Paint Types For Different Projects

By Author: James Field
Total Articles: 87
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You have a major DIY project coming up and are in the market for the paint to take care of business. You've perused the hardware store, just to leave scratching your head. What the hell is the difference between oil-based and water-based paint? What does "sheen" mean? We'll explore some common home paint projects, as well as the right paints to utilize as suggested by home painters in NYC.

Project Types

Before diving into the variety of paints available for home projects, think about the projects themselves. What are you working on, and what different projects might be on the horizon? Painting inside and outside are different animals, so we should break it up into exterior and interior paint projects:

Exterior

Brick

The vibe of natural brick isn't for everybody, so a coat of paint may be necessary. You ought to be positive that painted brick is what you want because its porous nature makes it nearly impossible to remove later. Thoroughly clean the surface with a wire brush and soapy water to remove debris and wait 48 hours before tackling the project.

Concrete Block

Do ...
... you have a concrete wall along your driveway or surrounding the perimeter of your home? Provide some extra fly with color. Painting the concrete breaks up the otherwise ho-murmur gray look of these basic blocks. If the blocks are brand new, you should wait about 90 days before treating them with paint. Otherwise, prep the surface with a 1-to-1 bleach/water solution to remove efflorescence and follow it up with a trisodium phosphate (TSP) cleaner. Apply paint after 48 hours.

Vinyl Shutters

Old or new, your home's shutters can be jazzed up with a coat of paint. New vinyl shutters have a coat of mold-release agents on their surface, so you'll have to wipe that off with paint thinner before you do anything else. Clean each panel with a mild cleanser to prepare for painting before attaching them to the house.

Interior

Tile

While you'll want to avoid painting tile flooring because it gets too much traffic, that doesn't preclude decorative tile accents or tiled walls. Capitalize on your paintwork and maximize adhesion by sanding with 150-grit sandpaper. Follow that up with a TSP cleaner before applying your first coat.

Drywall

Regardless of whether you never tackle another home painting project, your walls will require a new coat sooner or later. You're going to see it a great deal, so clean up your drywall with a vinegar solution to remove dust and hair before cracking open a can of paint. Walls with a bit of wear might have cracks or openings to repair too, and a spackling compound will take care of business.

Laminate Counters

Painted countertops? It isn't common anymore yet may work as a temporary surface in a pinch while you save for higher-end granite. The project prep is similar to drywall, too. Sand the surface with 150-grit sandpaper and clean it up with a TSP item before applying primer and paint.

Paint Types

Oil-Based

Home painters in Brooklyn say natural and synthetic materials form the primary makeup of oil-based paints. In a natural formulation, linseed oil is the primary ingredient, aside from chemical pigments and preservatives. The more common (and more affordable) option is synthetic oil-based paint. Made of alkyd, it will, in general, be rougher than its natural counterpart. Ideal use: trim work because trim experiences more wear and tear than surfaces like walls or brick.

Water-Based

Indoor paint projects don't require extraordinary flexibility, as conditions remain pretty constant, and the margin for error is lower. That's the place where latex or water-based paints come in. They're not as tough or as flexible as oil, but rather these paints dry fast with the goal that your home will be back to normal in no time.

In either case, to guarantee a quality final result and longevity, utilize primer for your paint projects. Oil-based primers will secure and guarantee oil paint's smooth application, while latex primer will do likewise for water-based painted areas.