Painting the exterior of your house is a great way to give it a fresh look and improve its value. However, this project can take up a lot of time, so it’s important to consider your schedule and budget before getting started.
Paints are made of a few different components, including pigments and additives. These additives can give the paint different properties, such as water-resistance or UV-resistance.
Oil-Based Paint
Oil based paints are a popular choice for exterior painting jobs. These paints contain a natural (linseed) or synthetic (alkyd) oil as a base, which creates a hard coating that resists rusting and stains over time.
Oil-based paints are also a good choice for interior painting, especially on doors and windows. They hold up well to the wear and tear of frequent contact and resist fading from UV rays.
Another advantage of oil-based paint is that it dries more slowly than water-based paint. This gives a smoother, sometimes glossier finish.
The downside to using oil-based paints is that it tends to yellow in dark areas. The good news is that today’s paints are much more resistant to this problem, but it’s still an issue. In addition, oil-based paints are more prone to mildew, so be sure to use a mildewcide product. It’s also a good idea to keep the house ventilated when working with these paints because of the higher levels of Volatile Organic Compounds they release into the air.
Alkyd Paint
Alkyd paint is typically used for surfaces that are intended to last long and need a more durable finish. These surfaces may be wood or metal, and they will require a more hard-wearing paint for protection.
Waterborne alkyd paints offer the same performance as conventional oil-based paints, but with much lower VOCs and solvents. Advanced water dispersible alkyd formulas are specially designed to keep VOCs low even after tinting.
Alkyds are a special painting medium made from an oil-modified resin treated with alcohol and acid. They dry quickly to a hard enamel that’s ideal for glazing techniques and detailed work.
Water-Based Paint
Water-based paint is the preferred choice of most homeowners. It provides a high quality finish, resists chalking, fading and flaking and is resistant to mildew and mold. It also dries quickly and is easy to clean up.
Oil-based paints are still popular for some projects. They are more durable than water-based paints and can be used on many different surfaces.
They are a great choice for exterior woodwork such as decking, fencing and soffits as they offer excellent protection and do not fade or yellow with age.
Water-based paints are also much easier to thin and clean up than solvent based paints. They have a lower odor than oil-based paints.
Acrylic Paint
Acrylic paints have a wide variety of colors that can be used to create different textures and consistencies. They can be applied to many surfaces such as canvas, wood, paper, fabric, rocks, glass and clay.
They are also waterproof and dries quickly making them perfect for exterior painting. These paints are resistant to the sun and will last for many years without fading or cracking.
Artist quality paints are formulated with maximum pigment loading. They can be diluted with clear mediums to extend the color and can be mixed with other media for different effects.
They are also available in a range of soft and heavy body options. The soft body paints are smooth and can be layered with various mediums to change the thickness and consistency of the paint. They are a great choice for those who enjoy the texture and flow of oil paints but want a quicker drying time. They are also great for use with airbrushes.