If you paint the walls with the best types of paints or varnish, you can give your home a whole new look both inside and out in a relatively short time. There are different types of colors for indoor and outdoor use.
The type of surface to be painted is also an important consideration – this can be wood, metal, plaster, concrete, masonry, or plastic. Each material has its own characteristics, so choosing the right color is crucial.
The choice ranges from glazes and high-solid lacquers to high-gloss or silk matt paint. Many of these different colors have a high durability, but of course, the normal signs of wear and tear or damage cannot be avoided.
The best paint and varnish refers to the coating materials that dry by evaporation of water or a solvent. They consist of various substances such as solvents, pigments, additives, and binders.
There are water-based paints and varnishes (acrylic) or solvent-based paints and varnishes (alkyd).
Important –how to paint for beginners
Use good quality brushes and rollers. This will give you a much better result.
What Kind of Paint to Use – Best Paints and Varnishes
Primer as Base
To ensure that the paint adheres better to the substrate and covers more intensively, a primer should always be used. It has special properties that differ from the topcoat and is essential for a good result.
The primer ensures above all that the substrate does not absorb the paint as strongly and therefore the paint adheres better. The primer also prevents dirt from penetrating from the substrate into the topcoat.
On metal surfaces, you must use special undercoat paint or an anti-rust primer.
Primers for Walls
If you apply only the top coat to an untreated masonry or concrete wall, it will be strongly absorbed by the wall because the wall is porous. You will not get a good end result because the paint does not cover sufficiently and the overlapping strips of the paint roller can be seen.
Therefore, a primer should be applied first. You can use primers for plaster, plaster concrete boards or masonry. The primer also prevents nicotine, kitchen fumes, dirt, dried water stains or felt-tip pen stains from penetrating the paint to the outside.
If you use a primer, you will not experience any unpleasant surprises in this respect.
Alkyd Paint
Alkyd paint is a synthetic resin paint that is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. It consists of 40 to 50 % turpentine and can be diluted with turpentine accordingly. It does not adhere to acrylic paint and is available in silk matt or high gloss finish. Alkyd paint can be painted over after 16 hours.
Professional painters often use alkyd paint to achieve a better result. For the penultimate coat of paint, a mixture of primer and top coat in a ratio of 1:1 is usually used. With silk matt paints the surfaces shine less. Clean your tool with turpentine after use.
Fading Paints
The alkyd resin in this type of paint bleaches out over time. The binding agents discolour due to UV radiation or lack of light. This becomes visible through darker and lighter sides, e.g. on furniture and the inside of cupboards or door frames.
High-solid coatings have a particularly high solid content, so they form a thick coating layer and have good covering power.
Acrylic Paints
Acrylic paint is mainly used indoors and is less suitable for outdoors. It lasts about four years. This type of paint contains only 5 to 10% turpentine and can be diluted with water. It adheres fairly well to alkyd paint and is applied with special brushes or paint rollers.
The paint is completely dry after 6 to 8 hours and can then be painted over in thin layers. Acrylic paint is available in satin and gloss, but not in high gloss like alkyd paint.
It has the advantage that it can be diluted with water. Furthermore, it does not spread a solvent odour, dries quickly and does not fade. However, you must be able to work quickly and accurately.
Once you have applied a layer of acrylic paint, it cannot be corrected (so it cannot be “smoothed” when you are finished). Acrylic paint can only be used at temperatures between 8°C and 25°C. Clean your tools with warm water and washing-up liquid after use.
Paint Over
Acrylic paint can be painted on an alkyd lacquer layer if it is well sanded. But it does not work the other way round! So once you have used acrylic paint, you must also use acrylic paint to paint over it.
If you want to use a solvent-based alkyd paint again, you must first remove all acrylic paint layers. In most cases, acrylic paint can be removed with a scraper or a hot blower, but in the worst case, a stripper must be used.
Latex Paints
The term latex paint dates back to the 1940s and stands for a paint that uses natural latex as a binding agent (liquid rubber). Latex is originally a natural product of the Brazilian rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis). Natural rubber is produced from the milky sap of the tree.
Today latex paints no longer contain natural latex. Instead, paint manufacturers use synthetic polymers for acrylic and vinyl paint. Today’s “latex” paints have a completely different chemical composition and different properties than paints with real latex.
So “latex paint” is not the right name for a water-based paint that is actually based on acrylic paint.
Glazes and Varnishes
Glaze: This varnish gives wood surfaces a coloring, whereby the wood grain remains visible and the wood can breathe.
Color varnish: This varnish is opaque so that the wood grain is no longer visible and the surface is protected. Both glazes and color lacquers are available in a wide range of colors. Special colors can also be mixed in a mixing machine.
Glazes are also available in various wood tones such as teak, sandalwood, or meranti.
They not only provide a decorative effect, but also protect the wood. Glazes and varnishes can be applied directly to the wood as the first layer, but should then be thinned by 10%. Slightly sand the varnish layer before applying the next one.
Clear Varnish Paints
Clear varnish is less resistant to UV radiation. It provides enough protection for the surface, but underneath it the wood can rot, which is easy to see. Clear varnish is available in both acrylic and alkyd versions. Parquet and stair varnishes are the most durable of all clear varnishes.
Paint Color Mixing Machine
Color mixing machines have become indispensable in the specialized trade. When mixing, a number of basic colors and pigment pastes are used to obtain the desired color. A computer controls the process. If required, the mixed color can be reordered later.
In this way, practically any desired shade of color can be produced, and the colors can be precisely matched to achieve a harmonious overall picture. You can also refer to the manufacturers’ standard color samples and the international RAL color system.
Paint Solvents or Paint Thinner
Solvents are used to dissolve and dilute paints and varnishes. They are still frequently used for painting wooden surfaces. They evaporate quickly, but can be harmful to health and the environment.
The most common solvents include turpentine, alcohol, acetone, turpentine substitute and thinners. For acrylic paint, water is usually used as the “solvent”.
Painting over old layers of paint
Before you apply a new coat of paint, you need to know what type of paint was used for the old coat. If you want to use the same type of paint, it is sufficient to sand the surface and level out holes and other unevenness with putty.
If you want to make the original wood surface visible again or use alkyd paint, even though the old layer is acrylic paint, all the old paint must be removed with a burner, hot air blower or paint remover.
Hot Air Gun Paint Remover
A hot air blower is ideal for removing old layers of paint. The heat makes the old paint soft and can then be removed relatively easily with a paint scraper.
Make sure that you do not inhale the hot paint vapors and do not burn the wood surface. If you need to remove several thick layers of paint, a multi-stripper with a cleaning disc is a good solution.
Paint Stripper
If you find working with a hot air blower too difficult, you can also use a paint stripper. It is very suitable for synthetic paints, but works less well with acrylic paints.
With a paint stripper you can remove several layers of paint at once if you leave it on long enough. Wear a breathing mask and protective gloves. Then remove the old paint before it hardens again.
Caution! If splashes of the stripper are on your clothes, do not let them touch your skin. If they do, stop working and rinse your skin with plenty of clean water.
After removing the old coat of paint, clean the surface with water and let it dry before applying a new coat of paint. Ensure that the working environment is well ventilated, and keep children away from your work area.
Paint Fillers
Damaged areas, gaps, cracks and other unevenness can be leveled out with fillers (if necessary also with elastic ones). In the case of cracks, you should open and enlarge them first, as the filler will not adhere if the amount is too small and the crack will reappear.
Carefully sand down after drying. With untreated wood, you can fill notches and cracks with wood putty in the corresponding wood color.
Paint Repair TIP!
Mix wood putty with a little sawdust to achieve the ideal color. The repaired area is almost invisible. This comes in handy if you are painting exposed sections such as a trim or baseboard.
Paint Sealant
Use paintable acrylic sealant to even out blemishes between wall and window frame. Never use a silicone sealant, as the paint will not adhere to it. Wait until the sealant has dried, then carefully sand it smooth. If necessary, apply a primer to ensure complete coverage.
Clean dirty or greasy sealing strips, especially in kitchens and bathrooms, with ammonia. The top edges of doors and window frames and doorways should be cleaned with a damp cloth.
If you want to use sealing compound in the bathroom or other wet areas, it should be equipped with an anti-mould additive. It prevents the formation of the well-known black mould.
Paint Masking Tape
If you want to use masking tape, get high quality painter masking tape – usually it is blue or green. Stick it on in short, overlapping pieces and press it on well so that the edges stick firmly. Remove the masking tape immediately after painting, before the paint has completely dried.
Otherwise, the paint edges could be damaged. When the paint is already dry, carefully pull off the masking tape at an angle of 30° to 45°. If remains of the tape stick, you can carefully cut them off the paint layer with a sharp hobby knife.
Some other examples of Types of Paints:
Special wall paint for damp rooms
This special paint prevents mould on Einstein masonry.
Magnetic paint
The paint contains metal particles, so magnets can be attached to the surface with notes and messages.
Board Color
The surface can be described and painted with chalk.
Noctilucent Paint
This color absorbs light and emits it again in the dark. The luminous effect disappears after a while, but reappears when the surface is exposed to light again.
Paint Spray
Paint in a spray can balances well and has a high covering power and adhesion. It can be used for both treated and untreated surfaces of wood, metal, aluminum, glass, stone, and various plastics. It is best for hard to reach areas.
Conclusion – What Kind of Best Paint to Use
The types of paints you are going to use depends on several factors. These include the material you want to paint over, your paint finish requirements, and the environment of the painted surface.
Overall, choosing the right paint will give you more value for money, even if you will have to pay more for the paint. We hope you found this guide to be informative, and you will enjoy choosing the right paint for the job, and painting!
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