How To Paint A Skylight
What is the best skylight paint for your kitchen or bathroom? Paul Stein from Trusted House Painter interviews Jacey Moore from Benjamin Moore to discuss a nasty, flaking skylight that he prepped and painted using top quality painting products.
Paul: So let’s just recap how to paint a skylight – What primer would you use? What is the name, and can you buy it at any Benjamin Moore store?
Jacey: Prime Lock by Insul-x. Yes, you can buy it at any Benjamin Moore store.
Best Primer For Drywall in Skylights – Insul-x Prime Lock
Paul: Okay. And what was the product you would recommend to apply after you’ve primed the skylight?
Jacey: Aura Bath and Spa
Best Skylight Paint – Ben Moore Aura Bath and Spa
Paul: Aura Bath and Spa. And that only comes in a matte sheen or a flat finish?
Jacey: It only comes in a matte.
Paul: Excellent. So I just landed a job. It’s a kitchen job, and she wants her ceiling repainted, but there’s also a skylight in the middle of this kitchen ceiling. The client wants the best skylight paint to help prevent future flaking and paint failure.
So, there’s an island in the middle of the kitchen, and on the island are two big sinks, and then right above the island is this deep skylight. And when I went in there to take a look at it, the paint was just blistering. It’s flaking, it’s checking, it’s alligatoring.
So, the first thing I do is scrape it all. Second thing I do is probably sand it down a little bit, and then I think that I’m going to have to skim some of the chipped edging out with some drywall mud. I’ll let that dry, come back, sand it down to a nice finish. I’ll probably put a little bit of caulking around the bead of where the window meets the walls because, in the past, I’ve noticed that’s a failure point that happens quite a bit.
So that was going to be my general prep. But then I was going to use, what I usually use is an acrylic latex primer called Zinsser 1-2-3. It generally works well on most applications, but in this situation, high moisture, I wanted to get your advice. What do you think?
Jacey: I think ten times out of ten, I’m deferring to an oil-based primer. A situation when there’s that much moisture. Sounds like there could be some underlying issues, but putting a good solid foundation of an oil-based primer down will prevent any more water driving into that wall, and assisting in making that paint peel.
Paul: So you definitely think it’s better than using acrylic latex?
Jacey: In this situation, I do. I don’t think it’s wrong to use an acrylic latex in this situation, but anytime that I’m coming across a lot of moisture, it just screams oil to me and, you know, as we move into modern technology and the latex, they perform great. There’s so many great products out there now, and oil’s becoming more and more obsolete. There’s just some situations where, you know, that that old-school oil is just going to come into play, and this sounds like one of them.
Paul: What product does Benjamin Moore have that you’d recommend, and is it stinky?
Jacey: Yeah, so we would recommend Prime Lock in this situation. I’ve used it myself in a similar high moisture situation. You’re never going to really get away from the oil smell, even with an odorless oil primer. It’s always going to be there. It’s going to have a scent. But I can tell you, though, about Prime Lock, if you were to compare it to say a Zinsser product, like a cover stain, it has about 100 grams per liter less of zero VOC. And another bonus to that product is
it’s higher volume solids so you’re leaving more on the surface after evaporation.
Paul: Is it advisable to put a second coat of primer just to seal that down, or is that not necessary?
Jacey: Generally, in most situations, I don’t feel like it’s necessary. If you’re gonna get a good solid base down, but once you pop up into that skylight there, i think you’re gonna really notice what type of damage is on that wall and if that is a definitely a high moisture content wall or a little space there, you’ll know, i think you’ll get a gut feeling being an experienced painter. If you should maybe just spend the time, while you’re up there, to put another coat on, just to make sure you got a really good seal.
Paul: Okay, and does that go directly over like drywall mud and drywall and the previous paint coating?
Jacey: Yeah, it’s essentially a multi-purpose oil, so your oil version of a multi-purpose water base.
Paul: Awesome. So I got it. I’m going to use that product to seal it. How long do I need to wait until I can apply the first coat of the paint?
Jacey: You’re going to want to wait two to four hours, but I think it’s going to depend on the environment. If there’s high moisture up there, it may remain tacky for longer. If you can’t force any air up there. If it’s hot in there, it may be a little quicker. But i’d give it at least two and then check
it out and see where you’re going from there.
Paul: I guess, onto the paint now. What paint would you recommend from Benjamin Moore that will be the best solution for this client, so that it doesn’t flake and it reduces or it helps reduce the moisture in that. What product would you use?
Jacey: The one off the top of my head is going to be the Aura Bath and Spa because I feel it’s the best skylight paint. Not only because it’s going on a ceiling and a high light reflection area. It comes in a matte finish. It actually only comes in a matte finish. But it’s designed to handle moisture, mildew, all the all the funky stuff you’re gonna get with water.
Paul: Okay, so what’s the difference between that and just your regular flat ceiling latex?
Jacey: You’re going to get the mildewcides and the fungicides, and you’re also probably in a higher-end product so you’re going to have more durability. You’re also going to get nicer design
out of that. You’re going to get better color development. If you’ve chosen a chantilly lace or simply white, you’re going to get a color that’s true to form and not dirty chalk. It’s just the best skylight paint for kitchen and baths.
Paul: So, let’s just recap. What primer would you use, what is the name and can you buy it at any Benjamin Moore store?
Jacey: Prime Lock by INSL-X. Yes, you can buy it at any Benjamin Moore.
Paul: Okay, and what was the product you would recommend to apply?
Jacey: Aura Bath and Spa, it’s the best skylight paint on the market.
If you need any assistance with painting your skylight, contact us toll free at 1-866-724-6818 or visit our website at www.trustedhousepainter.com.
