Latex Paints: The Problem Of Choice

Starting repairs in an apartment, in an office, in a country house, we often have no idea what we will have to face during all this long work. We never think over every little thing, we do not know the technical details of the various stages of the repair, and it is from this that we very often face various kinds of troubles and even sometimes serious problems. How to paint the embossed wallpaper? How to paint the ceilings? How to paint windows and balcony doors to avoid health risks? We very often ask ourselves these questions, professional workers and just acquaintances, hoping to get an intelligible answer in order to equip our home as comfortable, correct, useful and cleaner as possible.

Quite recently, my best friend moved to a new apartment and started a major renovation - and decided to make the ceilings stretch, and the wallpaper embossed. So she turned with a question, one might say, to nowhere: "How can I generally choose something specific from all this frightening variety?" Yes, somehow I didn't want to spend money on expensive specialists - I didn't want to spend advisers, after all, I just got married. The family is young, the money is all for counting. I had to help my friend. It turned out that in recent years, experts advise using latex-based paints for most repair work. Because it is they who help to maintain the ecology of the premises at the proper level, and in general, according to all characteristics, are most suitable for renovating an apartment or office.

Structural wall-paper for painting is best treated with water-borne latex-based paints. Also, latex paints are suitable for interior work in residential and public areas - painting concrete, plastered, brick walls and ceilings and plasterboard. As a rule, such paints are sold in white with subsequent tinting in any color at the request of the customer. The most common are "Innenlatex Extra" (Holland), "ULTRA" (Turkey). Most of them are matte paints. But the experts of our company recommend using paints with a soft silky sheen, for example, Eco-Joker by Tikkurila, as they better set off the structure of the wallpaper, "says Roman Zotov, sales assistant at the Tikkurila brand store.

But how do you use this latex paint? It turns out that the period of drying is 4-6 hours at a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. And it acquires maximum hardness and ability to bear heavy loads after 3 days. As a rule, these paints are diluted with water in about a consistency of 1 liter per 6-9 sq. meters in one layer, depending on the packaging.

It can be stored for 12 months in a cold place, but not in the cold. Apply by brush, roller or high pressure spray gun. Surfaces before painting must be properly prepared - free from dirt, greasy stains, etc. On normal plaster, concrete, brick (silicate and ordinary), well-glued wallpaper is applied without preliminary priming. But this is all general data.

The same experts advised the most popular, affordable and at the same time the most environmentally friendly and acceptable paints for home or office renovation. In addition, they turned out to be the most popular in sales in specialized stores:

WATER-DISPERSION PAINT ON LATEX BASED (RUSSIA)

PURPOSE: for painting ceilings made of concrete, cement, plaster, putty, wood.

APPEARANCE: matte, white.

CONSUMPTION: 1 liter per 6 sq. meters.

DRYING: until the next layer is applied - 20 minutes, until completely dry - 20-60 minutes, depending on the humidity and temperature in the room.

THINNER: water.

PACKAGING: plastic containers of 1.3, 2.5, 3 and 4 kg.

STORAGE: 6 months at a positive temperature.

The cost of such paint is on average $ 4 per liter.

Master Classic 101 is a specialized paint designed for finishing ceilings. Compared to traditional chalk whitewashing, which is often used for these purposes, it is much easier and more convenient to apply. In addition, the resulting coating hides small surface defects, withstands dry friction - it does not get dirty when you slide your finger over it. At the same time, it remains the same vapor-permeable (allows painted surfaces to "breathe") and porous (well absorbing moisture), as the whitewash, so that if necessary, it is easy to wash it off and re-repair the ceiling. Master Classic 101 dries quickly, does not smell, is an environmentally friendly paint, so repair work with its use can be carried out quickly and without any particular inconvenience to others. That is why it is often used for repairs not only in living rooms, but also in hospitals,childcare facilities, offices, warehouses, etc.

ACRYLO-LATEX WATER-DISPERSION PAINT (FINLAND)

PURPOSE: for interior work - painting walls and ceilings. It is applied on plaster, putty, concrete, chipboard and fiberboard, gypsum boards, etc.

APPEARANCE: white, matte.

DRYING: 1-2 hours at room temperature.

CONSUMPTION: 1 liter for 6-12 sq. meters depending on the type of surface.

THINNER: water.

PACKAGING: containers of 2.7 and 18 liters.

STORAGE: 12 months at a positive temperature.

Our tests have confirmed the parameters specified by the manufacturer. This paint is recommended for painting interiors - where a washable coating is required (kitchens, bathrooms, corridors, etc.). The water resistance of Bindoplast-4 is estimated at 2000 times with a brush. Such paint costs from $ 7 per liter.

OPTIMATT EXTRA - (Russia-Germany)

Highly opaque and corrosion inhibiting latex paint for interior use. Washable according to DIN 53778 SM. It has a high degree of whiteness, outstanding hiding properties, relatively low consumption. It is easy to apply and leaves no smudges or brush marks. The coating possesses diffusion, alkali resistance, good adhesion.

PURPOSE: Mineral substrates and finishes (based on cement, gypsum, lime, etc.), old and fragile dispersion coatings, isotropic wood fiber products (chipboard, fiberboard, particle board), prepared coatings with oil or synthetic paints, paper and vinyl wallpaper for coloring, fiberglass wallpaper.

APPEARANCE: Has a neutral odor. The coating is smooth, matte. Color - white, toning in low and medium shades (4500 standard shades).

DRYING: at 20 degrees. From 4-5 hours between staining, full - 3 days

THINNING: water

CONSUMPTION: On a smooth surface - 130 ml / m2. On a medium-grained surface - 180 ml / m2. (Different surfaces have different properties and have an effect on material consumption. For an accurate calculation of the amount of material consumed, a test coating must be carried out).

PACKAGING: containers of 15 liters.

FEIDAL INNENLATEX MATT (Latex paint) - Russia - Germany

PURPOSE: for interior work - application of abrasion-resistant coatings on walls and ceilings. Suitable bases: concrete, brick, plasterboard, plastered, putty bases, wallpaper.

APPEARANCE: matte, super white. Tinted.

DRYING: "tack-free" - after 2 hours, completely dry after 4-6 hours.

CONSUMPTION: 1 liter for 6-8 sq. meters.

THINNER: water.

PACKAGING: containers of 3, 5, 7, and 18 liters. Filling in the customer's container is possible.

STORAGE: at least 2 years in a cool, dry place in a tightly closed container. Do not freeze.

PRICE: from $ 2.2 per liter (wholesale)

In Germany, the best characteristic of paints is considered to be the ability to recommend them for work in hospitals, kindergartens, etc., that is, where environmentally friendly products are needed with a high abrasion parameter (at least 5000 brush strokes), moisture resistance, which are poorly contaminated and at the same time easy to clean, able to withstand disinfectants. Innenlatex Matt can rightfully be classified under this category of materials. The coating during its operation justifies its cost, and the final price / quality ratio, in fact, turns out to be beneficial for the buyer. We have already appreciated this - among the paints produced in Russia, Feidal Innenlatex Matt firmly holds the 3rd place in demand (it was even ranked as a kind of elite - it is used mainly for "European-quality repairs" of housing and offices).

LATEX PAINT ECO-JOKER (Tikkurila - Finland)

PURPOSE: for interior painting of plastered, concrete, brick, wood (including fiberboard and chipboard) surfaces, as well as for painting glass fiber. It is used for coating walls and ceilings in living rooms, bedrooms, children's rooms, kitchens, hallways and other similar areas.

APPEARANCE: silky matte sheen, washable. At the time of purchase, it can be tinted (up to 2000 shades).

DRYING: "tack-free" - 30 minutes, full - 1-2 hours at a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius.

CONSUMPTION: previously painted surface - 1 liter per 10-12 sq. meters; for putty, chipboard and fiberboard surfaces - 7-9 sq. meters; on concrete and plastered surfaces - 3-5 sq. meters.

THINNER: water.

PACKAGING: containers of 0.9, 2.7, 9 and 18 liters.

STORAGE: 12 months at room temperature. Protect from freezing.

Eko-Joker latex paint is one of the elite of water-dispersion paints, as it is one of the few awarded the "European Environmental Protection Mark" - it is distinguished by almost complete absence of harmful fumes. But, as tests have shown, it is not only "friendly" to nature and man, but also turned out to be the best among the tested paints in terms of quality.

Eko-Joker is characterized by good resistance to washing (2000 times), resistance to chemical detergents and even to weak solvents such as white spirit. Despite the fact that Tikkurila recommends not freezing it, it has normally withstood 5 cycles of frost resistance recommended by our GOST 28196-89, so in winter it can be bought on open construction markets without fear. But the best parameter, which made Eko-Joker a leader in comparison with other tested paints, is its cost-effectiveness: one liter of paint can qualitatively paint up to 18 sq. meters of surface (we tested paints on smooth wooden planks). True, it is worth making a reservation that when working with "virgin" clean foundations when buying, it is better to count on half the area,because painting with one layer of paint in pure white does not mean getting a durable coating. Renewal of old painted surfaces can be safely done with one layer of Eko-Joker.

APPLICATION: in almost all cases Eko-Joker is applied without a preliminary primer (except for cases of weak surfaces - for example, crumbling plaster). Apply in 1-2 coats with a roller, brush or spray on clean and dry surfaces.

And finally, let us cite as an example the question of one of the readers of the newspaper "AiF na Dacha": "I want to renovate an apartment, but, having two small children, I would like to use only safe, environmentally friendly materials. I stopped my choice on paints. Advise what paints to me. It is also important that it is of high quality and inexpensive."

Similar questions come up on every turn. Experts again answer: "For interior decoration, it is best to use latex-based water-dispersion paints, they are the most durable of all water-borne paints, they are perfectly washed, having growing children is very important. Besides, they are absolutely harmless and practically odorless."

We hope that here you will find useful information, which, if not now, then someday will definitely be useful to you. Color for health!

Polina Lichagina.