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Using Quality
Paint
 When it comes
to painting, about 90 percent of a good paint job is in
the preparation. This, however, doesn’t mean that the
other 10% should be ignored. Preparation gets the surface
ready for paint, but if the paint isn’t of good quality
then it will soon fall apart from cracking, peeling and
chipping. The quality of the paint, therefore, is vital to
a good, long lasting paint job. And furthermore, the more
you know about what makes good paint good will improve the
chance that the job will be a good one.
Paint contains three main ingredients: pigment, solvent
and binders. The pigment provides the texture, color and
the hiding properties of the paint. Titanium dioxide and
iron oxides are pigments that are used in better quality
paints. You will also find clay and silica being used, but
these pigments don't hold up as well. The texture of the
paint is a good way to determine if it’s of good quality
or not. Cheaper pigment materials, such as clay and
silica, cannot be ground as finely as the better ones.
There is a very simple way to test whether paint is of
good quality or not. It is sometimes referred to as the
touch test. Once you have selected a paint product and
shook it well, you should then remove the lid and put your
index finger and thumb into the paint. Then rub the paint
between the tips of your fingers. If it feels gritty then
it probably contains a cheap pigment or a lot of cheap
filler such as clay. Quality paint will feel smooth and
silky.
Solvents
Solvents give the paint the proper consistency. They are
used to keep the ingredients in liquid form. They also act
as a "carrier" for the binders and pigments. Oil-based
paints use thinner (petrochemical distillate) as a
solvent. They are the most hazardous because the solvents
are toxic and flammable. Latex and acrylic paints use
water as the primary solvent which make them much less
hazardous.
Binders
Binders are the one ingredient that is absolutely
required. The binder is the part which eventually
solidifies to form the dried paint film. Typical binders
include synthetic or natural resins such as acrylics,
polyurethanes, polyesters, melamines, oils, or latex.
Linseed oil, tung oil or alkyd resins are the primary
binders for oil-base paints and 100% acrylic or vinyl
acrylic are the binders for water-base paint.
In addition, there are other additives that help make
paint of higher quality. The additives can make the paint
flow better, reduce bubbles, control consistency, and
control thickness, transparency, sheen, drying time,
absorption rate. Keep in mind, high quality paints also
contain mildew inhibitors and ingredients that minimize
running and splattering.
Always remember that using paint of a good quality can
make a surface more abrasion-resistant, easier to clean,
more durable, long lasting and capable of washing without
the risk of removing the paint. High quality paint is
definitely a great investment. |
