Different types of wall paint
Monday 05 December 2022
Painting a wall involves more than you probably think. For example, wall paint is one of the most recognisable types of paint. That is why it is important to know what kind of wall paint to use and what materials to use. This is because there are a number of properties that go with a good quality wall paint. In this blog article we will explain everything about working with wall paint and what to look out for when buying wall paint. After all, it is important that you make the right choice when buying wall paint so that you also get the best result!
What types of wall paints are there?
Wall paint is ideal for application on, for example: walls, plasterboard and stony substrates. Wall paint is often applied to walls in light colours to create a fresh colour. Thus, there are three categories of wall paint you can get started with:
- Water-based wall paints (latex)
- Turpentine-based wall paints (alkyd)
- Smudge-proof wall paint (whitewash)
Smudge-proof wall paint (whitewash) is a wall paint that is not often used anymore as it is an old type of wall paint. The wall paint used to be widely used as it was quite cheap back then. You can easily recognise a whitewash wall by a layer of paint that comes off; you might see this in old houses that are later repainted with a layer of latex paint. White spirit-based wall paint (alkyd) is a wall paint that can withstand water damage well, and provides good quality over powdery substrates. Since the wall paint is high quality, it is also a relatively expensive wall paint. Water-based wall paint (latex) is a wall paint that is almost most commonly used. The wall paint has some strong features: quick to dry, low odour and the materials are easy to clean. Surely the most important feature remains that this wall paint is available in thousands of colours.
What is good to know when buying wall paint?
If you are going to buy wall paint, it is important to pay attention to a number of things. Of course it is important to know what colour you want, but there are also a number of other things to consider. On what kind of surface will you apply the wall paint? It is also good to know how many m² you will need, or what kind of materials to use for a paint job. With a simple wall paint roller, for example, there is more to it than you think, as a wall paint roller determines part of your end result. If you have chosen a top-quality paint but the wrong roller, the result could be undesirable. A coat roller is again good for applying a smooth and tight result. If you have a wall that is slightly rougher, choose a coat roller with longer bristles. If you are going to work with textured paint, then go for a textured roller. In addition to these factors, it is also important to consider the gloss level you want for your wall paint. You can read more about this in the next paragraph.
Different degrees of gloss for wall paints
There are five different degrees of gloss for wall paints: egg gloss, semi-gloss, high gloss, matt gloss and satin. A gloss level gives your paint a visual effect. It is therefore important to know which gloss level to use before painting. There is also a difference in washability with the degree of gloss on your surface. The quality of the paint is not determined by the gloss level of a paint. You can choose from the following gloss levels:
|
Glansgraad |
Percentage |
|
Matt |
<15% |
|
Egg gloss |
15-30% |
|
Silk Gloss |
30-60% |
|
Semi Gloss |
60-75% |
|
High gloss |
>75% |
A great example of a matt wall paint is the Sikkens Alphacryl Pure Mat SF. The main characteristic of this wall paint is that it is extremely matt, even after the paint has received several cleanings. In addition, the wall paint is rated with scrub class 1 (excellent cleanability) and is ideally suited to processing for rooms with incident light. You can get to work quickly with this matt wall paint, as the paint is dust-dry after about one hour. Sikkens Alphacryl Pure Mat SF has the advantage that the walls do not shine, which means that even incoming sunlight or other light sources preserve the colour you have chosen. In addition, the wall paint is well-insulating, so you won't suffer from penetrating moisture stains at all.
In conclusion
We hope that reading this blog article has given you a little more information about which factors are relevant when buying wall paint. As mentioned earlier, it is important to know what kind of wall paint you are going to use, what kind of surface to apply it on and what gloss levels are available. Thus, there are some factors involved when buying wall paint.