Paint thinned only as much as the tin allows
This is the easiest money on your site to take. Paint thinned past what the tin allows spreads further, bills the same, and fails as patchy chalky walls two years later — by which time everybody blames the weather.
What to look at
- The tin itself on site, so the thinning limit can be read
- Empty tins kept until the job is signed off, so they can be counted
- Your own arithmetic: wall area divided by the stated coverage
How to check it yourself
Every tin states how much water or thinner may be added, and the coverage you should get per litre. Work out the litres your wall area needs at that coverage, and compare it with the litres actually delivered and opened. A job that used far less paint than the arithmetic says either has fewer coats than billed or thinner paint than allowed.
Where this comes from: IS 2395 (Part 1) — Painting of concrete, masonry and plaster surfaces, operations and workmanship; paint manufacturer data sheet for the product used (indian standard or building code)
More waterproofing and painting checks
- Photograph before this is covered
- Ponding test passed before the waterproofing is covered
- Painting held until the surface is dry enough to take it
- Primer used, and the coats applied in the maker's order
- Putty kept thin — it is a filler, not a levelling layer
- Walls checked for damp and for alkali before the first coat