Non Drip paints are a special category of paints that do not ‘run’. They feel jelly like. In reality, they possess a property called Thixotropy. Thixotropic paints do not have a fixed viscosity over time. That means that their consistency changes depending on the conditions. In this regard, they are called “Non-Newtonian”, which means that their viscosity cannot be captures by a single constant.

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These paints become liquid under pressure. The will be jelly like in the can. But if you stir it inside the can itself, it becomes a liquid. If you leave it alone for a while, the paint will be a jelly once more.

Non-Drip paints are useful if you don’t want the hasse of cleaning up the floor after your paint job. Or if you have a carpet that you don’t want to take out. There is a trick in applying the paint however. The idea is to take out a blob of paint with the brush without wiping off any excess. You must ensure that not too much paint is applied so that it does not run.

Also, overbrushing will cause the gel like paint to undergo stress and become a liquid, which will run down the wall, hence defeating the very purpose of the Non-Drip paint.

As you do more paint work, you will come to understand how to handle the paint. However, some things can be known only after much experience, and in-depth knowledge. The few pointers here will get you started on the basics of paint handling.

Image Credit: Bree Bailey

First of all, never directly dip your brush for painting into the can in which the new paint is kept. Keep a vessel handy into which you can pour out the paint. You may find it useful to cover the insides with Aluminum Foil so that after the paint job, you can dispose of only the foil without having to clean the vessel. Like a garbage bag.

The vessel is necessary so that you don’t contaminate the remaining fresh paint with old paint and dust. Before pouring the paint into the vessel, stir it with a clean stick. Some paints come with an attachment for this purpose. This is to ensure that the sediments at the bottom (which consist mostly of pigment), mix fully with the rest of the paint.

Ensure that the brush is clean. Brush a clean surface like your hand to remove dust, and get any loose bristles out. Then dip it into the vessel one third of the way, and ensure that you don’t scrape the side while taking it out, as this removes too much of the paint.

Faux Painting is the art of Mimicking any type of surface on a wall, with a coat of paint. Having real marble or wood in your home is an expensive, and time consuming proposition. In addition, you probably don’t want the hassle of maintaining a real finish.

Faux painting allows you to fool your guests into thinking that you have real marble, or rare wood on your walls. The technique was much prized in the middle ages, with painters apprenticing for 10 years or more, before they dared to make their own faux finishes. Painters who could really make their paintings look like the original were in much demand, and commanded a high price.

Marbleizing

This is the process of making it look as if your walls are covered with marble.The picture on the left, shows what the effect looks like. It really looks like marble! Marble happens to be the most imitated stone. The painting centers around mimicking the streaks and patterns of real marble.

Graining

Graining is the process of painting a surface so as to resemble wood. Rare, expensive, or hard to work with woods like Zebrawood, are common targets of Faux painting. The picture above shows a wall painted to look like Zebrawood. Notice how it is pretty much impossible to tell the real thing from the faux!

There are many other faux surfaces and techniques. To get the best results, leave the painting to a professional.

Last Friday, we learned about the Color Wheel, where you can find out which colors match in a systematic way. However, that is only a guideline and a starting point. The actual process of deciding room colors consists of many more steps.

Image Credit: alynch

There are so many color choices available, in so many different shades, that you will inevitably feel confused about which colors to choose. There are many surfaces that need to be painted like the exterior, the walls, the ceiling, and the furniture. Also, you will need to harmonize all that with the color of the curtains, and the other fittings in the room.

How does one make the best use of all that is available? One of the best ways, is to collect trim samples. This means, taking a minuscule sample of the fabric of the curtains, carpet, and floor colors. When you place thse out in front of you, the color scheme comes clearly into your mind. You can then combine this new insight with guidance from the color wheel.

Your paint shop will probably bundle the color wheel with a fan deck consisting of all the colors they offer in various shades. Once you have removed those colors that you feel don’t harmonize, and have got a good idea of what you wold like to see in front of you, get larger samples of those colors from your paint dealer.

This will allow you to finalize your choice, and help you to come a step closer to your dream house.

When people say that ‘these colors don’t match’, are they referring to something subjective, or objective? Is it possible to say, ‘Well, that’s your opinion. I don’t think so?”. It turns out, there’s a branch of investigation called ‘Color theory’ that lays out the dos and don’ts of what colors ‘go’ with each other, and what colors don’t.

Image Credit: unleashingmephotography

We need to first introduce the Color Wheel. It is a systematic arrangement of colors around a circle. There is a long history behind it, and different fields have different color wheels, but most of them comprise of the three primary colors, three secondary colors, and intermediate colors, arranged in a systematic pattern.

When deciding on a color scheme for your room, you can select colors from the wheel based on certain rules. These rules are like so:

Mono Chromatic Colors

You select all colors in a room based on variations of a single color like blue, or green. The variations are in texture, hue, saturation etc.

Complimentary Colors

You select from colors that sit opposite to each other on the color wheel. If you look at one color for long enough, and then stare at a white wall, you will see an after image of the complimentary color as a result of eye fatigue. Use of complimentary colors makes a bold statement.

Analogous Colors

This involves using a set of colors that are next to each other on the wheel. They can be used to ‘theme’ the room to a particular mood, since the colors will have similar ‘character’

Triadic Colors

These are colors that are equally spaced out on the wheel.

So if you’re not much of a color person, and can’t make out the difference between one color scheme and another, use the color wheel for guidance, or as a starting point for your final choice.

Painting your kitchen can be an easy way to give it that ‘new’ look without actually having to remodel. Remodelling is an expensive proposition, and one that you will want to avoid if possible. Even a cabinet refacing would be more than you would be comfortable with.

Painting your kitchen is very simple, and will take you a full day. Do this in the summer, since you will need to keep the doors open to let out the paint fumes.

Image Credit: rochelle, et. al.

Preparing to Paint

First, remove all the doors and associated hardware like knobs from the cabinets with your screwdriver. After cleaning them thoroughly, paint them with the Wood Cleaner that you have bought. This will remove the grease and oil from the wood. If there is even a little bit of that, the primer will not adhere properly.

Make sure the surface is dry before checking the wood for any rough patches. Sandpaper these areas, and wipe away all dust from the surface after doing so. Now apply the Primer sealer, starting from the center, and following the grain of the wood. Make sure the coat is even.

Painting the Cabinets

You need to choose a paint that will suit you. Apart from the colors, the choices are high gloss, or semi gloss paint. Whatever you choose, remember that the brush you use is important. A good quality brush will ensure a superior finish. Just like the primer sealer, you need to start painting at the center, and follow the grain of the wood.

You will need three coats of top paint to get a good finish. Allow for upto four hours for the paint to dry between each layer. Once the doors are done, start on the bases of the cabinets. Since we are not doing the insides, you can apply a thin layer of paint on the inside edge of the cabinets for a more consistent look.

To complete your stylish new kitchen, you can replace the hardware for the doors and drawers. Take some time off to admire your handiwork, and congratulate yourself on a job well done!

Paints can be classified in various ways, and as a result, different classifications will come up depending on what you’re comparing. For example, you can compare paints based on what they are based on chemically, or based on the finish they provide.

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Let’s look at the classification based on the chemical properties first:

Oil based paints

Also called ‘Alkyd’ paints, these use oil as a base. As explained in an earlier article on Green paints, these contain Volatile Organic Compounds. However, they are still widely used, and for good reason. They provide a very durable layer, and resist wear and tear. They are also slightly more difficult to use, being thicker. Since they will not allow moisture to pass through them, you will often see ‘bubbles’ on the surface of dried paint.

Water based paints

These are also called ‘latex’ based paints, though they don’t really contain latex. They are easier to use, and clean up. They are also considered to have a better finish than oil based paints. As also explained earlier, they are classified as ‘Zero VOC’, and is thus preferred nowadays for health reasons.

Good quality Latex based paints, use acrylic resins, and are more durable.

Consult with a professional before deciding what type of paint to use for your interiors and exteriors.

In a previous blog post, you read about what Eco friendly paint is. In this article, we will learn some more about them. During the curing and evaporating process, paints release their solvents in the atmosphere. You remember our articles explaining solvents right?

The release of these Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) into the atmosphere, can precipitate effects ranging from Ozone Depletion, to smog, and yes, to Global Warming too. Public sentiment has only been getting stronger in the past few years, and unlike the 1990’s, where the introduction of Green paints bombed, the latest revolution is not going to end.

Image Credit: Sunfrog1

The crux of the matter however, is that painting experts maintain that, despite what the marketers say, paints without VOC’s don’t perform as well as paints that have them. They claim that they require more coats to achieve the same finish, and are not as long lasting.

However, with VOC’s being linked to dizziness, and asthma, public demand is only getting stronger, and the industry has no choice but to respond.

One solution, is to use Latex Paints, that are water based, with an acrylic resin acting as a binder. In addition to being environmentally friendly - Water based means no more VOCs - Latex paints have several other advantages over traditional paints including washability, and better opacity (Ability to completely cover another color).

Of course, being water based means that the Latex paints cannot be used to paint iron, as it will speed up the rusting process. Even so, there is a distinct trend towards latex paints, and new innovations are popping up everywhere.

The term ‘Green Paints’ can not only refer to the overt effects of the paint itself, but the manufacturing process that is followed in order to obtain the paint ingredients. For example, Titanium Dioxide, is widely used in paints for it’s whiteness, and for the fact that it has high ‘Hiding power’. This refers to the refractive index of the material. If the refractive index is high, it will provide greater opacity when it is disbursed in a solvent.

Titanium Dioxide

However, Titanium Dioxide is manufactured by processes called the sulphate, and chloride processes that resulted in diluted Sulphuric acid being created as a by product. These were dispersed into the sea, prompting debate on whether or not this was acceptable. It also meant that all substances that were dissolved in the acid, would also be released into the sea.

Quite apart from more efficient manufacturing practices, Titanium Dioxide, when applied as an exterior coating, reacts with sunlight causing smog. The International Agency for research on Cancer (IARC), has also classified Titanium Dioxide as an IARC Group 2B carcinogen, which means that it is probably an agent leading to the promotion of cancer in humans. Despite this, Titanium Dioxide is widely used.

Given the serious health and environmental damage that paints can have directly through their effects, as well as indirectly through their manufacture, Eco Friendly paints are set to have a major impact on the industry, as well as changing the way we view paint.

You have probably come across the term “Enamel Paint”. Like varnish, it is used to create a hard glossy finish on the substrate that is being enameled.

The special substances that allow Enamel paint to achieve this effect, are nonetheless inferior to true enameling. Real Enameling, also called vitreous enamel, consists of powdering glass, and firing it onto the substance at 850 degrees Celsius. The glass melts onto the surface, and presents a smooth glossy surface that is extremely resilient.

Image Credit: jurvetson

Enamel paints however, can be made simply by adding varnish to regular paint! Most Enamel paint of course, is a bit more complex than that. The modern paints are Latex or water based. The paint is also more opaque than ordinary paint.

Enamel Paint can be used for a wide variety of purposes, like covering concrete floors, industrial uses where the paint has to be extremely quick drying, making a substance heat resistant, or providing special protection to objects that are prone to rust. Nowadays, spray paints are packaged in cans, and these are also enamel paints.

Enamel paints are popular since their hardness allows them to withstand repeated cleaning, and binds well to just about any surface, old and new.

The brush is the staple item of the painter’s repertoire. It is his prime means of applying the medium of paint onto a variety of surfaces. Depending on the purpose of the painting, and on the effect that the painter is trying to achieve, a wide variety of brushes can be used.

Image Credit: merfam

The brushes vary in thickness, and material used to make the bristles. For a long time, natural hair was the preferred choice for making the bristles of a brush due to their tendency to hang on to the paint, and allow the painter to achieve an even consistency with the brush. However, with the advent of synthetic bristles, more and more brushes use them, since they are cheaper, and constantly improving as well.

It is generally accepted that brushes should not be exposed to different types of paint in their lifetime. For example, acrylic paint brushes must not be mixed with oil brushes, as it will reduce the life of the brush. Cleaning the brush is very important after painting. The common technique is to use a solvent to clean them off, and some painters even finish with a detergent. Also, several painters are very particular about the brush keeping it’s shape, and will not leave them upside down in the solvent for long periods of time.

So if you’re planning to coat your walls with paint, be sure to take some professional advice on which brushes to buy, and how to care for them.