Nerd notes: "Watching paint dry" is more exciting than you think
I recently completed an indoor painting project, and got thinking more about paint. I started looking into some of the recent developments and future trends, and like any good nerd, I found it quite interesting. Here are a few of the things I learned.
Just selecting a paint can seem daunting. Color choice is often tricky, although the experts at the paint places seem really good at matching. Beyond color, I was a bit overwhelmed with how many choices are available for the "sheen". It used to be just "glossy" or "flat", now you've got "matte", "eggshell", "satin", and "semi-gloss". The choice depends on the way you want it to look -- shinier is generally more formal -- and the typical use. If it is going to get dirty and require frequent cleaning, you're going to want tougher paint. You may think that "shinier" and "tougher" come together, but that is not necessarily the rule; you can get tough paints good for cleaning that are not so shiny and reflective. This Kelly-Moore site has a helpful explanation of paint sheen.
Ever wonder what the ingredients are in paint? Generally all paints have the following:
· Pigments provide the color and determine how well the paint hides what is it covering.
· Binders hold the paint together, and determine the toughness, washability, fade resistance, and gloss retention. Latex binders are typically used in water-based paints.
· Solvents are what make paints a liquid so that you can get it from the paint can onto the surface. The solvent is water in water-based paints.
· Additives provide special properties, including but not limited to, thickening for easier application and splatter-resistance, biocides to prevent mildew, bacteria, and other disease-causing microbes. The pandemic has increased interest in additives that can actually kill viruses that come into contact with the paint.
This Dunn-Edwards site has some more details about ingredients.
Unfortunately, having quality paint doesn't necessarily result in a quality job. The preparation and the application are very important factors in how a painted project will look and how long it will last. Here are some of the basics of proper preparation:
· Clear objects and hardware from the space to make sure they are out of the way and don't get paint on them. This includes hanging objects, furniture, and cover plates for light switches and electrical sockets. Doors and door hinges are more of a pain to remove, but painted door hinges aren't pretty.
· Repair and clean the walls. Repair holes or cracks, using spackle for drywall, and putty for wood. It's kind of embarrassing to have new paint over unrepaired cracks or holes, and can result in many years of being accused of laziness or carelessness. And fixing it afterwards is more time-consuming and never quite looks right.
· Sandpaper or de-gloss all surfaces. Note: wear a mask to avoid breathing in dust. Also note: if your home or paint was done before 1978, you should check for lead in the paint. It's so hard to believe that we ever put lead in paint -- or in gasoline -- but we did. If you have lead, you'll need a contractor and special remediation.
· Tape and protect all surfaces you don't want to get paint on. Use the blue painter's tape, and plan extra time for this important work. It makes the actual painting much easier.
This Wikihow site has a good summary of paint preparation.
Paint technology is also evolving, and there is a lot of effort to make paints more eco-friendly, tougher, safer, and more interesting. There are now paints that can change colors! Thermachromic paint use fancy crystal pigments that reversibly change colors when they are at different temperatures. Maybe in the future your house will be darker in the winter to absorb more heat and lighter in the summer to reflect more heat. ChromaFlair is a pigment, used primarily on automobiles for now, that changes color based on the light source and viewing angle. Just imagine the confusion that could cause on the traffic-related police reports…. "The blue Tesla Model 12 entered the intersection, struck the red Ford Lightning, and exited the intersection as a red Tesla Model 11."
So, when your next painting project gets tedious or boring, try to become a "paint nerd" and get updated on all the latest techniques and developments. You may even come across some of the great paint jokes out there. Like the one about the ship load of red paint that crashed into a ship load of blue paint. The crews were marooned.
