Types of exterior paint
Types of Exterior Paint
There are many things to take into consideration when it comes to choosing a type of exterior paint for residential painting in NYC. The colors and textures of paints are very important, appearance is the first thing people notice about a home and paint contributes a lot in this regard. There are many other things to consider when choosing paint. Paints protect homes from wear and tear from weather and insects, as well as adding protection from mold. There are also big differences between oil and latex paints.
Oil vs. Latex
There are many differences between oil and latex paint. Understanding the differences between the two and what purpose each serves will help you to choose the right one for your home.
Latex paints are a water-based mix that get their color from an acrylic polymer. This makes them more resistant to mildew and other molds. Latex paints don’t give off harmful fumes and are very easy to use. They don’t require any type of primer, which means that they take less time to apply. These paints are generally used for indoor applications.
Oil paints have three basic ingredients, oil such as linseed, pigment for color, and a thinner. These paints are much thicker than latex paints and can be more difficult to use. Because they are so thick, oil paints often require a variety of brushes and rollers to get them applied evenly. Oil-based paints often require a primer which means that they take longer to apply because a first coat must be applied first. These paints produce toxic fumes that require ventilation when using. For this reason, oil paints are generally used outdoors. The thickness of oil-based paints also makes them more susceptible to mildew than latex paints.
Durability
Oil paints are thicker and therefore more durable in addition to being more resistant to stains than latex paints. They are more susceptible to yellowing and fading over time when compared to latex. Cured latex lasts much longer and is more resistant to cracking and peeling than oil-based paints.
Price
Price is a big factor when considering any repainting project. Oil-based paints typically cost around 40% more per gallon than latex paints. This difference in price becomes very important when considering a large painting project such as the exterior of a home where any gallons of paint much be purchased.
Clean up
Once you’ve finished any paint job, the real work begins; the clean up. Latex paints offer a huge advantage in this department. Latex paints can be cleaned up with soap and water because the paint is water-based. Oil-based paints can only be cleaned up with an oil-based solvent. This is a big factor when it comes to price. Paint thinners can be quite expensive. Paint thinners produce dangerous fumes as well and therefore are not ideal for indoor use.
The soap and water that are used to clean up latex paint can just simply go down the drain and be gone. Oil-based solvents cannot just be flushed down the drain as they can create dangerous environmental hazards. They must be properly disposed of at a disposal site. This can make using oil-based paints more expensive and more labor intensive.
There are many reasons that one would choose to use either latex paints or oil-based paints. Understanding the chemical differences between the two helps to understand the differences in durability, ease of use, and cost. Choosing what type of paint you will use is so much more involved than just simply choosing which colors are the prettiest. Getting the right paint for your project will ensure that it stays looking the way you want for the timeframe you expect it to and requires the amount of labor you are willing to put into the project!
Oil vs. Latex
There are many differences between oil and latex paint. Understanding the differences between the two and what purpose each serves will help you to choose the right one for your home.
Latex paints are a water-based mix that get their color from an acrylic polymer. This makes them more resistant to mildew and other molds. Latex paints don’t give off harmful fumes and are very easy to use. They don’t require any type of primer, which means that they take less time to apply. These paints are generally used for indoor applications.
Oil paints have three basic ingredients, oil such as linseed, pigment for color, and a thinner. These paints are much thicker than latex paints and can be more difficult to use. Because they are so thick, oil paints often require a variety of brushes and rollers to get them applied evenly. Oil-based paints often require a primer which means that they take longer to apply because a first coat must be applied first. These paints produce toxic fumes that require ventilation when using. For this reason, oil paints are generally used outdoors. The thickness of oil-based paints also makes them more susceptible to mildew than latex paints.
Durability
Oil paints are thicker and therefore more durable in addition to being more resistant to stains than latex paints. They are more susceptible to yellowing and fading over time when compared to latex. Cured latex lasts much longer and is more resistant to cracking and peeling than oil-based paints.
Price
Price is a big factor when considering any repainting project. Oil-based paints typically cost around 40% more per gallon than latex paints. This difference in price becomes very important when considering a large painting project such as the exterior of a home where any gallons of paint much be purchased.
Clean up
Once you’ve finished any paint job, the real work begins; the clean up. Latex paints offer a huge advantage in this department. Latex paints can be cleaned up with soap and water because the paint is water-based. Oil-based paints can only be cleaned up with an oil-based solvent. This is a big factor when it comes to price. Paint thinners can be quite expensive. Paint thinners produce dangerous fumes as well and therefore are not ideal for indoor use.
The soap and water that are used to clean up latex paint can just simply go down the drain and be gone. Oil-based solvents cannot just be flushed down the drain as they can create dangerous environmental hazards. They must be properly disposed of at a disposal site. This can make using oil-based paints more expensive and more labor intensive.
There are many reasons that one would choose to use either latex paints or oil-based paints. Understanding the chemical differences between the two helps to understand the differences in durability, ease of use, and cost. Choosing what type of paint you will use is so much more involved than just simply choosing which colors are the prettiest. Getting the right paint for your project will ensure that it stays looking the way you want for the timeframe you expect it to and requires the amount of labor you are willing to put into the project!