I’ve just mentioned to finish the job off, dead easy!! Apply one full coat of Johnstone's Trade Aqua Water Based Undercoat to all correctly prepared and primed surfaces before applying two full coats of Aqua Guard Satin Another quality of the Aqua Guard is you can apply generous coats and not experience much in the way of sagging or runs. Again, this is normally an issue when using water-based. I’ve just wrapped up a project using Sandtex on window sills. The result was less splattering compared to Weathershield, and the application process was a dream. As a decorator with years of experience painting window sills, I can confidently vouch for Sandtex High Cover Smooth Masonry Paint.

2.5 Litre Brilliant White

I’ve tried other primers such as Zinsser 123 and Zinsser BIN but neither comes close to Haftprimer. Thing is, is that if I had to use an undercoat or primer and followed the manufacturer’s instructions, I would have been looking at a 3-coat system. You should really apply two topcoats of a water based trim product for durability and depth. You need to completely protect the surface. This is why I test the adhesion of these satins, if you can get away without a primer, you’re laughing. When it comes to painting wooden window sills, Sadolin Superdec is my top recommendation. This product is often underrated, but in my experience, nothing can match its longevity and flexibility.

Compared to that, Selemix Pro holds its own beautifully. It’s significantly cheaper than Kolorbond, and the finish is superior. I apply it with a sprayer, and the finish is pretty much unbeatable. To achieve the perfect finish, the magic ingredient is 1-490 thinners. Just remember to thin the Selemix to a maximum of 25%; any more and the opacity suffers. Aqua Guard is a lot easier to apply than a lot of other water-based satin products. That said, having the correct tools for the job will help you achieve a good finish, so I thought I’d give my recommendations.First off, Superdec is self-priming, which makes the application process simpler. You only need to take care of any flaking or loose bits with a good rub down before you start painting.