PAINTS AND PRIMERS
Most paint professionals and experts would agree that anyone considering a painting project should use only top quality coatings. Top quality primers and paints provide better paint durability and coverage, are easy to apply, are excellent at resisting mildew, offer better color retention and a longer lasting sheen. Better quality paints provide better value in the form of lowered home maintenance costs.
Lower grade primers and paints simply aren't manufactured with the adhesion qualities required for longer term surface/paint life even though surfaces may have been ideally prepared. Early repainting becomes necessary when using inferior "bargain" or thinned primers and paints.
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SIDEBAR To make sure the paint's color is consistent throughout, mix multiple cans together into a larger container and stir before you use it. This will ensure color consistency throughout the area being painted. |
The two basic components of coatings are pigment and vehicle. The pigments provide color and hiding power. Also found within the pigment group are titanium, calcium carbonate, and silicate. Titanium is used to form a film that bonds with paint binders (resin), and together they are responsible for adhesion, providing resistance against blistering, chalking and stains, and offer superior color retention. Calcium carbonate smoothes the titanium out. Without the calcium carbonate, titanium would ball up. Silicates provide hardness. These three ingredients are essential to the pigments, especially titanium. The more titanium, the better the paint.
Vehicle is the binder and thinner of the paint. The binder forms a film that
holds the paint together. The most common binders found in residential coatings
are acrylic latex, vinyl acrylic latex (water base), and alkyd (oil base) resin.
It is not recommended to use one brand of primer or paint, over another brand
of primer or paint. Manufactures may formulate their products differently causing
adhesion problems. Repriming may be required when a specialty primer is needed.
Always follow the manufactures suggestions on the products your considering.
Priming a cleaned and properly prepared surface is important in providing longevity for any paint project.
Primers and sealers are made with high level binders and are designed with a variety of functions in mind. All primers and sealers provide maximum adhesion for finish paints and make the appearance of the finish coat look even and uniform while preventing staining and bleeding. They also seal surfaces to keep paint from being soaked up by the surface and offer durability and mildew resistance. Some specialty primers and sealers include those designed as stain blockers, paint bonding, rust inhibitors, vapor barriers; useful in rooms where moisture is present. They can also enhance adhesion capabilities for other finish products such as glass, tile, Formica, or vinyl panels.
It is highly recommended that primers be used on all new and repainted interior and exterior surfaces. Interior repainted surfaces can be adequately finished with the standard primer and finish paint combination. We recommmend using a latex primer sealer as opposed to a simple primer. This will ensure any compounds used to patch surfaces are sealed and do not appear as faded or coarse. Only top quality primers and paints are recommended for use on any paint project, because they provide better durability, coverage and are easier to apply.
Latex primers and sealers may perform as well as oil primers and sealers except on severely stained and heavily chalked surfaces. Breathable alkyd primers and sealers offer far better adhesion than acrylic latex primers and sealers and are highly recommended for any paint project, including new or previously painted or weathered wood, or new or previously painted ferrous metals. Rust inhibited primers and sealers are highly recommended for metals.
Breathable alkyd primers and sealers will also penetrate wood surfaces better than latex paints and are crucial for protecting wood from water, because the alkyd binders form a tighter film of paint. They should be top coated with one to two coats of acrylic latex finish paint to minimize the risk of water penetration and surface bleeding.
This coating system also gives the longest term protection against chalking
by protecting against the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Contractors often tint
primers and sealers the color of the finish paint. This allows the finish paint
to cover more easily.
Acrylic latex finish paints dry quickly, provide great adhesion on new and
repainted surfaces, exhibit better color and gloss retention, and offer better
resistance from blistering, chalking, fading and mildew. Additionally, acrylic
latex finish paints offer long term flexibility while providing better resistance
to chipping, cracking and peeling. Acrylic latex paints resist alkaline deterioration
found in masonry, can be applied directly to galvanized metals without a primer
(although a primer is highly recommended ) and will provide overall lower maintenance
costs.
Vinyl Acrylic Latex Finish Paints
Vinyl acrylic finish paints are usually found in interior grade latex paints.
Never use vinyl acrylic finish paints as a substitute for exterior paints or
on masonry. The alkaline content in masonry will degrade vinyl acrylic latex
finish paints and cause peeling.
Alkyd Finish Paints (Oil based)
Alkyd paints offer good adhesion and can be applied at lower temperatures than acrylic latex paints. They provide excellent adhesion which is crucial for durability, especially on heavily chalked surfaces and interior and exterior surfaces with multiple coats of paint. Alkyd finish paints are extremely durable on interior trim.
Some disadvantages to alkyd finish paints when used on exterior surfaces are that they can get brittle and crack over time, they have a tendency to turn yellow and they do not hold color retention or resist mildew as well as latex paints.
However, when protected from the elements of mother nature such as on interior
trim work, alkyd paints are extremely durable. Word if caution: alkyd paints
should never be used on new masonry or metals.
When selecting a sheen for interior and exterior paints, you should consider how much use or weathering a particular area is going to get and the 'look' you are trying to achieve. Flat sheens are considered the least washable and on exterior surfaces are not as mildew resistant as glossy paints but are easiest to touchup. Flat paints are also great for hiding imperfections on surfaces.
Glossy sheens are considered more washable than flats, but show touchup marks. Any level of gloss will show touchup marks and imperfections in the surface. The use of a top quality acrylic latex primer will help in reducing the sign of imperfections.
Two coats of a non-yellowing polyurethane is highly recommended for interior surfaces, after painting is completed, for homeowners who want outstanding washability and durability. The durability of a non-yellowing polyurethane eliminates touch up issues and keeps the final coat of paint durable and looking new for a long time.