Monday 31 August 2015

How to Choose Paints for Internal Wall Surfaces

Interior walls look best when smooth, even and clean. Acrylic Emulsion paints, also known as Latex Paints are the best choice for interior painting as they give a smooth, even and tough, cleanable finish. Interior paints are available in a variety of finishes ranging from matt to silky to glossy and metallic. With today's technology and polymers the possibilities for paint is endless. Techniques for creating textured, faux and designer finishes are fast gaining popularity. These techniques are possible due to innovation in the use of polymers in paint. It is the new application of thought in the use of polymers as paints which brought about this explosion of variety. With so much variety, a consideration of budget, finish, paint application and purpose of use is essential.

Interior painting as such, lets be honest, is a messy affair. Shifting furniture, covering floors, removing light and electric fixtures, making sure the kids don't mess with the paint, hope the painters are not part time thieves  etc. Not to forget the smell of paint and discomfort of your routine being disrupted. 

Another prohibitive factor now a days is the cost of labour. With daily wages for painters going above Rs.600.00 and in some cases of specialized jobs, it can be in the range of Rs. 1000.00 to 1500.00. As a general rule, the cost of labour in a project is far higher than the cost of material used. The fact is painting cannot be repeated very often.

In such a situation, it becomes imperative to apply paint which gives a long life, is easily cleanable and gives a rich finish.

The quality and finish of the paint depend mainly on the binder polymer and the fillers used. A larger percentage of a high quality binder in the paint mixture will give a much smoother finish and a more impervious film. Lower percentages of binder and low quality fillers will result in a rough finish, lower area coverage/spread, a more porous finish and lower washability. It also makes the paint cheaper by volume but not necessarily cheaper per square foot . The use of fillers also increases the chance of dust pick-up. Hence, cheaper paints not only get dirty sooner but are also not resistant to the abrasion of washing.

Another factor to consider before buying paint of a particular sheen level is the level of the plastered surface and the skill of the workman. Unskilled or partly skilled manual labour find it very hard to level highly uneven surfaces. The lack of use of techniques such as automated sanders is also wide spread. Owing to this, a high sheen paint is not recommended to be applied by unskilled labour on uneven surfaces, as the surface irregularities will stand out under light. A matt finish will dull the light and cover the irregularities.

A number of products in today's Indian market have been tailored to fit every finish and budget requirement. Products such as Asian Paints Tractor Emulsion are at the lower end of the spectrum while other products such as Asian Paints Royale and Dulux Velvet Touch are at the higher end of the spectrum.Value for money products such as Asian Paints Apcolite Premium Emulsion do the bulk of the decoration in the mid price range.

Luxury and super-engineered products such as Asian Paints Royale Aspira are quickly catching up in the Ultra Luxury Segment, giving the buyer much more than expected.

The paint industry has never been this vibrant with new entrants almost every month spoiling the customer for choice! Happy painting !!!

No comments:

Post a Comment