Advice Needed on How to Paint Toilet Cistern General decorating topics, questions and answers. find help, tips and advice on completing your decorating projects

[peckhampulse]

I want to paint the cistern matt brown but the only advice I can get is to use Hammerite gloss. Alternatively I have heard you can use any oil based paint but with no undercoat which doesnt seem right. Also where do I find brown matt oil based paint nowadays ?

I have painted the waste pipe with emulsion which seems to hold OK but dont want to risk experimenting on the "main feature" - the cistern !

Any advice or help would be appreciated

[thedoctor]

The only successful way to paint shiny, non-porous surfaces such as a cistern is by priming first with Zinsser. This is a special primer which stick to (rather than soaks in) to surfaces such as glass. porcelain etc.

Once dry (24 hours) you can overpaint with whatever you like.

Click here for the Zinsser primer

https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/DIY-superst ... 500ml.html

[peckhampulse]

Thanks. That sounds far better than all the "possible" solutions. The colour I have is smooth masonry paint. Do you reckon that will be OK over the Zinsser B.I.N. ?

[thedoctor]

To be perfectly honest masonry paint is about the only thing we have not tries on top of Zinsser primer, but everything else has worked fine so no reason to suppose it wont. Please let us know jhow it goes, it might help- others

[peckhampulse]

I will give it a try. I have tried it over emulsion and it didnt take.

Thanks fo the advice. I dont know why they only sell white cisterns anyway. Surley better that it fits in with the colour scheme of the room than stand out as an ugly white "feature". .