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Paints: What
Are Your Options
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.
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