For many of us, the new year is a time for cleaning up, redecorating or applying a new coat of paint. While its easy to get carried away by all the great looking colors that are on offer, it’s important to look beyond the colors into the type of paint you’re buying as well.
In fact many people end up buying the wrong type of paint for the job they have in mind. Therefore it’s always a good idea to take the time to read up on some special types of paint that are available.
Primer
Let’s kick things off with something that’s technically not even paint. Primer is something very similar to paint, but it’s applied to the wall before applying the final coat of paint to give the paint an adhesive surface to stick to, which helps the paint to last longer. Primer also covers any flaws in the surface of the wall.
Primer is essential when painting a wall for the first time, but is often not necessary during repainting. For instance, if you’re repainting a wall using a similar shade to it’s previous color, then you don’t need to use primer.
However, if you’re about to paint a light shade over a dark colored wall (maybe you finally realized that bright red wasn’t the best color for the living room?), then you should definitely use primer, otherwise you’d end up using far too much paint to cover up the previous paint job.
This is a mistake that some inexperienced painters make, and one of the reasons why you should always make sure that you hire competent painters, as an inexperienced one could actually end up costing you more money in paint costs. As an added bonus, primer is generally cheaper than actual paint.
Different Sheens
You’d often spend a lot of time fussing over the color of your paint, but do you worry about the sheen? The sheen determines how shiny or glossy your paint is, and this can be just as important as the color.
The most un-glossy, low sheen paints are “flat” or “matte” paints. These are generally not as durable as glossy paints, but are better at covering up imperfections in the surface than glossy paints. These are perfect for surfaces such as ceilings.
If you want something that’s a bit more durable, but still want a muted, matte look rather than a glossy finish, then you should go for something such as “eggshell” or “satin”. Bear in mind that these are a bit more glossy than flat or matte paints.
If you are looking for something very durable for something like a bathroom or kitchen, then a “Semi-gloss” or “gloss” finish would be ideal. These can easily be scrubbed clean. However these would result in shiny reflective surfaces which aren’t as aesthetically pleasing as matte finishes.
Keep in mind that there are exceptions to these however, for example Dulux has something called pro-cover paint which offers a low-sheen finish while providing some protection.
Enamel paint
Apart from all the above types of paint, if you’re looking for something super-durable, then you would have to go for an enamel paint. While enamel paints are generally oil-based, recently water-based enamel paints have also come into the market.
Waterproof paints
Many companies nowadays offer waterproof interior paints (such as Nippon Easywash). These paints are ideal for painting kids bedrooms (or indeed all of the walls in your house if you have young children), as we all know how soon the walls get dirty when young kids are around.
Anti-bacterial paint
Yes you read that right, antibacterial paint is indeed a thing, and it’s available right here in Sri Lanka.
These paints (for instance Nippon Medifresh paint) consists of a special anti-bacterial formula offering protection from harmful bacteria such as MRSA, E-Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus that cause diseases such as asthma, flu and diarrhea. Whilst we cannot guarantee these claims, it is always nice add an extra bit of protection to your household.
Exterior paints
For painting exteriors you need to use specialized paints such as Dulux Weathershield or Nippon Weatherbond to ensure that your new paint job can handle the elements and last for many years.
If you are ready to get your home ready to dazzle, We would love to schedule an appointment to paint both your home’s interior and exterior. Whether you are looking for a whole new look or just an update on your current one, we have painters in Sri Lanka to help you out!
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