Types of House Paint and Finishes for your Interior and Exterior Painting

Do you want to give your house a facelift? What better way to accomplish this than with a fresh coat of paint? We’re not talking about colours here, but about the type of paint you can use on your interior or exterior walls, furniture, or any other surface that needs a facelift. We’ve listed the types of paint you should know for your house and exterior painting here for you to read. 

Painting is a popular DIY project for homeowners and renters; a fresh coat of paint can transform a drab room into your ideal space. However, don’t spend a lot of your time thinking about colour; the type of paint is just as essential and critical to your new colour’s longevity.

We discovered everything you need to know before starting interior and exterior house painting, from latex and oil-based paints to primers and sheens.

What house paint is made from?

Paint is made up of four main components: pigments, resins, solvents, and additives. The resin is the binder or glue, the pigment is the colour, and the solvent is the liquid carrier that evaporates as the paint dries. Additionally, additives provide specific performance characteristics such as stain-blocking or mould-killing properties. 

Cheap paint has a higher percentage of solvents per volume than more affordable components. It is resulting in up to 50% less pigment and resin. It means that most of what you apply to your walls is solvent, which will evaporate and leave little pigment behind.

As a result, you’ll have to re-coat with low-quality paint up to four times before pigment is left behind to cover the colour underneath. To avoid this, make sure your paint contains at least 45 percent pigment and resins per volume to avoid multiple coats and save your time.

Know These Types of Paint For Your House Interior and Exterior Painting

Oil-Based House Paints

These paints, also known as alkyds, are typically reserved for high-moisture interior and exterior areas such as kitchens and bathrooms and those subject to heavy wear or prone to impact, such as trim, floors, and occasionally cabinets. This high-gloss paint also dries faster than latex paint, so brush strokes are less visible.

However, alkyds are usually more expensive than latex paint, have a more pungent odour when drying, and contain more VOCs (volatile organic compounds), making them less environmentally friendly. It’s also worth noting that painting with alkyds necessitates using a chemical solvent, such as mineral spirits or paint thinner.

Water-Based House Paint 

The most typical type of paint for home use is water-based paint, also known as latex. This fast-drying paint is easy to clean with soap and water, is environmentally friendly with fewer VOCs (volatile organic compounds), and performs well. Latex paint is also well-known for its ability to withstand movement and keep mildew and moisture out of your home.

Water-based paint, which comes in various colours and sheens, can be used in almost any application in the house, from exteriors and trim to interior walls and woodworks.

Paint Finishes for House Paints

Sheen options differ by manufacturer, but they all share some characteristics. As the durability of newer paints improves across all sheen levels, many people are finding creative ways to mix and match them. When dry, paint sheen refers to how shiny or matte the paint appears. There are five fundamental sheens:

• Matte paint finish: The least amount of shine is found in matte paints. They provide the most coverage of any paint and require fewer coats to cover flaws such as nail holes. 

• Eggshell paint finishes – These finishes are trendy. They’re slightly more lustrous than matte paints with the delicate low sheen of an eggshell, but they still hide flaws and are more durable than flat finishes (though still not quite as durable as satin or gloss finishes). Eggshell paints are ideal for more minor traffic areas such as living rooms, hallways, and entryways.

• Satin paint finishes – It’s the most popular for interior paint finish. They have a velvety sheen and are more convenient to clean than flat or eggshell paints, making them ideal for high-traffic areas such as kitchens. Before using a satin paint, keep in mind that its sheen is more likely to reveal brush strokes, making touch-ups more difficult.

• Semi-gloss paints – Semi-gloss paints are reflective and shiny. Because they are highly durable and mildew-resistant, they are best used in rooms that experience a lot of wear and tear or moisture, such as children’s rooms, kitchens, and bathrooms. They’re also excellent for trimming. They will produce imperfections more than less shiny paints because of their glossier finish.

• High-gloss paint finishes – They are the shiniest of the paint finishes. They are also the most washable and durable, allowing them to withstand daily scrubbing. Consider using this paint family for trim, doors, and cabinetry. Additionally, high-gloss can be used as an outdoor detail, such as shutters. However, proper preparation is essential when using this finish because it can reveal many flaws if misapplied.

What to Think About When Choosing a House Paint and Paint Finish

Before you go to the store and choose a finish, keep the following tips in mind to help you find the correct paint:

• Surface imperfection – The more reflective a finish, the more surface imperfections in the thing you’re painting will be visible. If you want to paint a wall with many nail holes or patches, less glossy paint might be a good choice—it will help mask those blemishes and keep the wall looking smooth.

• Paint sheen –  Paint finishes are classified according to their lustre, ranging from no-shine flat to very shiny high-gloss. The amount of light that each finish reflects into the room is affected by its shininess, so if you want to brighten a dim room, a slightly higher-gloss finish will do better than a matte finish.

• Traffic flow – The amount of traffic in your room is perhaps the most crucial factor to consider when selecting a paint finish. Busy areas such as kitchens and playrooms will benefit from more durable finishes such as satin and semi-gloss, whereas calmer areas such as dining rooms can get away with an eggshell or even flat paints.

Read also: 21 Different Types of Paints for Homes (Interior, Exterior, Furniture etc.) & HOW TO CHOOSE THE COLOURS FOR YOUR BATHROOM

Final Thoughts

Finally, keep in mind that the quality of the tools you use to paint with is only as good as the paint you use. Although you may believe that using rollers or brushes will save you money, using high-quality house painting tools will help you achieve the interior and exterior best look. You might also want to think about spray painting your walls, which can be a great alternative to rolling.

Get Your Interior and Exterior House Painted with these Type of Paints

Leave your interior and exterior house painting to us if you want to skip the research about the types of paint and get straight to the results. Please contact us at 07 3829 5735 or fill out the form on this page. We would be delighted to provide you with a detailed fixed-price quote. You can learn more about how we treat our customers and our complete quality guarantee on our website.

Thinking of what colours you should choose for your bathroom? Read “HOW TO CHOOSE THE COLOURS FOR YOUR BATHROOM“