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In the closet behind the Flat Screen TV Install we built a couple of wide shelves out of a Bi-Fold Door. We needed to shelve the rest of the space. Because of the width of the space(41”) and the depth of the shelves (15”) we made them out of 3/4” plywood.
The client decided how much space she needed between the various shelves which determined the spacing. In small sizes plywood is a sound shelf. In larger sizes you need to stiffen it for use.
Having determined our locations, the first order was to install wall cleats to support the back and sides of our shelves.
These were made with 1×2 pine screwed to the studs with 2- 2” deck screws at each stud location. The right side pictured here has the cleat extending beyond the face of the shelf due to the location of the stud. Not elegant but sturdy.
Here is our closet with the cleats installed. You can also see the outlet mounted for the TV toys, Dish receiver, DVD/VCR Player, surround sound, etc. Also are the holes for passing the cables between the boxes and the TV. I offset the holes between the front and back to that light was not an issue. Yes I know it is a picky detail.
Shelf Edge Detail
The fronts of the ply shelves are reinforced with an aluminum channel. Here is a photo showing the edge detail at the front of the shelves. This is an aluminum channel cut to length and glued and screwed to the front edge of the shelf. I used a countersink bit to drill the holes to keep the top of the screw below the face of the channel. We also sanded the channel and sprayed it with KILZ primer sealer as a base coat for the finish paint. Latex paints do not stick to metal very well. We are using BEHR Ultra Semi Gloss in White.
Speaking of BEHR
We bought a can of BEHR Ultra Primer/Paint to try out. I will not recommend or use it again. The theory is that having the primer and paint will save time and or steps. It doesn’t. The cost of materials is basically the same within a buck, and your savings come from having to cover the area once. It did not seal and cover the mill stamp(the black printing that is stamped on all lumber telling you where it was produced) and the two areas we used it in had an uneven finish. Part gloss part flat. We ended up second coating it. No net savings labor wise.
It is still better to use primer and paint as separate operations. Priming coats and seals your wall surfaces, as well as pointing out defects that get covered by sanding so you can fix them before putting down you final color.
I am still a Fanboy of BEHR Paint, just not the primer/sealer paint.
Here is our closet with the shelves installed and painted.
Although it’s unfortunate that you did not find the product to your liking, we appreciate your honest and detailed account of your experience.
There are a number of things that likely affected the performance of the product. First, we recognize and try to make clear with our Premium Plus Ultra product that there are many projects that require additional coats. In this case, due to the surface porosity of the wood, multiple coats may be needed for an even sheen. The convenience is buying only one product. In many cases, it will save you coats and time, but that all depends on the intended application and surface. As for the stamp, it needs to be sanded or removed; otherwise, it requires a specialty Primer & Sealer for best performance.
We appreciate all of the great expert insight you have to share, as it helps influence future product updates and decisions. Please feel free to rate and review our products on our new Web site (BehrPro.com).
Thanks for your continued support of Behr!
Behr Pro,
Thx for stopping by.
As you may have discovered I am an extreme fanboy of Behr Paint. My fault with the primer/paint was the coverage on the previously painted surfaces. It was uneven. I was using the semi-gloss. Like I mentioned partially flat and partially glossy. (yes I did mix it up before application)
On this project there were a number of different areas that made this a particularly good test bed for this product.
I had raw drywall, raw plywood, metal edging, and previously painted surfaces.
The application was made with a 6” semi gloss roller cover(Whizz Roller System 6″ Multi-Purpose Roller Cover) and was painted evenly. It was put on liberally, as this is not my first time with a paint can.
I needed two coats on the raw drywall surfaces, which I frankly did not expect, due to the advertising of the product. Normally I use sealer primer and then the finish color.
Same two coats, but Behr Paint usually covers in one coat. Even when I am painting dark over light or vice versa. Which is why I use and recommend it. I am as lazy as the next person. The one time I did have a problem was on a textured wall using a dark red to cover a butter yellow.
The shelving was ACX that was sanded prior to painting.
http://www.lemurzone.com/rfg/index.php/2008/06/04/fun-with-plywood-2/
As expected the first coat did raise the grain, but with light sanding, the paint flowed smoothly and covered well. The sheen issue was there, but was not the issue that the finish wall around the TV was.
The one pre treatment step I did take was sanding and using KILZ brand primer sealer on the aluminum channel used as a stiffner on the front edge of the plywood shelves.
This was done to promote adhesion and to round the edges of the channel to minimise paint chipping with shelving use.
As for the grade stamp on the lumber, you folks should come up with an ink that you can sell them that would mark yet get covered by your product. You are right in as much as you need almost a solvent based primer to stop the bleeding. They must use the same ink that magic markers use.
At the end of the day the biggest issue was the sheen on the semi gloss even over previously painted surfaces, still needing the same number of coats. Flats probably work great.
The price differential which here amounted to about a dollar(can of primer/paint vs can of primer and can of finish paint)
Saving me a a tool cleaning by needing only 1 roller between coats, or the cost of a disposable cover is just not worth the ‘if’ factor, as in do i need another coat?, to this remodeler is not worth it, especially when doing this for clients.
Head Lemur,
The Premium Plus Ultra is a unique two-in-one paint and primer, but definitely NOT a one-coat solution. Our technical data sheet for this product details all the various applications and preparation that require additional coats, or in some cases, a specialty product. For instance, the sheen issue you’re having is most likely related to the surface porosity. For uneven surfaces, you need an additional coat to make sure it is sealed correctly. And as you know, certain colors, like red and yellow are tough to cover, often requiring more than one coat.
Thanks for the additional insight (and recommendation). We appreciate your business and support of our brand. We value the feedback from our customers, especially someone like yourself who brings a lot of experience with our products. I’ll definitely pass this information on to our product development team.
It’s always comforting to have the manufacturer take the time to respond to these types of articles with a well-thought-out and useful response. Behr gets big kudos!
Kim and I used to be big fans of Behr interior latex paints. About three years ago we switched to Ralph Lauren at the suggestion of a friend. We had an excellent experience painting our dining room – almost full coverage of a dark brown in only 1 coat. While RL is about $9 / gallon more, we’ve never hesitated to pay the premium. I am confident that you actually use 50% of the paint that would be required with Behr or most other brands.
Just my $0.02.