If you are going to spend valuable time and effort painting in your property or business premises you want to make sure that the end result is of the high quality you need. A big part of ensuring a great result is choosing high quality paint. You may not think it, but paint is made up of many different ingredients; all of which help to determine the overall result of a paint job.
Expert professional painters, such as Kaloutas Painting, know the value of using high quality paint, and how to ascertain whether certain paint will help to achieve the desired result. It can sometimes be difficult for amateur painters to know which paint to choose, but it may help to know a little about what ingredients go into making paint.
Pigments
The pigments in paint are what give it the ability to hide the surface you are painting; to cover the surface and its imperfections. These are different to the colorants or tints which are added to produce the various colors in paint. High quality paint contains better pigments. The most expensive pigment is titanium dioxide, which is a white powder that hides surfaces exceptionally well. This exists in high quantities in high quality paint. Less expensive and lower quality paints tend to contain more of the lower quality pigments such as clay or silica. What this means from a painting perspective is that you will generally have to apply more lower quality paint, as the pigments it contains do not hide the surface you are covering as well as those in high quality paints.
Resins or binders
The resins or binders in the paint that you buy are what keep the pigments and colorants in place after they have dried. Resins have a plastic like quality and they cover the pigments with a film which keeps them stable. High quality paints contain latex resins which are made from acrylic. These resins contain particles which can penetrate wood and hold firm. This helps to prevent paint problems such as blistering and peeling. In short, this means that high quality paint is more resistant to wear and tear.
Solvents
When you are painting, the solvents are what transport the pigments and resins onto the surface you are covering. They are liquids which evaporate as the paints dries. If the paint is latex based then the solvent is mostly water. If the paint is oil based then the solvent is mostly mineral spirits. High quality paints have a higher ratio of solid materials (pigments and resins) to solvents than lower quality paints. This means that high quality paints have a thicker paint surface and are more durable.
Additives
As you may suspect, additives are chemicals which are added to paint to improve various areas of performance. Generally, the higher the quality of paint the more efficient the additives it contains. For instances, certain thickeners can improve the smoothness of your painting. Some additives can also help prevent the appearance of mildew for several years.
We have given you an idea of what ingredients you can find in paint, and how they affect the quality of the paint. It’s worth noting that it’s not always easy to tell what ingredients are in paint when you buy it, but as a general rule you can expect to pay higher prices for the best quality paint. Although this may seem expensive, remember that you may not need as much high quality paint and it will last longer.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
