Two Fussy Blokes Rollers with Keith Butler

Who is Keith Butler?

Butler and Dunne are the legends that brought the two fussy blokes microfibre rollers into Ireland and our lives, changing the painting game forever. Keith Butler is a painter by trade. He also is the Irish Distributor for the Two Fussy Blokes Rollers. He is based in Dublin and his client based area is the Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare. Keith appeared on the show DIY SOS volunteering his time to help those in need.

Keith has some brilliant tips in his Instagram page @butleranddunne if you want to check it out. His experience and knowledge is insane so I asked him some questions along with some that came in from Instagram. He has some amazing videos with advice on products and techniques that can only come from someone with his experience. Which is so valuable. So his definitely worth a follow.

He kindly sent me a sample of the microfibre rollers a few years ago. Before I tried them, I just thought they were going to be like any other roller. What really intrigued me though was why a painter by trade was using them. I knew it had to be making his life easier.

Why I love the Two Fussy Blokes Rollers?

After I was sent the rollers, I was eager to see why these rollers would be any different from all the ones I had tried. My go to previously was a foam roller but no particular brand. After testing the two fussy blokes rollers on a table I couldn’t believe how amazing the finish was. It had a nice even coat and a sprayed-like (something that looks like it has been spray painted with little imperfection) finish. I even cut one open to see what the magic was inside. What also stood out to me was that they didn’t come in plastic packaging. It came in neatly packed in card that could be recycled. Yet another reason to love them.

So here is how the chat went with Keith…

What is your go to paint brand?

Keith: Its hard to pick because I think it depends on the job. I have so many paint brands that I like. Colourtrend is my favourite brand, it has been for the past 15 years. It touches up so well and I never have any problems with it. Benjamin Moore is my favourite for trim paint, its the closest to oil paint that I have used and is bulletproof.

Fleetwood advanced is also another good one and Im always scratch testing like any paint I use and that is a really good one.

My new favourite is Acres Hall trim paint, I used it in a cubby where my wife has candles and I cant believe how well it cleans. Its again a bulletproof paint. I am really impressed with it.

It really depends on your preference.

What are your favourite paint tools?

Obviously Two fussy blokes rollers. They have made my life easier and quicker without compromising on finish. I love it for jobs like painting banisters cause they mould into the groove of the detail unlike other rollers. When painting doors the things I would have previously used a paint brush for I can now use the rollers.

Wooster silver tip paint brush is my go to. I would need brushes that would be cheaper because you would need them for smaller jobs and using products like hammerite you don’t want to be using an expensive brush.

With trays, there are really nice ones you can get but really any tray would do.

What are the benefits of the Two Fussy blokes rollers?

Before I had the two fussy blokes rollers, I would have used other rollers but there were areas of the job I wouldn’t be able to do. I love the rollers for jobs like painting banisters cause they mould into the groove of the detail unlike other rollers. They are great for the six panel doors where I used to have to use a brush to get into the rungs.

Its saves me an awful lot of time and it makes my job look better because of the smooth finish. Thats really hard to get by hand, you can do it with a brush but it takes a lot of time laying off the paint lightly.

Spraying is a better finish than rolling but a lot of people can’t spray and clients most of the time don’t want you to come in and spraying so this is the next best thing.

Is it worth getting a painter in to do the painting?

I think it depends on your budget, if I had the money I would just get a painter in. We do a lot of the prep work, we sand back all the imperfections and have the straight lines. We always suggest to people to get a painter in when they are gone on holidays so that its all painted for when you get home and there is no hassle

There is a lot you can learn how to do. But if you paint one room and you mess it up, its only one room. Its not like getting the plumbing done and you flood the house. If you mess up a room you can just get a painter in to fix it.

You should be able to touch up a wall yourself.

Painting MDF tips?

You need a MDF primer. Colourtrend Prime 1 for really good to prime your MDF. The Zinsser Bullseye 1-2-3 as well is a good one. I love the Owatrol ESP (easy surface prep) Its clear and seals it all up. You can paint anything once its prepped with this. I have painted glass with it. Its one of the best products out there.

Keith has a video on his Instagram on painting MDF click HERE to view

How to prepare unpainted non dash exterior with masonry paint?

Whatever paint you are using just look at the back of the tin. I love Dulux weather shield I just grew up with that. Colourtrend exterior paints are very good. But for the first coat mix it with 20% water and mix EB bonding from Owatrol into it and it turns it into a primer. We call it a ‘mist coat’. It helps the paint penetrate into the walls and sit into it correctly. If you just go straight onto the walls it will just sit on top and flake.

How do you fill a crack on a ceiling that goes from one side of the room to the other?

Its a thing over the years that I have been looking at. Those crack are normally over a joist. Your house gets hot and cold with the summer and winter and expands and contracts. Your house is alive and moves.

The best thing to do is scrap them out and put a stabilising solution. It needs to binds together and a two pack hard filler like Owatrol have a fibre glass 2 pack filler, which is really good because there is a bit of movement with it. It will hold it for a certain amount of time but them cracks always come back.

What to do when you are prepping and the paint is flaking?

It can be a few things. It sounds like a gloss over gloss and it can be a nightmare. When we are looking at a job we always do the scratch test . When you are sanding and its starts to flake, you need to sand it all off and it can be extra work. You can’t put a water based paint over an oil based cause it won’t stick.

You can get it off with sanding and there is a product called ‘peel stop’ that can be quiet good, and you should try a light sand and coat with that but really you need to get that flaky layer off and seal it with a shellac primer.

Example of how to fix flaky paint video by Keith on his Instagram, click below

Tips with the rollers

Rinse and spin before you begin, is really important to do that with your rollers before you paint with them. So you rinse with water to get rid of any loose fibres but also so that the paint will soak into the rollers better. Once you rinse , make sure that you spin them really well, and dry them off. That goes for all brands of rollers.

I love chatting with people who are using products every day. Its easy to get caught up sometimes in products that a retailer is selling. They are obviously saying its an amazing product because they need to make sales (or they wouldn’t be in business). What I love hearing is about someone using a product because they are in the trade, they are using it everyday because of its benefits rather than hearing advice from a sales person that might have only used it a handful times or not at all. They are too very different points of view. But both need to be considered.

Thanks so much for Keith to taking the time to chat to me about painting and the amazing rollers. If you have not used these rollers before I strongly suggest that you give the a go. They are my favourite rollers and I think that nothing else compares to these rollers!

What was your favourite tip from Keith? Comment below…