The Painter's Corner: Paint 101
Renovators and decorators all agree, painting a room is the quickest, cheapest way to improve a room. Nowaday’s there are so many new paint companies, new kinds of paint, or should we say surface covers, in all kinds of prices, formulas and colors that it may be difficult to choose what you need or want….
Renovators and decorators all agree, painting a room is the quickest, cheapest way to improve a room. Nowaday’s there are so many new paint companies, new kinds of paint, or should we say surface covers, in all kinds of prices, formulas and colors that it may be difficult to choose what you need or want. You’ve got oil-based paint and water-based acrylic or latex based paints. Milk paint, primer paint, and paint with primer in it already. Low VOC paints, and good old, fumes emitting, non PC paint. We have coverings that aren’t really paint, but clays or plaster. There is something for everyone, and for any job, in all qualities and at all price ranges here. The details below pertain to water-based paints.
Paint is one of those items that definitely adheres to the old adage, You get what you pay for. Good paint costs more than cheap paint for a reason. Good paint has better coverage, and will last longer. If you are paying someone to paint, having them paint with cheap paint is like stuffing the empty paint can with money, and setting it on fire.
The better paints are better because they use more, and better quality pigments than cheaper paints. This insures better coverage, and more intense and true color. The best pigments are made of titanium dioxide. It should be listed on the can. Better paints have a higher percentage of solids. That’s what’s actually on the wall when it dries. Over 45% is considered good, and insures good one or two coat coverage. This info might not be on the can, but should be in manufacturer’s literature, on their website, or available from your retailer. Better paints also have a modified, or an all-acrylic binder that keeps the solids, pigments, anti-fungicide, and other ingredients together. Look for this information on the can, or do research before buying any paint.
Here is a list of some of the more popular paints available, and links to their websites. They have not been edited for quality or prices. Most list where their paints can be purchased in the New York area. Tomorrow, some smaller niche and specialty companies, and environmentally friendly paints.
Ace Hardware Paint
Behr Paint (Home Depot)
Benjamin Moore Paint
Dutch Boy Paint
Glidden Paint
Olympic Paint (Lowe’s)
Pratt and Lambert Paint
Ralph Lauren Paint
Sherwin Williams Paint
Valspar Paint (Lowe’s)
Photo: apartmenttherapy.com
I have tons of mahogany wood in the house…
dining room has 6 ft. mahogany molding along the walls with beamed mahogany wood on the ceiling … contrasted with of course the same cake batter colour paint. I’m considering wall paper in there.
dark mahogany casings
moreteasir, you have to break free and express some inner repressed urges.
Take a walk on the wild side where the colored walls go Do Do Do Do Do Do Do.
Minard, I saw a photo of that Mount Vernon color on the web. I think it’s great and would go especially well with bark mohogany casings.
I’m still going with the turquoise. Any other darker blue is just too boring. I did not in fact like it with just one coat, aside from the fact that it wasn’t totally covering the yellow but I did after 2 coats.
In the back of my mind I still like mango but I have that in the Philly LR.
Nevermind the bruh ha haas. Regardless of any suspicious color choices you’ve made, you seem to pay good attention to detail and have good knowledge about such things.
My parlour is a cake batter & mauve with white crown moulding. How’s that for bruh ha ha!
dave,
have you decided on a color for your parlor?
Did you like the bright blue-green from Mount Vernon?
It is a very unusual color. Better than turquoise IMHO.
Modern paints are a mere shadow of the great paints of my childhood. Lead was one of the ingredients that really made great paint, alas, there were issues. At least modern paints have very little odor. In the old days the smell alone could put you in la-la land. I also remember the old professional painters. They were all nuts. Really ga-ga due to daily expozure of the lead and the volatile vapors.
moreteasir, you missed the bruh ha ha yesterday where I posted a pic of my parlour in a respectable but rather drab yellow and said that I want to paint it bright blue turquoise.
DIBS, Second career after retirement: Interior Designer
YES!!! i will agree with that one. do NOT skimp out with the brushes!!! there is nothing worse than not even finishing one wall and the brustles are falling off getting stuck in the paint on the wall and being to lazy to pick it out cuz it’s messy only to wind up with hairy walls
*rob*