Paints and Coatings form an essential part of everyone’s life. Whether you are a homemaker or a big-time industrialist, the importance of paints and coatings in daily walks of life cannot be neglected.

But, what makes colors an inseparable entity of our lives?

The responses to this may vary depending on the choice and decision of end-users. Besides, the cost of the job to be performed influences the selection of paint applications. Mostly, the nature of the paint application and the choice of end-users decide the final flow.

According to Grand View Research, the commercial market for residential paints and coatings is a booming one and offers lucrative paint applications for resident users at affordable prices.

The paints and coatings industry was valued at USD 146.2 billion in 2019 is expected to grow robustly in the coming few years in the consumer market and will be highly driven by awareness. For instance, in many countries, it is a common belief about home colour designs impact the mood.

Generally, the end-users find themselves juggling over the choice for the best paint combination and finish for interior walls that goes fluid with the space of the room. Hence, the selection of the right paint colour is extremely important for satisfaction.

But, how?

The following mini-guides can help you understand what all you need to know about paints and coatings before finalizing the contents.

1. Types of Paint Primer:

To make a choice, it is essential to remain aware and realistic with the the type of paints. In urban cities, many prefer going ahead with primers, base coat and top coat, but without the basic understanding, it can cost you a fortune.

A paint primer is intended to provide a stability on walls before applying a paint. Their purpose is to enable a smooth coating for walls so that subsequent layers of paints can be applied effectively. There are various type of primers available in the market based on your requirement. The three basic types of paint primer are oil-based, latex-based and shellac primers. Depending on the end-use application, these can be further categorized as drywall primer, wood primer, masonry primer, stain-blocking primer and bonding primer.

•   Understanding the difference:

Now that you’ve glanced at paint primers, the next part to understand is the difference between the type of primers.

Oil- based Primers	An oil-based primer is basically used for enamel paints. It is usually used for woodwork, doors, windows or metal work. Oil-based primers are recommended for cleanup and sealing purposes. It highly features in durability, longevity and smoothness on walls. Consistence in quality is one of the major significance it offers.
Latex-based Primers	Water based primers are also termed as latex-based primers that is highly effective against stains and cracking. It is significantly used for great finish on drywall. Since, it is made up of acrylic resins it is affordable over oil-based primers. Latex-based primer paints bond well with old wood or the one that is already sanded. The only prerequisite is the temperature condition should be over 50o or 90oF. Moreover, it doesn’t go well with damaged or weathered woods. In reality, latex is preferred for its odorless and low VOC emission features for various in-house paint applications.
Shellac Primers	Shellac based primers cover heavy stains and prevents the problem of stains from knot-bleeding. Shellac softens in high temperatures for using it on exterior surfaces. It is also advantageous in freezing temperatures and are the only primers to work effectively under cold temperatures.

• What suits the best? Water-based or Oil-Paints:

When we talk about paints, we tend to mention about the types of solvent used in the paint, i.e. the liquid component of the paint. Oil-based paints constitute mineral turpentine which is usually used as a solvent in the making of the paint. On the other hand, water-based paints contain resins, acrylics, pigment and binders mixed with water. These type of paints also comply easily with VOC regulations and are environment friendly paints with zero harm on human health.

So, let’s quickly compare both to know the better choice to be made:

	Oil-Based Paints	Water-Based Paints
Environment Regulations:	Oil-based paints have a huge commercial value with a high adoption rate in the industrial and housing sector. Although, oil-based paints have a lot to offer in the consumer market, oil based products have to comply with stringent regulations pertaining to environment emissions.	Water-based paints are popular among the household sector and gel easily with environmental regulations. Eventually, all water-based paints are highly relevant for various applications.
Shine:	When it comes to shine, oil-based paints score much better and are generally used as a top coat for living room walls or ceiling wall. But, the downfall is it cannot hide imperfections and turns yellowish with time.	However, as compared to this, water-based paints are much viable in terms of crack resistance and yellowing. Although, the shine isn’t that great but it can easily hide the irregularity and imperfections. Also, as the quality of the paint goes higher, it contains more acrylic.
Cleanup:	Oil-based paint applications penetrate deeply in the wood and perform better than latex applications. Also, oil-based paints scores higher over latex in terms of penetration for complex situations. However, the only issue with oil-based paints is hardening as they age and this can turn harsh for exterior applications. Therefore, mineral spirits are used as cleanup materials in case of oil-based paints.	As discussed earlier, water-based paints offer high flexibility after drying to enable a smooth finish. Since, it is mostly used for domestic applications, the cleanup material is water.

• Know the Cost:

So, until now, you’ve got a fair picture, what goes well!! Now let’s quickly zero down on the costs involved.

The initial cost breakup is comprised of paint costs, surface area to be covered, labour charges (involving sanding, primer coat, and finish coat). The actual cost labour can vary with the type of finish coat in latter stages. But, the foremost important factor is to decide on the type of paint coat (whether oil-based or water-based).

Hence, your painting project depends on the nature of repairs (repaint or crack fixes), and selection of oil-based or water-based paints. Based on this, the best quotation for labour charges can be sought. However, the labour charges can vary on the city or location you’re currently living in.

• The Big Finish:

Painting can be a big achievement if you’re a DIY enthusiast. This can save your time as well avoid any jinx later. Being a DIY enthusiast, it is recommended that you protect your surrounding areas i.e. cover your furniture, flooring and other commodities by using a painter’s tape or covering the essentials with a stack of old newspapers. This can look naive, but paints can stick to surface of commodities of essential use and might result in permanent damage of household commodities.

Sanding is a good practice to ensure a smooth and stable surface so that dust does not remain on the applicant areas. Next, priming your walls makes the paint job easier and results in long-lasting finish. Use a roller for priming, let the walls dry and apply base coat and top coat accordingly.

To enable a durable finish, you can inspect your walls for any surface imperfections. If you detect any imperfection, you can sand these cracks and fill them with sealant and adhesives. This can be followed by applying a prime coat (you can skip this step if done already) so that the paint remains firm.

At last:

House painting is a well-performed task to be done meticulously. The choice of paint design, combination, colour, and finish are some of the important stages before narrowing down to painting. Precisely, considering every element during the painting stages is one of the best approaches to begin with.

Author Bio:

Saket Panicker

Team Lead at Grand View Research, Inc.

Saket is a full-time business writer for Grand View Research which is an India & U.S. based market research and consulting company. His ability to connect with the readers brings simplicity and clarity on the subject. His core expertise on subjects related to healthcare, information technology, consumer goods, and chemicals prove insightful for the readers.