Review of Dunlop Pro Decor Flexible Acrylic Filler caulk

I recently received a tube of Dunlop Pro Decor Flexible Acrylic Filler to try and review, there has been a bit of a buzz over this product from professional decorators like myself, why, you ask, well because of its claims not to crack and its anti crazing properties. Now unless you use caulk daily like us decorators you may not know the ongoing problem we have when we use caulk and paint over it.

I have written about this problem before on this blog, Tips on using decorator’s caulk, also on Rayfields Interiors, How to use decorators caulk and also Fillers – knowing which one to use and on the Improving Your Property blog, What is decorators caulk / filler.

So when I got this opportunity to try this product and give a review I was very keen to do so, could this really be the end to cracking and crazing filer?

The tubes are filled with a white acrylic filler and come in a 310ml tube, allowing easy application by using a caulking gun.

I have tried the product and here is my review.

My review of Dunlop Pro Decor Flexible Acrylic Filler

On the Dunlop Decorators website it says this about the product:

FLEXIBLE ACRYLIC FILLER™

A high performance gunnable filler which can be used internally and externally for filling skirting boards, window and door frames as well as repairing cracks and damage to walls and ceilings.

• Paintable in 60 minutes
• No Crazing
• Ultra smooth
• Anti-Crack

I was very keen to test the no crazing and anti-cracking claims.

I tried the acrylic filler on my last two jobs, I have used it around skirting boards and ceilings, and painted over it with different types of paint, including water based primer /undercoat, gloss, satinwood and emulsion. I also noted the drying time and smoothness once dried.

The result

I was pleased to be able to try this acrylic filler and see if it met all of it’s claims, which for me it did. It seemed to dry fast allowing me to paint over it quickly. For the normal troublesome emulsion crazing / cracking issue I can say I didn’t come across any of this issue so was really impressed. Once dry the filler left a smooth surface that didn’t show once pained. I also didn’t see any cracking once it dried, I tried this product in both small and large gaps and had the same results.

In conclusion

I was very please with this acrylic filler, and from a professional decorators point of view the fact it stand up to it’s claims and doesn’t crack or craze like many other brands of decorator caulk, this is something we have been waiting for for years.
Now that I have used this product I will certainly be changing over to use this acrylic filler all the time and will certainly be wanting to try Dunlop Pro Decor’s other fillers such as deep hole filler and fine and lightweight fillers in the future.

Buy Dunlop Pro Decor Flexible Acrylic Filler caulk

You can buy Dunlop Pro Decor Flexible Acrylic Filler caulk from My Paintbrush.

Colour trends for 2015

Dulux Colour Futures™ from AkzoNobel have come up with the upcoming trends for colour for 2015, through their international research they have selected a range of colours they think will be in trend throughout 2015, and have picked a dominant colour for the year.

Colour palettes and colour trends for 2015

“2015 is about that added refinement: putting the + into the everyday.”

“Everyday + Finding the wonderful in the normal”

Quote from ColourFutures™

As a paint translation of this trend, our research all points to this orangey copper tone. Great on its own, the colour also combines perfectly with pinks, neutrals, whites and other orange hues, as well as metallic colours such as gold.

The theme consists of the following five colour palettes and colour moods:

• Big nature + small me
• Layer + layer
• + unseen spaces
• Him + her
• Friendly Barter +

What is to colour for 2015

The colour of the year 2015 is……. 50YR 36/263 (also known as Copper orange).

“It reflects and complements all of the major trends that we have identified for 2015: a warmth in attitude and a renewed emphasis on sharing; the natural palette of the earth, from clay tones to sunlit highlights of yellow; the skin tones that reflect human interaction and the sepia hues of the past.
It is a colour of depth and currency that combines wonderfully with the everyday”

Quote from ColourFutures™

You can see more of this years colour schemes here:
Dulux Trade website or here:
http://www.colourfutures.com and download the Colour Futures book(PDF).

Paint Calculator

If you would like to use the colour of the year (50YR 36/263) or any other colour you need to buy and need to work out how much you need to buy, use our FREE Paint Calculator.

5 things to think about when decorating a childs bedroom

When decorating a childs bedroom there are a few things to think about, such as what colours to use, what the child is going to use the room for, is it going to be a dual purpose room for study and play? Or is it just a play area? Here are just five things to think about.

Bright and bold

Kids love bright and bold colours so reds, yellows, blues and oranges will keep the kids interested and make it a fun room to be in, especially if they are young. Don’t be afraid to use colour in a kids room, you can always change it at a later date when they get older and grow out of the current colour scheme.

Think tough

Kids being kids will make marks on the walls and paintwork so look out for wipeable emulsions and those that say they are tougher than normal, the same goes for woodwork. A good emulsion should allow you to remove any scuffs easily, if you are going to use wallpaper, find a scrubbable and washable paper so marks can be removed.

Murals and drawings

To make a room even more fun, you can add drawings or murals to a wall, or perhaps a decal of their favorite superhero? You could theme a room to what your child is interested in, such as animals, cars, or space, and the theme can be changed as they grow and tastes change. If you are an artist or know a friend who is one, you can have a scene painted onto the walls of over lining paper.

Storage

Kids have a lot of toys and games and you will need somewhere to store them all for when they have finished playing with them at the end of the day, so think of storage solutions, such as underbed storage, cupboards, shelves, and storage boxes. All of these things are relatively cheap to buy and will help keep your kids room clutter free, which will inturn make the task of cleaning just that little bit easier.

Study area

As your children gets older they will need a place to study and do their homework, so a desk will be vital and help them organise their stuff and have a quiet place to study and do their homework. These can be a stand alone desk bought as a flat pack that you assemble yourself, or a custom made one if you have a small or awkward area to fit a desk into. You can do it yourself by buying some wood and board from a DIY store if you are handy with your hands.