Do you know your paint?

I got called for a construction project once and one of the things that the client and I could not agree on was the paint, and I’m not talking about the colour schemes but the brand.

Sounds a bit trivial, right? Wrong! Apparently, a business partner of his owned a paint-making factory and in an effort to support his business, he was going to be a supplier.

Need I say the total cost was going to be cheaper? I lost the debate and work commenced but no sooner had it done so than I received a distressing call from my painter telling me that he would rather forfeit the job than use the poor quality paints supplied. We had to buy fresh paint.

There are various types of paint available on the market and are made specifically for particular use. So not to get yourself in a bit of a pickle, here are the basics:

Egg shell paint; this paint has low shine and 80 per cent of the time is used on commercial jobs such as apartments.

Satin, also called Lo-lustre; is mainly used in medium to high traffic areas such as nursery schools where crayons may be used on the wall.

Semi-gloss; has a medium to high sheen and is used in high traffic areas, that is, places where splatters and people touching the walls are a guarantee. Different manufacturers produce varying levels of shine in their semi-gloss.

High gloss; is best suited for high traffic areas such as kitchens where lots of grease and grime is found and can be washed off very easily.

Personally, I think it is safe to stick to brands that have stood the test of time. But this doesn’t mean upcoming ones are inferior although the risks are high with new brands.

Know the difference
So how can you tell superior paint from inferior paint? Here is how;
• Superior paint goes on the walls much faster and easier. It spreads beautifully, hiding all the imperfections on the wall.
• Good quality paint may seem expensive in the beginning but turns out to be cheaper because you don’t have to use lots of it to cover an area.
• Superior paint holds up better when you clean. You can wash the dust, dirt and grime as opposed to having to paint all over again.
• The manner in which the paint pigment performs on the wall determines its quality. Superior paint spreads evenly such that you don’t have patches that seem darker than other areas.