DIY Guide to House Paint |
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If you want to mix paint coatings to change colors or salvage leftovers be sure to only mix like coatings together. Don't for instance, mix latex paint with alkyd or oil–based paint or shellac–based products with latex, oil or alkyd. You can mix oil and alkyd paints in a pinch but it's better to avoid it if the finish is important. It's OK to mix different finishes together such as mixing flat with semi–gloss. The flat will dull the semi–gloss finish to make an eggshell finish. Or add flat to high–gloss to get a semi–gloss finish. When mixing several shades of paint together the resulting color will be some shade of gray. To change paint color to get a specific, desired color, use the rules of color mixing on the Faux Painting Glaze page. Alkyd–Based Paint This paint is made using alkyd resin in the place of linseed oil used to make oil paint. It is thinned using mineral spirits and produces a hard paint finish similar to an oil–based paint. Alkyd paint dries faster than oil, and has low odor in comparison. Clear Wood Finish Used to protect, as well as, enhance the beauty of wood finishes such as oak and maple. Danish oil, shellac and polyurethane are all different types of clear wood finishes. Emulsions Water–based products of which latex paint is the most common. See Latex Paint below. Enamel Enamels are special pigmented paints designed to create a smooth, hard shell that will withstand wear and hold it finish. Use enamel for trim molding and on walls where heavy traffic is expected. Enamels are available for interior and exterior use, in both alkyd and latex bases. Exterior Alkyd Paint Used for exterior wood surfaces including siding and trim molding. Flat, eggshell, semi–gloss and high–gloss are usually available. Clean–up with mineral spirits. Exterior Latex Paint This paint is used most often on exterior wood trim and siding as well as aluminum siding. Flat, eggshell, semi–gloss and high–gloss are available. For a subtle finish on siding, that absorbs light, use a flat or eggshell finish. For a flashy finish use semi or high–gloss to reflect light. Exterior Stain Use to seal and decorate exterior surfaces like concrete and wood surfaces including decks and siding. These stains come in semi–transparent and opaque finishes. Semi–transparent stain will change the color of a wood finish but will reveal the grain and any imperfections in the surface. An opaque stain has pigment added that will change the wood color as well as hiding the grain and other any marks on the surface. Both alkyd and water based finishes are available. Glaze Glaze is a translucent liquid that mixes with colorant and paint to create a see–through paint finish. It is used for faux finishing such as wood graining and sponge painting. Glaze dries slower than paint, allowing time to manipulate the finish to create different effects. It is available in alkyd–base and latex. Interior Eggshell Latex Paint The name eggshell refers to the finish of this paint which is slightly shiny. It is well suited for walls and ceilings, however because it is a shiny paint it doesn't touch–up well. Also like semi–gloss and other shiny paints, it requires a flat primer be applied on any bare surfaces before painting. If not primed, these areas will show thru the eggshell finish when it dries. Interior Flat Latex Paint This paint is used for finish coating interior plaster or drywall. Flat has several advantages over semi–gloss and eggshell finishes for walls and ceilings. Touch–up is highly successful using flat paint. Even after several years this paint does not show repairs. Not so with a shiny paint such as eggshell or semi–gloss. Another advantage to a flat finish is its ability to diminish the appearance of flaws in the surface of a wall. Shiny paints tend to accentuate such flaws because they reflect so much light. Interior High–Gloss Latex Paint High–gloss latex paint is rarely used by most people. Because of the very shiny finish this paint shows any flaws in walls and molding. In addition, it doesn’t cover very well and may require multiple coats. Care must be taken when rolling or brushing high–gloss paint to use continuous strokes, any stopping and starting in the middle of a wall will show when the paint is dry. Interior Semi–Gloss Latex Paint This paint is used primarily on trim molding, however, many people also choose it for walls and ceilings in kitchens and bathrooms. On trim molding, semi–gloss is a necessity to repel dirt and oil. When using it on walls and ceilings, prime any repairs or bare spots before applying the finish coat. Latex Paint Water–based paint. Latex paint has replaced oil–based in almost all areas today. This is partly to do with the toxic nature of oil–based paint but it is also because latex performs quit well and is very durable in most ever application. It’s easier to work with and it cleans up with water. Use interior latex paint on drywall and plaster walls and trim molding. Use exterior latex on siding and exterior trim. Oil–Based Paint This paint is made using linseed oil as the vehicle or base. It has been mostly replaced by alkyd paint because alkyd has less odor and will not yellow as linseed oil–based paint will. Primers Primers and sealers are basically the same thing. Sealers are used to seal porous materials while primer is used as a foundation for a finish paint. Wood, plaster, drywall, masonry, etc., any surface that has never been painted, requires a primer. In some cases a flat latex paint will serve as a suitable primer. This is true of bare drywall and plaster patches. Sealers Sealers are either clear or have pigment added. They are used to seal porous surfaces like wood, concrete and grout. Pigmented sealers, called stain killers are also primers used to block stains before painting. For a natural finish on brick use a clear sealer as the finish coat. Shellac A natural resin from the lac beetle is dissolved in alcohol to make white and orange shellac. White shellac is clear. Orange shellac has an orange tint. Pigment is added to shellac to make primer–sealer, also called stain killer. Water–Based Sealer Water–based sealers are generally a poor choice for most sealing requirements. However, they are better for sealing the tannin in redwood. These stains bleed thru alkyd and shellac–based primer–sealers. | |
