Basic drawing guide
Paint - this is your passport for painting and, perhaps, the easiest, least expensive and most direct way to turn a house. It can be as simple as brilliant white, but it excludes all the other stunning gorgeous colors. Paradoxically, this is a huge choice, which often poses a problem - there are so many brands, types and shades on the market.
Choose from historical shades for houses of the times; smooth finishes that maintain the severity of modern life; or new formulas designed for all surfaces. By understanding the product, you can uncover all the possibilities of paint design that make it such a seductive environment.
Types of paints
Water-based paints are usually called emulsions and are traditionally used only for interior walls and ceilings. But recently, generous advances in the field of paint and varnish technologies mean that on all surfaces, from wood to metal, as well as for indoor and outdoor use, there are water-based formulas, especially high-performance acrylics. The advantages of these paints over oil - is that they are cleaner, have less odor and more environmentally friendly. Brushes can be rinsed with clean water.
Solvent or oil based paints used where tough and durable finish is required for interior and exterior wood, masonry and furniture, although, as mentioned above, the new generation of acrylic and multilayer paints offer viable alternatives. In general, the brush should be cleaned with turpentine or white spirit.
Makeup and quality All paints consist of four main ingredients: pigments, binders, liquids and additives. Generally speaking, the more pigment used to make paint, the better the quality: a ratio of 30 to 45 percent binder and pigment by volume indicates a paint that will be durable and provide good coverage and lasting color. Think about the following when you are confronted with a wall of colors and are struggling with what to buy.
Choose a brand you can trust The most accessible are companies with their own stores with high streets, such as Fired Earth and Farrow & Ball, as well as those sold through DIY giants. However, buying online graphics is becoming increasingly popular and can bring you more choices, especially if you live outside of major cities and towns.
Go for good coverage. Look at the numbers per liter not for the whole jar; 12 square meters M per liter on average. Coverage varies between brands, which makes the difference between two or three layers. You will usually find more pigment in premium inks, giving greater color depth.
Select the desired product. There is a special paint for almost any surface, including tiles and household appliances, such as refrigerators. For areas with high traffic, wear resistant multilayer paints are taken into account, which can be used both on wood and on walls. Bathrooms and bathrooms use special formulas designed to eliminate moisture without peeling.
Try before you buy color cards, suitable for the initial selection, but you will want to see a genuine paint sample on the spot before committing. Testers can vary in price from 1 to 4 pounds. Draw on a piece of paper that you can move around the room so that you can see the color in different lighting conditions. The effect varies greatly. The wall of the window may appear dark, while the wall opposite will be flooded with light. And, of course, there is a sharp difference between natural and artificial light. Finally, paint the patch directly on the wall to evaluate the color, finish and final finish.
Specialized wall, floor and furniture paints
Nowadays there are paintings to decorate every surface of the house, from melamine to ceramic tiles. Many of these formulas do not require specialist training. Crown box paint can be available in 12 colors and does not need a primer.
There are also multi-layered paints, such as B & Q Colors Everywhere for walls, ceilings, joinery and radiators, as well as Bedec MSP multi-layered paint that can be used for everything from plastic to brickwork. Areas, such as bathrooms and kitchens, have durable, mildew-resistant coatings that are available in pre-mixed colors.
However, for a more insightful paint, Dulux Kitchen & Bathroom can be mixed in any of its 1200 colors, and Farrow & Ball launches Modern Emulsion. Developed in addition to the original Emulsion emulsion, the paint has a slightly higher gloss, is completely washable and is available in the full color range.
Specialty paints also include some interesting new finishes, such as suede, metallic and top-quality varnishes. Judy Smith, Crown's color consultant, suggests a wall with an accent in one of them to remove the neutral scheme. The Crown wall kit includes eight metallic finishes, nine bright colors and a highly reflective clean shiny white color, and comes in handy 1.25-liter jars.
If you have a wooden floor that is not particularly attractive or made from a patchwork of old and new wood, the paint makes a perfect disguise. There are many options - all colors from Farrow & Ball are available as floor paint, and Nordic Style also offers an elegant choice.
Alternatively, a wooden floor in good condition can be treated with a natural or tinted stain, which allows the grain to appear. Scandinavian tree care oils Eve Johnson will take the yellow edge from the pine.
If you are struggling with the problem of choosing the color of wood to go with neutral walls, check out the architectural colors of David Oliver, founder of the Paint & Paper Library. He arranged his proteins for ceilings, cornices, walls and woodwork in chromatic groups, and the concept was so well received that chromed colors such as soft gray, green and pink were introduced.
Outdoor masonic and wood paints
Masonry and exterior paint specialists are now available in many exquisite colors for interiors. For example, Weatherhield's new range of satin and glossy exterior paints from Dulux features innovative shades such as Wild Berries and Wild Roses.
When choosing colors for exterior surfaces, consider the style of the brickwork or masonry of your house, as well as the colors used in the neighboring buildings to choose colors that sympathize with this environment. Colors for fines and sheds should be chosen according to the same criteria.
Technical progress is constantly being improved in order to improve the service life, durability, wear resistance and effectiveness of exterior paints. For example, the Akrylatfarg range at Ray Munn is an environmentally friendly water-based option.
Paints for Freemasonry come in a wide variety of finishes, from textured to ultra-smooth. Choose a texture if you need to mask small surface cracks. If you prefer a traditional finish, then consider Limoise, which can be obtained from specialists such as Lime Wash from Francesca. The beauty of this paint is that it will be mild and weather over time. However, first check the supplier to make sure that the surface is suitable for this finish.
Traditional paints
Available from professionals such as Farrow & Ball and Real Paint & Varnish Company, lime paints and burning paints can be useful for restoration projects, although some of them are potentially dangerous and can irritate the eyes and skin. Use modern equivalents whenever possible, as they are usually safer and more efficient.
Reduction in paint chemicals
Everyone knows the unpleasant smell of drying paint - worse than oil paints, but also noticeable with vinyl emulsions. This is caused by paint solvents containing VOC. They are proven health risks and can cause allergies, headaches and breathing problems and irritate the eyes, nose and throat. They are also dangerous to the environment.
Following the European destinations, the British paint industry has reduced the amount of volatile organic compounds in two phases, the second of which came into force in January last year.
Five categories are used to describe the content of VOCs. For management, the minimum VOC content is up to 0.29 percent, while the very high VOC content exceeds 50 percent. All brands, if necessary, reformulated their ranges to give minimal VOC content.
There is still no standard marking scheme for paint. The blue-globe sign, first introduced by B & Q, led to a reduction in VOC in the mass market and was adopted by other brands, while the European eco-label, recognized in 15 EU Member States, looks like a flower and appears on brands like Earthborn, Germany also has the Blue Angel label, as well as the Nordic green swan. More information can be found on most paint company websites, as well as in a large number of practical tips and design recommendations.
Environmental paint
“Organic” paints and varnishes, such as Ecos, appeared in the late 1980s, marked a new era of odorless paint, solvent free and VOC (volatile organic compounds), and paved the way for other companies. environmentally friendly formulas. Following the European legislation, the first stage in reducing the solvent content in paintings and varnishes should come into force in 2007.
Traditionally, solvents or VOCs and other chemicals used to facilitate the application of paints emit toxic vapors that have been exposed to the atmosphere for many years after use. Paints with reduced or absent VOC are more healthy for decorators and people whose houses are painted by them.
Leading brands now mark paintings with a lower content of volatile organic compounds and produce paints that are essentially odorless. One example is the Creature's Breatheasy range. Currently, most of the leading brands produce high-quality water-based acrylic paints that are superior to old vinyl and oil technologies.
Today it is becoming easier to create environmentally friendly paints, as most specialized ranges, such as Ecos, Earthborn, Georgina Barrow and Auro, are available by mail. In these pre-blended ranges, there are a variety of color options that include lush shades and muted palettes that reflect their natural ingredients. Ecos continues to lead the field. He recently developed Atmosphere Purifying Paint, which absorbs and neutralizes volatile chemicals, solvents and VOCs from the atmosphere in a house.
Get expert advice on paint color
Thousands of shades may offer a non-parallel choice, but, of course, it is more difficult to determine the right one for you. Dulux responded to the Tailor Made range, which offers an easy-to-use color planning chart that works with the 1200 shades available for mixing in the store.
The Paint & Paper Library arranges its colors in five shades from light to dark to help select coordinate colors for ceilings, cornices, walls, doors and woodwork. If you are decorating a bold setting, such as a sofa or curtains, look at the paint colors from the same fabric house, as they are likely to sympathize.
The Guild Malabar and Designers offer some bright lights, while the new Shades of Sanderson squeezes 120 colors for the Sanderson collection. If you are aiming for a softer background that will go through several rooms, it is wise to stick with neutral shades. The color elements for Kevin McCloud's shelled ground work especially well with our cool northern light.
Paint Glossary
Distemper is a traditional water-based paint made from animal and natural resins that dries to a velvety matte finish. It is mainly used on ceilings and plasters, and also gives the furniture an old-fashioned effect, but is not suitable for areas of high wear. Available on request from specialized companies.
Eggshell - traditionally refers to the oil paint with a silky finish, suitable for interior walls and wood products. Water based alternatives are now available.
Flat or dead oil - Provided completely flat, based on oil base. Usually used on walls, but not suitable for areas of high wear.
Gloss - these paintings have a high gloss level and are commonly used on wood products.
Limewash - this lime, made from slaked lime and water, is suitable for porous surfaces such as masonry, plaster and stucco. It is available from specialized companies.
Matt - describes paints that give a flat, non-reflective finish. It is ideal for walls and ceilings that are not completely smooth.
Satin or silk - Vinyl or acrylic water-based paint for walls in rooms with high wear, such as corridors and kitchens. Satin finish will be slightly wider than silk.
Satin or semi-gloss - these paintings are commonly used on wooden products such as baseboards. This level of brilliance lies between the eggshell and brilliance.
