This
is the seventh in a series of tips on home maintenance:
When it comes to improving your home, one of the quickest, easiest and least expensive ways to make a significant impact is to paint. Nothing revives weatherworn siding, perks up tired walls or adds a touch of style and distinction better than a new coat of paint. Painting can be like instant renovation. Not to suggest that painting is cheap. The fact is, whether you do it yourself or hire a pro, painting involves a serious commitment of time, money and effort. You want to get it right the first time, so you won't be back on ladders in a couple of years. One of the most important decisions you'll face is choosing the right paint. This is critical to whether or not your new paint job will look good and last. But choosing paint can be tricky--paints have gone through such dramatic changes in the past few years that it's hard to know what to buy. Here we'll take a closer look so you can make clear, informed decisions. Paint Basics Paint is primarily a mixture of pigment, resin and a carrier. Titanium dioxide is the main, white pigment; relatively small amounts of other pigments are added by the dealer to tint the color. Resin makes paint adhere to a surface. Carrier is the evaporative liquid added to thin the mixture so you can brush or roll it on--water for latex paints or a solvent such as linseed or soybean oil for oil/alkyd paints. Paint also contains clay or other inert ingredients to adjust the paint's sheen. And it may contain small amounts of secondary solvents that help gloss, drying characteristics and the like. The amount and quality of each ingredient determine a paint's performance and price. For example, paint with plenty of titanium dioxide has strong hiding characteristics and, because this is the most expensive ingredient, costs more. Oil/alkyd paints that utilize odorless mineral spirits as a carrier are more expensive than those with regular solvents. With this in mind, price is a good indicator of quality. Latex Or Oil/Alkyd? When choosing paint, the most perplexing question for homeowners is often, "Should we use latex or oil/alkyd?" This confusion is rooted in history. For years, solvent-based paints were favored for woodwork, trim, some interior and most exterior surfaces because they flow uniformly, have excellent leveling characteristics, adhere well to surfaces--particularly chalky or poorly-prepared surfaces--and they provide a tough, hard-shell finish. And exterior alkyds can be used in sub-freezing situations. But now, change is in the wind--literally. Air-quality laws are clamping down on the use of solvents in oil/alkyd paints. The problem is this: A gallon of solvent-based paint contains about two quarts of mineral spirits. These solvents evaporate into the air as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), causing pollution. Although water-based paints contain various levels of the regulated solvents (in an "alkyd-modified" latex, there may be as much as one pint of solvent per gallon), solvent levels in all water-based paints fall short of the legal limits. With new, tightening standards, there may come a day when all paints are required to be zero-VOC. The bottom line is this: the technology has shifted so dramatically that your best choice in most situations will be latex paint. Eventually, latex may become your only choice. Tip No. 1: Preparing Walls For Wallpaper and Paint Tip No. 2: Installing Hardwood Floors Tip No. 3: Bathroom Floors Tip No. 4: Roofing Inspections Tip No. 5: Sick Home Syndrome Tip No. 6: Selecting Garden Plants Tip No. 8: Cutting Drywall Tip No. 9: Maintaining Your Lawn Mower Tip No. 10: Planting Flowers |
