Painting is somewhat that anyone with time can learn to do, and anyone with time and patience can do well. If you’re a veteran painter, you may want to look at this section. Spend some time with this section to learn more about the tools and materials you’ll need – from classic brushes – and paints to the latest innovations – as well as easy ways to prepare for painting, apply the paint, and clean up after almost any interior painting project.
Once you master these basics, you can tackle anything from painting a wall to creating decorative faux finishes that can turn you home into a showcase. Always wear latex gloves for projects with alkyd paints and finishes to protect your hands from harmful chemicals as well as hard-to-remove color.
All about Paint
All types of paint protect and decorate the surfaces to which they are applied. However, not every paint is of equal quality, or appropriate for every situation. Whether you’re rolling paint on a wall of using a decorative techniques, a basic understanding of the various types of paint and their formulations will help you select the best product for your project.
Varieties of Paint
Paint is made up of four basic ingredients: pigments, which provide color; a binder, which holds pigment particles together and adheres them to the surface being painted; additives, which can enhance certain properties such as brushing ease, mildew resistance, drying time, and sheen; and a liquid, which acts as a carrier for the other three.
The pigments, binder, and additives are what are left on the surface after the liquid evaporates. In general, paints that contain more of these ingredients in higher qualities will dry to a thicker film, providing better coverage and protection.
The two most common binders are latex and alkyd, both of which are synthetic materials. There are three types of latex binder – acrylic, modified acrylic, and vinyl. All three types are formulated with water as the main liquid ingredient; as a result, latex paint is also known as “water-base.” Alkyd binder is mixed with a volatile – that is, evaporating – solvent to form alkyd paint. The solvent used to dissolve the alkyd is mineral spirits. Because earlier paints used natural oils instead of alkyd as the binder, this type of paint is often called “oil-base.”
Alkyd paint can be applied over latex paint. However, don’t paint over an old alkyd coat with vinyl latex; apply a coat of an alkyd primer or acrylic latex primer before painting.
Once you master these basics, you can tackle anything from painting a wall to creating decorative faux finishes that can turn you home into a showcase. Always wear latex gloves for projects with alkyd paints and finishes to protect your hands from harmful chemicals as well as hard-to-remove color.
All about Paint
All types of paint protect and decorate the surfaces to which they are applied. However, not every paint is of equal quality, or appropriate for every situation. Whether you’re rolling paint on a wall of using a decorative techniques, a basic understanding of the various types of paint and their formulations will help you select the best product for your project.
Varieties of Paint
Paint is made up of four basic ingredients: pigments, which provide color; a binder, which holds pigment particles together and adheres them to the surface being painted; additives, which can enhance certain properties such as brushing ease, mildew resistance, drying time, and sheen; and a liquid, which acts as a carrier for the other three.
The pigments, binder, and additives are what are left on the surface after the liquid evaporates. In general, paints that contain more of these ingredients in higher qualities will dry to a thicker film, providing better coverage and protection.
The two most common binders are latex and alkyd, both of which are synthetic materials. There are three types of latex binder – acrylic, modified acrylic, and vinyl. All three types are formulated with water as the main liquid ingredient; as a result, latex paint is also known as “water-base.” Alkyd binder is mixed with a volatile – that is, evaporating – solvent to form alkyd paint. The solvent used to dissolve the alkyd is mineral spirits. Because earlier paints used natural oils instead of alkyd as the binder, this type of paint is often called “oil-base.”
Alkyd paint can be applied over latex paint. However, don’t paint over an old alkyd coat with vinyl latex; apply a coat of an alkyd primer or acrylic latex primer before painting.