Haymes Ultracover, what a prepcoat does and when to use it
Prepcoat is the part of a paint job nobody wants to be doing. It is not the colour, nothing looks any better at the end of it, and it is very tempting to decide the surface is near enough and go straight to the good stuff. Then the topcoat goes patchy over the filler, or the old colour ghosts through, or it peels off the laminate in a sheet, and the paint gets the blame for a prep problem.
Haymes Ultracover is their prepcoat, and it is the one I point people at when they are painting something awkward rather than a plain wall.
What a prepcoat is actually doing
Three separate jobs, and they are worth knowing separately because it tells you when you need one.
- It gives the topcoat something to grip. This is the one that matters on laminate, melamine, MDF, metal and anything previously painted in gloss. Paint straight onto those and it sits on the surface rather than bonding to it.
- It seals. Stains, watermarks, tannin bleed out of timber, and old dark colours that would otherwise keep showing through however many coats you put on.
- It evens out how absorbent the surface is. New plaster, filler and bare timber all drink paint at different rates, which is why a patched wall comes up blotchy even when the colour is right. Sealing it first is what stops that.
Where it earns its keep
- Kitchen cupboard doors. MDF and laminate are the two surfaces most likely to reject paint, and they are also the job most people attempt as a first cabinet refresh.
- Anything patched. Filler is more absorbent than the wall around it, every time.
- Going light over dark. Sealing beats trying to bury it under extra coats, and it uses less paint.
- Timber with tannin in it. Otherwise it bleeds through and stains the topcoat weeks later.
On a sound painted wall in a similar colour, you probably do not need it, and that is worth saying because plenty of places will sell you one regardless.
The prep before the prepcoat
Prepcoat is not a substitute for cleaning. Wash anything greasy with sugar soap and let it dry properly, scuff sand a gloss surface so there is a key, and get the dust off before you start. Prepcoat over a greasy cupboard door will come away with the grease still under it.
On a cabinet door, a wash, a light sand, a coat of Ultracover and then the enamel is the whole process, and it is the sanding people skip rather than the washing.
It takes both kinds of topcoat
Ultracover will take a water based or an oil based topcoat over it, which is the practical reason to keep one tin rather than a different undercoat for every substrate. It also means you can change your mind about the finish after you have primed.
Shop related products
- Haymes Ultratrim High Gloss Enamel 4L. The topcoat for cupboard doors and trim once the prepcoat is on.
- Uni-pro 180mm Microfibre Cover, 4mm Nap. Short nap, for a flat cabinet door with no roller texture.
- Supercraft Paint Brush 63mm Synthetic. For the edges and the profiles a roller cannot reach.
- Uni-pro Masking Tape Pull Down Drop Sheet. Tape and sheet in one pull.
Did you know we stock Haymes Ultracover Prepcoat in store in 500ml, 1 litre, 2 litre, 4 litre and 10 litre, along with sugar soap, and none of those sizes are listed on the website. Give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what is on the shelf.
The brushes, rollers and sundries that are online sit in paint and accessories.
Picking the topcoat
We mix and tint to order in store from the Haymes and Taubmans range we stock. There is more on the paint mixing page, or bring the door in and we will tell you what it needs.
More on getting a clean finish
- Haymes Ultratrim, what it is and when to use it
- How to stop drips and streaks before they wreck your walls
- Smooth walls are sanded, not lucky
I have painted over a greasy cupboard door without washing it first, exactly once, and I peeled the whole lot off with my thumbnail a week later.
Cheers,
Candeece
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