Thursday, October 18, 2007

Paint Runner

As a general rule we are not usually swayed by persuasive advertising. (Unlike Phil, who will try anything he sees on the telly) However, Nick spotted the ‘Paint Runner’ advertised in the paper, and after having a giggle at the inflated promises (A REVOLUTION in paint technology) we decided to buy one.



We waited ages for it to arrive, and then even longer while we filled all the holes in the crappy plaster, but finally had the chance to test it out last night in my soon-to-be-finished craft room.

I must say, despite our scepticism, it actually is brilliant. We fell into our normal decorating roles (me doing the edges, Nick following on with the roller) and we had the whole room painted in 40 mins. This includes the time taken to thin the paint, charge up the roller, and clean up the mess Nick made when he turned over the gadget without putting the lid back on and half the paint slopped on the carpet.

Paint Runner - down sides:
It seems to use up more paint that a normal roller which is a bummer when the Farrow and Ball paint I love so much cost £24 a tin. Also it’s quite heavy when it is full because it holds over a litre of paint. However this is not a problem when you have a strong husband. We haven’t tried to clean it yet but I can tell it’s going to be a lengthy process. To avoid the cleaning issue we have decided to use the paint runner exclusively for one colour, and wrap it up in cling film then in a plastic bag in between uses.

Paint Runner - Plus sides:
It really is super fast, and much more convenient than bending down the whole time to recharge a roller.

Tips for use: The instructions say to thin down the paint. If you use Farrow and Ball paint (well worth the money in my opinion) you don’t need to thin it because it’s naturally thinner than Dulux. I can imagine that with Dulux you would need to water it down a bit to get it to come through the sponges.

(As an aside, NEVER try to save money by buying cheap ‘value’ paint. You will end up needing to do coat after coat to get it to look even. We tried B&Q value white paint a few years ago. It took 4 coats and still looked patchy. Dulux is ok, but the extra tenner spent on Farrow and Ball paint is well worth it – only ever two coats needed, the best range of colours, and a wonderful chalky matt finish.)

Conclusion.
£29.99 well spent, if for nothing more than the hilarity of pretending to do the voice over for the advert that promises ‘no dipping no dripping, no bending, no mess – it’s a REVOLUTION in paint technology!’

PS Chris and Liv, after hearing about your protracted decorating timetable I would recommend you purchase a paint runner and crack on!

5 Comments:

Blogger The Author said...

Thanks for that - I've seen it advertised and couldn't quite make my mind up !!!! You've answered all my queries and I shall now go ahead with my purchase and get my very own 'Paint Runner'. According to the TV advert, to clean it you just fill it with water and apparently it cleans itself!!!

6:53 AM  
Blogger Nick said...

Buy it Tracy - it's a REVOLUTION!

8:17 AM  
Blogger Chris said...

Oh dear, too late for me and Liv I'm afraid. The stairs, landing and bedroom have all now been painted. The bathroom is being painted tomorrow. I'll have to stick with pre-revolutionary tactics!

9:33 AM  
Blogger Nick said...

you can always use jimmy as a paint roller.
Look forward to seeing the decorations!

1:23 PM  
Blogger Raindrops said...

Thanks for that info have been pondering buying this. Tricia

4:54 PM  

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