The growing popularity of water-based paint in recent years is due to the return to fashion of painted wallpapers, as well as simple and inexpensive tinting. At the same time, people realized that painting walls is beautiful, economical, and environmentally friendly. Refreshing the surface covered with a water emulsion is not at all difficult and is possible in 1-2 days.
Aqueous emulsion paints are a dispersion solution of polymer suspended particles and coloring pigments in water. After the moisture has dried, a thin and strong polymer film of a given color shade is formed on the surface without streaks and sagging. Modern emulsion compositions are presented in a wide range of colors and can beautifully design any interior.
Pros and cons of water emulsion
To the main merits water based paints should include:
- simple technology for the preparation of working solution;
- environmental cleanliness of the material;
- lack of sharp unpleasant odors;
- the possibility of applying to various textured surfaces;
- affordability for most of the population;
- quick drying;
- lack of dampness after staining;
- compatibility with most types of coloring pigments;
- good vapor permeability;
- simple technology for applying paint with any paint tool;
- resistance to alkalis and some other aggressive chemicals.
With a large number of pluses, the emulsion has significant limitations:
- inability to use at low temperatures;
- susceptibility to mold and mildew;
- the need for thorough preparation of the surface for painting.
As you can see, this material has more advantages than disadvantages, and this circumstance allows us to classify it as the best modern paints.
Paint selection
The correct choice of material for painting walls with water-based paint is one of the most important factors determining the quality of finishing work. The main criteria for this will be:
- color and gloss;
- hygroscopicity;
- subsequent surface care;
- estimated consumption of material for painting.
Also, an important indicator will be the cost of the paint and its availability on sale.
Color shades and shine
Ready-made colored water emulsion for sale is not always found. Most material manufacturers offer white as a base color and a wide range of coloring pigments. Thanks to this, customers are given the opportunity to get more than 200 different colors and shades by mixing various dyes.
Some paint retailers provide paint mixing services to produce the right color composition. You simply select the color shade you like from the catalog and for a small fee the seller will prepare it. This is convenient, but, if desired, you can prepare the desired composition yourself. For this:
- add a small amount of pigment to the white paint and write down the ratio of the number of components;
- mix thoroughly;
- apply the composition to a small area of the wall.
After 3-4 hours, you will be able to see how the surface will look after drying. If necessary, you can add white paint or pigment and repeat the result check.
The water-based paints produced differ in gloss after drying and are divided into 5 categories:
- deeply matte;
- just matte;
- semi-matte;
- semi-gloss;
- glossy.
The higher the haze, the more respectably the surface looks, but any wall defects appear sharper. Therefore, for matte coatings, a more thorough, and therefore more time-consuming preparation of the surface for painting is required. The optimal and most popular option is the use of semi-gloss or semi-gloss paint.
Hygroscopicity
The concept of hygroscopicity determines the resistance of the paint to moisture. For the bathroom, hallway and living room you need to buy a different paint. When buying this factor, you need to pay attention to choose a moisture-resistant brand for the bathroom, and the usual one for the living room and the nursery.
Surface care
Options for possible care of the painted surface depend on the basis on which the paint material is made. She may be:
- mineral;
- acrylic;
- silicate;
- silicone.
At the heart of mineral paints cement or lime, so they are sold at the lowest price. But the high hygroscopicity of the applied layer does not allow cleaning in a wet and wet way. As a result, the surface quickly loses its beautiful appearance and requires updating.
Acrylic paints distinguished by a long service life, the admissibility of any method of care, the optimal ratio of price and quality. When applied in 3 layers or more, it is able to well hide small surface defects. The material can be operated in a wide temperature range. The disadvantages include low vapor permeability, which prevents the walls from breathing freely.
Liquid glass, which is the basis silicate water-based paints, creates a thin, strong film on the surface, which provides a 20-year service life. The surface can be washed and it does not fade over time. However, the disadvantages of the material clearly outweigh the advantages. Silicate paints:
- exhibit any, even the most minor surface defects;
- cannot withstand high humidity;
- do not stick on wooden and porous surfaces;
- mix poorly with dyes.
This suggests that the use of such paintwork is better to refuse.
Silicone paints - These are the latest developments in the field of paints and varnishes. They have the longest service life, resistance to mechanical damage, high elasticity. They are waterproof and can be washed with water.
However, sophisticated manufacturing technology significantly increased the cost and made silicone paint inaccessible to most.
Paint amount calculation
If during the work it turns out that a colored water emulsion is not enough to finish them, then it will be very difficult to select the exact same color again. At the same time, the purchase of excess material leads to meaningless financial costs. Therefore, determining the required amount of paint is an important step.
In order to determine the paintwork consumption, it is necessary to calculate the surface area to be painted. Measure the perimeter of the room, multiply by the height of the ceiling and subtract the area of windows and doors from the result.
Arriving at the store, find on the label the cans of paint indicated by the manufacturer consumption of 1 m2. Multiply this value by the area of the walls and the number of coating layers. Note that the amount of paint for the second layer is 40-50% less than for the first.
The material consumption indicated on the package provides for an improved painting of the walls with water-based emulsion formulations on a pre-primed perfectly even surface with a spray gun.
To accurately determine the flow rate, corrections are required:
- lack of soil will add - 10%;
- staining of wallpaper - up to 40%;
- drywall without putty - up to 45%;
- embossed surfaces - up to 70%.
Work with a paint brush increases consumption by 10%, and with a roller - by 5%.
In order to reduce the consumption of material, it is necessary to carefully prepare the surface for painting. Align it and repair all cracks and potholes. After this, prime 2 times. Painting should start from the corners and places near the windows, using a brush. The rest of the surface can be easily treated with a roller or spray gun.
Painting tool
To do the painting of walls with water-based paint yourself, you will need:
- ladder;
- brushes and rollers (possible replacement - airbrush);
- electric drill with mixer for stirring;
- masking tape;
- cuvette for paint.
If you do not have a spray gun, then the main area of the walls is best painted with a roller, and use the brush only in hard-to-reach places. The working part of the roller can be made of foam rubber, velor or fur. What roller is better to paint the walls with emulsion paint?
Foam Paint Rollers - This is the cheapest tool that can absorb large amounts of paint. This may seem convenient, because it speeds up the work, but any increased pressure will lead to the formation of streaks and air bubbles on the surface.
Feature velor rollers It consists in a dense structure that does not give splashing, but you will very often have to dip the instrument in a cuvette to recruit a new portion of material.
Rollers made of natural and artificial fur the most expensive, but the painting will come out of high quality. When choosing this tool, pay attention to the length of the pile. Short hairs are prone to spraying material. Too long hairs can come out of the base and remain on the wall. Choose a fur roller with an average pile length.
Wall painting instruction
Painting work using aqueous emulsion compositions always includes two main stages - preparatory and direct painting. At the first stage, it is necessary to prepare the wall surface for painting. On the second - to prepare an aqueous emulsion of the desired color and density. How to paint the walls with water-based paint?
In order to ensure the required quality of the wall surface:
- free the room from furniture and cover the floors with old newspapers or film;
- remove all old trim;
- treat the wall with soil 2 times;
- align the wall, covering all cracks and other defects;
- primer the surface 1 more time.
Wall alignment can be done with drywall, cement, lime or gypsum plaster. Application of the primer will improve adhesion, strengthen the surface and provide protection against future fungus formation. As the soil, you can use ready-made compositions or dilute the emulsion of water with water in a ratio of 1: 2 and apply it in a thin layer.
Preparation of paint for work consists of two operations: obtaining the composition of the necessary density and mixing with dyes. For this, it is very convenient to use an electric drill with a mixer nozzle. If it is not, then you can mix manually, but it will take much more time and effort.
When tinting paintwork, all white paint must be poured into one large container. Add pigments little by little, mixing thoroughly. To check the color tone, apply the resulting composition to a small section of the wall and after 2-3 hours see the result. If necessary, add a little dye and repeat the operation.
Painting technology
When painting walls, the following rules must be observed:
- paint is always applied only on a dry surface;
- sunlight should not fall on a freshly painted wall;
- the presence of drafts is unacceptable;
- one wall should be painted in one go without interruption;
- for each layer of paint it is desirable to have a new roller;
- first of all, corners and places near windows are painted;
- the paint for the first coat should be more liquid.
The application of paint can be done with a brush, roller or spray gun.
Paint brushes
It should be noted right away that this method is very labor intensive, has high ink consumption and worse quality. Initially, the brushes should be soaked in water for 2-3 hours, so that the bristles do not fall out during operation.
The brush is dipped into the paint by about 1/3, after which it needs to be hit on the edge to lose excess material. The first coat of water emulsion is applied from top to bottom, starting from the top corner of the wall. Pressing the brush should be slightly, holding it perpendicular to the wall. The second layer is applied perpendicular to the first, also starting from the top corner.
Roller
- pour paint into the cuvette;
- lower the roller and, rolling it, moisten the entire surface until the fur is completely saturated;
- painting should start from any upper corner, advancing the roller according to the scheme in the form of the letter W;
- move down and up with an overlap of 5-10 cm;
- Apply the second coat only after the first has completely dried.
Airbrush
Using a spray gun gives the best quality paint, reduces material consumption and greatly simplifies the process:
- add water to the paint, so that the composition becomes slightly thinner than for the brush;
- strain the material through cheesecloth;
- apply paint from a distance of 30-50 cm;
- apply the first layer horizontally, starting from the top corner, with a speed of not more than 1 m in 5 seconds;
- lay the second layer vertically from top to bottom;
- the third layer is only after fully drying the previous one is applied in small areas.
Three-layer application of paint due to the lower density of the composition and a thinner coating.