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Guide to Choosing Paint
Thought you might enjoy some very creative paint jobs floating around. The great thing about paint is that it is one of the least expensive methods (and one of the easiest too) to change the whole look of a room. Almost anyone can paint a room in a decent manner and if you don't like what you selected, it's not that difficult nor expensive to change it.
But before you go and invest in paint, you need to know what kind of paint to buy for the surface you are going to treat. So here is our Guide to Choosing Paint.
| APPLICATIONS |
UNDERCOAT |
OIL-BASED GLOSS |
OIL-BASED EGGSHELL SEMI-GLOSS) |
WATER-BASED EMULSION LATEX)/VINYL |
SOLID EMULSION (LATEX) |
ENAMEL |
TEXTURED PAINT |
|
SURFACES TO USE ON |
Use on primed surfaces. Do not use on plastic, copper, brass or stainless steel. |
Woodwork, metalwork. Can be applied to plastic and copper without using undercoat. |
Walls, ceilings and woodword. Ideal for bathrooms and kitchens. |
Walls and ceilings. Vinyl silk/satin can be used as a base coat for paint effects. |
Walls and ceilings. Do not apply directly onto new/unpainted plasterwork. |
Metalwork, woodwork. Best for small areas. |
Walls and ceilings. Particularly useful for covering uneven surfaces. |
|
EQUIPMENT |
Wide paintbrush, roller or spray gun for large areas, small paintbrush for details. |
Wide paintbrush, roller or spray gun for large areas, small paintbrush for details. |
Paintbrushes, roller and tray, or spray gun |
Paintbrushes, roller and tray, or spray gun |
Roller for large areas and paintbrush for details. Usually sold in its own tray. |
Paintbrushes for small areas, roller or spray gun for larger areas. |
Shaggy (coarse nap) roller and tray. |
|
DILUTING |
White spirit or turpentine can be used to thin the paint |
white spirit or turpentine can be used to thin the paint |
White spirit or turpentine can be used to thin the paint |
Use water to thin the paint if necessary |
Should not be thinned |
White spirit or turpentine can be used to thin the paint |
Should not be thinned |
|
POSSIBLE PROBLEMS |
Can be used as a top coat, but must be covered with matt varnish to avoid marking |
Go back over painted surfaces to brush out drips and runs |
Patchiness can occur if surface is not thoroughly prepared and completely dry |
Oil-based paint and water-based paint are incompatible when wet |
Too absorbent to take most paint effects. Not recommended for kitchens and bathrooms. |
Shows up imperfections of surface, so thorough preparation is necessary. |
Extremely difficult to remove |
|
DRYING TIME |
2-6 hours. A second coat can usually be applied after 6-16 hours. |
4-6 hours. A second coat can usually be applied after 16-24 hours |
4-6 hours. A second coat can usually be applied after 16-24 hours |
2-4 hours. A second coat can usually be applied after 2-4 hours |
1-4 hours. A second coat can usually be applied after 1-4 hours |
2-4 hours. A second coat can usually be applied after 1-4 hours |
1-4 hours |
|
CLEANING |
Use white spirit or turpentine to clean burshes immediately after use. |
Use white spirit or turpentine to clean brushes immediately after use. |
Use white spirit or turpentine to clean brushes and equipment. |
Brushes and other equipment should be cleaned with water and soap. |
Roller and tray should be cleaned with water and soap. |
Use white spirit or turpentine to remove paint from brushes. |
Use white spirit or turpentine to remove paint from roller and tray. |
|
NUMBER OF COATS |
1 or 2 |
2 |
1 or 2 |
1 or 2 |
2 |
1 or 2 |
1 coat, followed by a coat of emulsion (latex) or gloss |
|
SPECIAL PROPERTIES |
It has a high pigment content and covers well. Chalky texture as top coat. |
Undercoat is not always necessary. Durable and easy to clean. |
Smooth finish with dull sheen. Easy to clean and withstands condensation. |
No primer required. Dries quickly to a smooth finish. |
Particularly good for ceilings and stairways because it is non-drip. |
No primer required. Some brands also contain rust inhibitors. Hard, shiny finish. |
Much thicker than regular pain. Can be used to create various surface patterns. |
|
COLORS |
Limited to a few basic colors |
Wide range of colors, some coordinating with water based ranges |
Range of colors |
Wide range of colors |
Limited range of colors |
Range of colors |
Colored paint is applied to textured surface |
|
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