Mist coat
Also called: mist coating, sealer coat, thinned first coat, priming new plaster, new plaster paint
A mist coat is a thinned-down first coat of matt emulsion — ordinary paint let down with water (commonly around 3 parts paint to 1 part water; always check the tin) — applied to NEW, bare plaster or gypsum before the proper coats go on. It exists to solve one problem: fresh plaster is intensely porous and pulls the moisture out of a full-strength topcoat before the paint can form a proper film, so the paint never really bonds and flakes off within months. The watered-down mist coat soaks *into* the surface and seals it, giving the following coats something to grip. Two things to get right: it's only for new bare plaster (not over already-painted walls), and the plaster must be fully dry first — a mist coat over still-damp plaster traps moisture and fails just the same. The typical order is: plaster dries out completely, one (sometimes two) mist coats, then two normal topcoats. Getting this step right is the difference between a wall that stays perfect and one that peels, which is why it's routine practice for Al Ghubaiba's painting team on any freshly-plastered job.
Related terms
Efflorescence (salt bloom)
The white powdery salt bloom that surfaces on tile grout, natural stone, concrete and plaster — a moisture signal, not just a stain.
Chalking (paint)
The powdery, faded residue on tired exterior paint — rub a finger on it and it comes away chalky. In Dubai's sun it's the number-one sign the paint is finished.
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