www.selifestyle.com · sePTemBeR 2009 · soUTHeAsT Lifestyle 3 If walls were your canvas, what would you paint? - by Denise H. Osborne AIDP, IDS robably the number one question people ask me is "What color should I paint the walls?" I recently attended a seminar for a Continuing Education Unit from Benjamin Moore called "Paint 101" last month thinking that I really didn't need this credit. Boy, was I wrong! Paint continues to improve and since it is the #1 question that is requested from me, I thought I would share what I learned about specifying paint. Designers typically have preferences in the brands they specify usually because they like the colors in the line. Painters like to use certain brands for a variety of reasons; some don't care what line they use, but it is always good to discuss this with whoever is specifying the paint. I used to not care what brand was used, however, experience has taught me otherwise. Paint has different grades. There is Premium, Commercial, Environmental, and Builder Grades. It is important to decide which grade best suits your project. The different grades typically involve cost of the paint, the amount of coverage, and the amount of colorant used in each grade. Premium refers to the best quality of paint, Commercial is the grade usually sold to the professional painter's market, Environmental paint is designer to have low or zero VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), and Builder grades are usually sold were cost is the concern. Paint also has different sheens. There is Flat/Matte, Eggshell, Pearl, Satin, Semi-Gloss, and High Gloss. Sheens are important to choose. The rule of thumb is, the higher the gloss, P the more durable the paint. However, that does not mean you should choose high gloss for your project. Then you have Primers which are the base coat that ensure the topcoat adheres, boost the topcoat's hiding power and prolongs the life of the paint job. Primers are specially formulated for the type of substrate (what you are painting) such as wallboard, plaster, wood, smooth or rough masonry. It is also important whether you are painting interior or exteriors. Paint is composed of solvent, binder/resin, pigments/color, and additives. Now paint has vinyl latex and acrylic latex. Latex is washable and Acrylics are more scrubbable. The two most common types of acrylics are 100% Acrylics and Waterborne Acrylics. Alkyds are synthetic oil base resins. They are slower drying with a longer odor life. Oil base paints require a solvent for clean up. Epoxys have exceptional adhesion and there are two types: waterborne acrylic and waterborne polyamide. Additives such as mildewcides and ultra violet protection are available. Just when you think you understand, then you need to know whether what you are painting over is oil based or latex. Sometimes that is hard to tell, but good painters can tell you which is which. If you are sensitive to the smell Walls continued on page 8