Quote:
Originally Posted by HDholic /forum/post/12840372
What are you applying Valspar on? I keep going a bit back and forth about using the clear products or the white Behr paint. Have you painted a manufactured screen b4?
Benven uses Valspar as a clear medium for his metallic powder clear coat. I'm not sure what he paints for his own screen, but he has sent me a sample painted on some white vinyl.
I have painted two retractable screens. Since I wanted to go gray I used paint. I have also tried paint with a polyurethane top coat.
In your case, HDholic, you have a white screen with too much sheen, and you don't want to go gray so it was suggested to try the Behr 780 on some white hardboard to see what you think. The Valspar flat clear protector sounds like it is clearer (less yellow) than the Behr 780. The behr 780 will definitely make a bright white screen look more yellow or like a warm white.
So basically you have two choices, apply a clear flat coating to kill the sheen, or apply a matte white paint to cover the screen surface completely.
From what benven has said the Valspar is thicker than a polyurethane. I have not used it so I have no idea how well it spreads or levels. If it is anything like the Behr 780 then it will be very easy to apply and get a very nice uniform finish. Much easier than paint usually is. Unfortunately there are no Lowes in my area so I cannot give it a try. The other concern I have with the polyurethane or clear protector is how well it will adhere to the vinyl screen material.
The Behr Ext. ULTRA UPW Flat 4850 that Benven mentioned, is what I am using to paint retractable screens. I find it spreads and levels very well, leaving a nice smooth matte finish. It is self-priming so that eliminates a layer of primer. Over a white screen you may even get away with one coat. Even if you do apply two coats the paint layer is surprisingly thin. Assuming you have read/watched the
Basic Roller Painting Instructions and are able to apply the paint well then you will end up with a very nice matte white screen. No unwanted sheen or texture. I am also very confident that it will adhere to the screen as long as you clean it well with Windex with ammonia.
Regardless of whether you use paint or a clear flat coating, watching and implementing the screen painting instruction will determine your outcome. It is not difficult but I think most people apply too much pressure when roller painting and that leads to tracks. The secret is to just apply enough pressure to make the roller roll.
I have been logging my most recent retractable screen painting work in the thread
Retractable Screen Painting - The Final Development and that is where you will see photos of how I do it. This weekend I will be painting the screen area and that is what will be of most interest to you. There will be more photos and comments.
For a breif summary of painting retractable screens, take a look at the
Painting Retractable Screens chapter-post in the Beginner's Guide.
The biggest difference between painting a fixed rigid substrate screen and a retractable screen is the hold of the bottom bar.
Click image to enlarge.
Then it is just like painting a wall screen.
The fact that you cannot put a lot of pressure on the roller, actually will prevent you from creating roller tracks.
I guess the bottom line is that the Behr 4850 paint is the known and proven solution, in the short term. I have only had painted retractable screens for a year. I have no idea what these screen will be like in 5 years. Applying the Valspar Clear Protector is a complete unknown, unless you opt to do some experimenting and convince yourself to try it on your screen.