Most paint mistakes start with the wrong product on the right surface. Emulsion on a gate, gloss on a bathroom ceiling, wall paint on a floor — each fails in a predictable way, and each is avoidable.
This page is the reference. Find the surface, and it tells you what to use, what to prepare, and why.
Interior walls
Plastered walls, dry rooms. Prestige Matt Finish. Flat finishes hide uneven plaster and are the easiest to touch up. Fill, sand and prime before painting.
Plastered walls, hard-use rooms. Prestige Satin Finish. Washable and harder wearing. Use it in hallways, children’s rooms and anywhere the wall gets wiped.
Previously painted walls in sound condition. Wash, then matt or satin as above. If the old finish is glossy, sand to a key first or the new coat will not bond.
Walls that have failed — chalking, peeling, bubbling, damp stains. Do not paint over them. See fixing a failing wall for what has to happen first.
Ceilings and POP
Plaster of Paris ceilings, cornices and roses. Prestige Best for POP. New POP needs sealing before painting or the first coat dries patchy.
Plastered and concrete ceilings. A matt ceiling paint, or Prestige Matt Finish. Never a sheen — light rakes across a ceiling and shows every ripple.
Timber ceilings and exposed beams. Prestige Premium Plus Gloss over a timber primer.
More detail in ceiling paint.
Woodwork
Doors, frames, skirting and architraves. Gloss. It takes knocks and wiping, and these are the surfaces that get handled.
Furniture and joinery. Gloss or a hard satin. Degrease, sand to a key, prime bare timber, then two coats.
MDF and manufactured board. Needs a primer suited to the board, then gloss or satin. Edges absorb paint differently and need sealing.
Wood glue and repairs. Titebond Ultimate Wood Glue for structural joinery.
Metal
Gates, railings, grilles and burglar bars. Gloss over a metal primer. Preparation matters more than the product: rust has to come off, not be painted over.
Roof sheeting and cladding. A solar-reflective or roof-grade coating, not a wall paint. Metal roofs reach surface temperatures far above air temperature.
Structural steel. A protective system, not a decorative one. See specialist coatings.
Waterside steel and boat hulls. Prestige Marine Coatings.
Exterior masonry
Rendered and block walls. Prestige Textured Finish. The thicker film bridges hairline cracks that a flat paint cannot.
Boundary walls and gatehouses. Texture again — blockwork is rarely flat and a thin film shows every course.
Feature elevations. Prestige Texalux or Shining Gold Decor for a decorative finish.
External walls showing damp or efflorescence. Fix the water source first. No coating fixes rising damp.
More detail in painting exterior walls.
Floors
Concrete floors in workshops, garages and factories. An epoxy or purpose-made floor coating. Wall paint wears through at the traffic lanes within months.
Domestic garage floors. A floor coating, light in colour, with a non-slip finish if it gets wet.
Wooden floors. A floor varnish or a dedicated floor paint, never a wall product.
Wet rooms
Bathroom walls. Satin throughout. Never matt — it cannot be scrubbed and mould grows in it. See painting bathrooms.
Kitchen walls. Satin, and degrease properly first. See painting kitchens.
Behind a hob or shower. Tiles or a splashback panel. No paint film lasts indefinitely under direct water or spitting oil.
Pool decks. A coating specified for constant wetting, with slip resistance. Not a decorative finish.
Garden and outdoor surfaces
Garden furniture, timber. A wood stain or an exterior gloss over a suitable primer, depending on whether you want the grain to show.
Metal garden furniture. Gloss over a rust-inhibiting primer.
Sheds, stores and outbuildings. Exterior-grade products throughout — these are unheated, often damp, and take full weather.
Fences and gates. A wood stain where timber should keep its grain, an exterior coating where it should not.
Decks and verandas. A dedicated deck coating with slip resistance, not a wall paint.
Concrete garden walls and planters. A masonry paint or texture, after the surface has cured.
Special finishes
Chalkboard and magnetic walls. A purpose-made chalkboard or magnetic coating over a smooth, primed surface. The finish is only as good as the flatness underneath.
Metallic and gold accents. On one panel or feature, not a room. They show every imperfection in the plaster.
Texture as a design choice. Prestige Texalux. Sample it on the actual wall before committing.
The quick reference
| Surface | Product | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Interior wall, dry room | Matt Finish | Fill, sand, prime |
| Interior wall, hard use | Satin Finish | Washable |
| POP ceiling | Best for POP | Seal new POP first |
| Plaster ceiling | Matt Finish | Never sheen |
| Doors and frames | Premium Plus Gloss | Sand to a key |
| Metal gates | Gloss + metal primer | Remove rust |
| Exterior render | Textured Finish | Fix water first |
| Workshop floor | Epoxy floor coating | Prep the slab |
| Bathroom wall | Satin Finish | Ventilate |
| Timber outdoors | Wood stain | Grain or coverage |
Not sure which applies
Tell us the surface, whether it is inside or outside, and how it is used. We will tell you the product and the preparation. Call +234 802 562 5333, message WhatsApp, or send your project details.