How to select the perfect quality paint for interior painting

How to select the perfect quality paint for interior painting

(By Jesse Bennett: Dec 13, 2018, Victoria, BC)

First you want to understand the basic of what paint is composed of. There are 4 main components to paint and these will determine the quality.

1. Pigment

- colour

- coverage

- gloss control

2. Binders: They do as their name suggest, binding the pigment together, providing still integrity and adhesion to the surface

3. Liquid: also known as the solvent, provides consistency and allows for the pigment and binders to be applied to a surface

4. Additives: provide certain paint properties such as mildew resistance, good flow and even application or levelling.

Volume solids or solids are a great first step to identifying the quality of your paint, this is because the solids are actually what your paying for, they are what remain on the wall after the paint drys and the liquid evaporates.

The solids can account for 25% to as much as 50% of the entire paint. Because solids cost more to produce, higher quality paint will also cost more. This is an example of you get what you pay for in quantity and quality. Most premium paints have solids at around 40%.

So when your looking at

What type of paint to choose?

Two main different types of paint:

Oil Based

good for blending and are durable, however they take forever to dry and are messy to clean up.

Water based

Acrylic latex allows for durability, easy clean up and fast dry time. As long as you choose a paint with a higher solid content you will get good coverage and likely only have to do 2 coats verse 3. So keep in mind you get what you pay for here. I would suggest a paint in the upwards of 40% solids. This will be a value you will notice.