Water Based Paint

When it comes to painting the house, homeowners are faced with many choices. Words like primer, sealer, water based paint, oil based paint, finish paints, can be heard when it comes to painting the house. So, what do all these kinds of paint mean, and what do they do? Here are some answers that will help you understand these types of paints.

All About Water Based Paints

Primer and sealer are basically, used to put a coat on the wall prior to applying an oil based or water based paint. Primer and sealer for interior painting are used as the first coat, because they help to fill up the cracks, holes, or any deformities in the wall. Also, they help to create a surface onto which the next coat of paint can adhere well to. Next, comes painting the house with the color of your choice. This is where homeowners face the real problem, as deciding between water based paint and oil based paint is a bit difficult. These paints contain pigment which is the color, a solvent, and a resin and additives.

Once the primer and sealer is applied for house painting preparation, the next step is to apply color paint to the walls. For different surfaces, different kind of paint is used. Now, the popularity and use of this paint is increasing rapidly. The advantages of this paint are many, which we will discuss later. Once the oil based paint or water based paint is used to cover the surface, the wall will have the desired color the homeowner has selected. However, cheap paints might require more than one coat to get the desired shade of the color. Finally, to increase the life of the paint, a final coat of gloss might be used. There are basically three types of gloss finish available. Each have their own advantages. A flat finish is ideal for a surface which has many flaws, as a flat finish greatly helps to conceal them. Also, it has no shine and is good for bedrooms. Next comes matte finish which is more durable than flat finish. There are also satin and eggshell finish which bounce off soft light, and are more durable than the previous two finishes. For most durable surfaces, semi-gloss finish are a good choice. They are well suited for kitchens and bathrooms.

This was all about the various kinds of paints used for interior and exterior painting. The basic difference between oil based and water based paint is the way they are manufactured. Oil based paints mostly often use a hydrocarbon-based solvent which acts as a vehicle, and an alkyd resin. While water based paints also called latex paints or acrylic latex, don't contain latex but are water based.

Now, let us look why water based paints are so popular. The biggest advantage of this paint on oil based paint is the price. The next bigger advantage is the eco-friendly nature. The reason that these paints are cheaper is because, the cost of painting tool and clean up of these paints is cheaper, as you can clean them with plain water or with soapy water. While tools used for using oil based paint are to be cleaned with mineral spirits. Oil based paints use solvent, which produces very nasty vapors during application, and dries slowly compared to water based paints. Thinking, how to thin this paint? It is simple adding water and an additive will help to reuse the dried up paint. Also, the process of removing this paint is easy, all you need to do is wash it with water.

Some other advantages of water based paint which make it the best interior paint is it dries faster, because water in it simply evaporates fast, and the color retention of acrylic latex paints are better than that of oil based paints which tend to fade and chalk with time.