Types Of Paint - What Paint To Use, And When
What Paint To Use, And When To Use It
Types of Paint – What paint to use, and when
The significance of painting to enhance visual appeal, protect surfaces, and preserve the structural integrity of your home or business cannot be overstated. This article examines paint types, and when to use them.
Interior Paints
1. Latex (Water-Based) Paint: Quick-drying, low odor, and easy cleanup, suitable for walls, ceilings, and most interior surfaces. Lowest VOC’s (volatile organic compounds)
2. Acrylic Paint: Water based and similar to latex paint, but offers better durability, color retention, adhesion and elasticity, making it ideal for high-traffic areas like hallways and kitchens. Higher VOC’s than Latex.
3. Oil-Based Paint: Known for its durability and smooth finish, often used on trim, doors, and cabinets, but less common due to longer drying times and strong odor, with more VOC’s than Acrylic.
4. Enamel Paint: A type of oil-based paint that creates a hard, glossy finish, suitable for areas prone to moisture such as bathrooms and kitchens. Oil-based Enamel paints are very high in VOC’s. Alternatively, you can also use a regular acrylic paint with a mildewcide additive for use in bathrooms and high humidity areas. Further, there are water-based enamel paints available with lower VOC’s and less impact on the environment, and occupants of the house, not to mention, the painter.
5. Chalkboard Paint: Allows surfaces to be used as chalkboards, commonly used in children's rooms, kitchens, and home offices, as well as commercial environments such as cafes, restaurants, daycares, and community centres.
6. Primer: A preparatory coating/sealer applied before painting to improve adhesion, coverage, and durability of the topcoat, available in both water-based and oil-based formulas, though care should be taken to ensure your top coats of paint are compatible with the primer. For example, if you use a water-based primer, you must use a water based top coat. On the other hand, if you use an oil-based primer, you can use an oil based paint (if available in your jurisdiction), or more commonly these days, an acrylic top coat.
Exterior Paints
1. Acrylic Latex Paint (a water-based paint with an acrylic binder): Highly durable, flexible, and resistant to fading, cracking, and peeling, suitable for exterior walls, siding, and trim. Satin or Eggshell sheens are best for home exterior because of the high hiding effects of these sheens. A satin will have a sheen that makes cleaning the surface easier.
2. Oil-Based Paint: Provides excellent adhesion and durability, particularly in harsh weather conditions, but requires proper surface preparation and longer drying times. Not available due to health and environmental concerns in some countries.
*See proper surface preparation blog coming soon*
3. Alkyd Paint: Offers superior adhesion and resistance to moisture, ideal for exterior trim, doors, and metal surfaces. Alkyd paints dry by solvent evaporation and cure by oxidation in approximately 5 days. They dry to a hard, glossy finish that is unmatched to latex paints. Not available due to health and environmental concerns in some countries.
4. Elastomeric Paint: Designed to stretch and contract with building surfaces, providing protection against cracks, water infiltration, and UV damage, commonly used on stucco and masonry.
5. Masonry Paint: Formulated to adhere to porous surfaces like concrete, brick, and stucco, offering weatherproofing and moisture resistance.
6. Primer: Essential for promoting adhesion, preventing/blocking stains, and enhancing the longevity of exterior paint finishes, available in various formulations for different surface types and conditions.
Each type of paint has its own unique characteristics, advantages, and applications, so it's important to consider factors such as surface type, climate, and desired finish when selecting the appropriate paint for a specific project.