House Paint Buying Tips

Regardless of whether you are using a professional or doing the work yourself, painting requires effort, money and some common sense. You need to be aware of some details before you begin so you will do the job effectively and without a hitch. I will begin with the following:

The most important aspect of painting is of course your chosen paint. Since there are different qualities, colors and combinations, you need to make sure you are using what you need to get the job done.

Paint is essentially a mix of resin, pigment and a carrier substance. The usual pigment used in most cases is titanium dioxide, which serves as a base for other pigments added to it for color. The added resin is what makes the paint adhere to a surface. The carrier is an evaporating liquid base which acts as a thinner, helping you roll on or brush the paint on your surface. This is done with latex paint, while with alkyd paint it contains soybean oil or linseed. Paint also contains clay or other ingredients helping the sheen as well as some small amounts of solvents to fine-tune its characteristics.

The main thing you need to remember is that the quality of the paint’s ingredients is closely related to its effectiveness. The more titanium dioxide in the ingredient base of the paint, the more hiding and strong it will be. That also makes it expensive however, as the compound is costly – it is the reason why high-quality paints are more expensive. Alkyd paints utilizing mineral spirits with no odors serving as a carrier are also more expensive than the ones using regular solvent. That is the reason why the price of paint is indicative of its quality.

Since thinners contain volatile organic compounds that have been part of alkyd paint, there has been a significant move toward latex. Non-alkyd paint is much more environmentally-friendly and thus they are preferred today. As a matter of fact, in some countries and states they have been outlawed, much like the pain used before the 1970s, which contained lead. Paints with low quantities of solvent have been marked with a “0 VOC” mark, which stands for “Zero Volatile Organic Compounds”. This may sounds great in theory, however 0 VOC paint is hard to work with precisely because of this quality. If you buy paint, you should stick to the well-known brands. The reason for this is because their hiding capabilities vary greatly with quality, as well as their washability. You will also find a wider range of colors with commercial lines. The warranty offered by different brands is also indicative of quality and customer support, so you need to take those into consideration as well.

Paint can have different luster, such as flat, gloss, eggshell, semi-gloss, pearl and satin. Although these are the most common, there are always variations between different paints with the same gloss. Companies can’t always keep the exact same production process and that leads to some discrepancies. The luster itself depends on the correct mixture of the resin, pigment and the other, inert ingredients. The more gloss the finish has, the more durable it will be in the long run.

If you want to use flat paint, then you should know it is wonderful for masking of any imperfections in the target surface. You can also use eggshell or pearl, though the further you go onto the glossy side of paints, the less washable they are. If you are dealing with an exterior, then you will need to0 work with flat or semi-gloss. Interiors work best with flat on ceilings and most often eggshell on walls. Luckily nowadays you have high-quality and high-gloss finishes which are water-based. They offer excellent hiding capabilities as well as not yellowing in time. All of this is thanks to the developing crackdown on traditional alkyd paint.

Something else you need to pay attention to is the coverage or “hiding” as it is known. Good paint will require fewer coats to completely cover a surface. Even though such paint is more expensive it is also more efficient overall and well worth the price. Working with such a paint will save you time and efforts as well as providing excellent durability and longevity.

Author Bio:

Ella Andrews is a content writer who has great flair for decoration and interior design. She is always searching for new challenges. Therefore her present article is focused on home renovation related theme.