When thinking about painting the walls of your home, there are several criteria that you may want to consider. For instance, other than the colour itself, the type of paint, the base and the amount of prep work required. Here is everything you may want to keep in mind when you paint different types of walls in your home.
Types of paints
Before selecting a wall colour for your house, it is essential understand the various types of paints and their functionalities. We discuss the common types of paint available.
Oil-based paints
Oil-based paints are applied as a primer, undercoat and a finish coat. These types of paints were known for their durability, shine and longevity on surfaces. Moreover, they have water-resistant properties.
Applications: Oil-based paints are suitable for walls, doors and windows, especially wooden and metallic surfaces.
Water-based paints
Water-based paints use water as the liquifying agent instead of chemical solvents, thus they emit less VOCs. They are more comfortable to work with and less flammable when working in confined areas.
Applications: Water-based paints are used widely in roofing, cladding, swimming pools, etc.
Latex paints
The term ‘Latex’ is related to water-based acrylic, latex or vinyl styrene paints. This type of paint is washable with soap and water after drying.
Applications: Latex paint is used in ceilings, concrete, wood, interiors, drywall and plaster.
Acrylic paints
Acrylic paints are water-based paints applied to create a layer of paint on a surface. They have high resistance to solvents and are suited for indoor and outdoor applications.
Applications: These paints are widely used for home decoration.
Enamel paints
Enamel paints are oil-based solvent characterised by their slow-drying abilities and hardness. These types of paints are known for their durability, strong adhesion and glossy finish.
Applications: The paint is used mostly in humid spaces such as bathrooms and kitchen. The paint can be applied for woodwork, metal work and window work.
Oil-based or water-based paint
Generally speaking, paint can be either oil-based or water-based, meaning that the paint’s main ingredient is water or oil, usually alkyd or linseed oil. If you choose an oil-based paint, it can provide a much smoother and better-looking finish. It is also more durable than water-based paint. However, it is also important to remember that drying and curing time for oil-based paint takes longer. Moreover, cleaning the paint brushes after painting a coat requires harsh chemicals like paint thinner.
If you choose water-based paint, also known as latex paint, you can find it more commonly than oil-based paint. Furthermore, drying and curing water-based paint takes less time than oil-based paint. The cleanup for water-based paint doesn’t require chemicals, and soap and water work well. However, water-based paint isn’t quite as durable as oil-based paint.
It is advised to use oil-based paint on surfaces that take frequent beatings and abuse, like exteriors, floors, doors, trim, and furniture and water-based paint or things that would not see a whole lot of wear and tear, like walls and ceilings.
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What is primer?
Often overlooked by novice painters, primer is an important component of the painting process. Although it has the same consistency as paint and is applied the same way, primer isn’t actually “paint.” primer acts as an adhesive of sorts for the paint to stick to, which adds durability and longevity to paint. Therefore, you can apply a coat of primer before applying the actual paint and not as a final coat over anything.
Although in other circumstances, a primer coat may not be necessary, primer is pretty much required on new, clean surfaces that aren’t already painted. That being said, primer can be really helpful if you’re painting a light colour over a dark colour. It may need several coats of paint to completely mask the darker shade, but since primer is much cheaper than the paint itself, it is easier to use higher volumes of it.
What is paint sheen?
Paint sheen refers to different levels of shininess, a.k.a. gloss of the paint. These can range from paints without almost any shine, also known as flat, matte and eggshell and satin, to semi-gloss and gloss paints. Another aspect of paint sheen is that the glossier the paint, the more durable it is, and it can take a good scrubbing without rubbing off. However, it is also important to note that the glossier the paint, it can reflect light quite a bit and provide a shiny surface, which can make small imperfections stand out.
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see also about: House painting design
About enamel paint
Generally, enamel paint refers to any paint that has incredible durability and dries to a tough, hard finish that can withstand a lot of abuse. Enamel paint has been oil-based in the past, but water-based variants have made their way into the market these days. Although enamel paint is generally made as exterior and high-temp paint, it can be used in the interior for surfaces like kitchen cabinets or furniture.
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FAQs
What colours are the trendiest for homes today?
Colours like sage green, lavender and deep greys are the most popular colours for interior walls of homes.
Should you paint your walls?
If equipped with the right tools, patience and some handiness skill, you can paint your walls. However, if you want a completely seamless finish, it is best to leave the job to the professionals.
