Decorate and protect surfaces by applying natural wood or painted finishes. Pick the best application method, use the correct tools, and prepare the surface before applying paint. There are four types of paint from which to choose. They are flat, gloss, semi-gloss, and eggshell.
The kind of surface dictates whether a first coat or primer is necessary. The basic paints meet most of your painting needs. Some formulas perform better under certain conditions. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for applying paint.
Base Coats
Choosing the right base coat is essential for the decorating finish to look its best and last longer. A good option for interior painting is a primer/first coat combination. Primer protects material beneath it and acts as a base for additional coats. A sprayer is useful for applying most paints. Traditionalists use oil-based primers before applying oil-based paints. Water-based primers are also available.
A mist coat comprised of latex paint, diluted with water, is usually applied to masonry and plaster. Powdery or flaky surfaces require a stabilising solution or primer. Melamine and tile surfaces require special primers before typical paint use.
One or two first coat applications are necessary before applying a decorative finish coat. Pale first coats belong under pale finishes and dark first coats under dark finishes. Oil-based paints are suitable for exterior or interior use. Using a first coat for exterior paints exposed to weather will cause the finish to last longer. The number of coats of water-based paints depends on the number required to provide even coverage.
Decorative Finishes
After washing and rinsing a surface or applying base coats, apply decorative finishes. Typically, painters paint walls and ceilings with a versatile flat latex-based paint. Flat finishes are available in silk, water-based eggshell, matt and dead-flat matt. Vinyl in some paint formulas makes them more durable. Siding materials benefit with a flat finish. It provides moisture protection. Rough and smooth textures are available. Even coverage is the determining factor of the number of coats required. A 10 percent water dilution is necessary when applying with a sprayer.
Eggshell is a more durable finish. It has a sheen that varies between manufacturers. Interior wood surfaces are the most frequent use of eggshell. It is a semi-gloss alternative. Surfaces, requiring a hard wearing finish, are other areas to use eggshell, and it cleans easier than semi-gloss. Two coats give an even colour when applied over a proper primer or base-coated surface.
Gloss is a hard wearing finishing paint used on metal and wood surfaces. Interior woodwork has a shine that is slightly less than gloss by using an increasingly popular satin finish. Satin and gloss are both available in latex-based and solvent-based versions. Latex-based applications are easy but tend to yellow with age. Solvent-based paints provide a higher shine than latex-based paints. The finish is more hard wearing than that of latex paint. Nearly all satins and gloss are suitable for exterior and interior projects. There are some glosses especially formulated for exterior surfaces. A single coat of gloss over a coat or two of primer is the usual application.
