No matter what your decorating needs are, there's a painting for you!
by Paint Quality Institute*
In the past, the most important decision for any painter was which color to use. But thanks to continuous technological advances, we can now afford to choose paints that offer not only an almost unlimited range of shades, but also the exact appearance and performance qualities needed for virtually any indoor painting project.
"There has been a huge expansion in the supply of water-based latex coatings," says Debbie Zimmer, a paint and color expert at the Paint Quality Institute. "It is now possible to choose from a wide range of degrees of gloss, each of which provides different benefits, in addition to specially formulated coatings designed to speed up your painting process and meet any challenge imaginable."
For all this, if you are about to undertake an interior painting project, try to think of the type of paint that perfectly fits your needs. You will most likely be able to find that ideal paint in the paint warehouse in your area. Knowing exactly and in advance what you want will make things much easier when you arrive at the store.
Suppose you have little time to realize your project, perhaps you can only work on painting during the weekend, or you plan to receive visitors from outside the city. A self-printing paint (one that works as a primer and as a paint) can cover even very difficult to hide colors with fewer layers than are normally required, so you can finish your project more quickly before returning to work or receiving your guests.
Or maybe your house is full of little ones that leave marks and footprints wherever they go. If you choose a 100% acrylic latex paint, of intense gloss and high quality, you will get a rustic, stain-resistant finish and thus allow your walls and wooden objects to have a slight chance of remaining clean and with a fresh appearance, no matter what they must endure.
And what if the room you plan to paint has different surfaces, for example, vinyl doors, wooden frames and drywall? Instead of buying different types of paint, you can choose to buy a "universal" coating such as a high-end latex paint, made 100% with acrylic, which performs well on many different materials. It will provide exceptional adhesion even on smooth surfaces such as vinyl. (Surely, buying a single type of paint will bring you benefits at the cash register as well.)
Are your walls or wooden objects full of small notches and imperfections? So, choose a totally "dull" paint, which will dry with a non-reflective matte finish. Its lack of brightness will make those small imperfections much less noticeable.
Are you a color maniac? So, perhaps it's best to choose a paint with good color retention, such as a high-quality acrylic coating, or resign yourself to watching helplessly as the shades of color you so carefully selected become pastels over time.
According to Zimmer, today's paint manufacturers have anticipated all of these needs and more, and have created coating formulas that are up to each and every challenge. Take the time to consider your needs, try to imagine the qualities your perfect paint should have, and you'll most likely find it on the shelf of your paint shop.
* Paint Quality Institute was founded in 1989 in Philadelphia, United States, with the initial goal of educating consumers, contractors and retailers about the advantages of using the highest quality in paints and coatings.
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