Be Responsible Of Choosing Paint
By painting something well, you ensure that it lasts longer. A longer lifespan of, for example, your wooden frames or a piece of furniture is good for the environment. But the production and transport of paint and the substances contained in paint are harmful. They affect nature and the landscape and contribute to climate change. The tips from will help you choose responsible paint. No paint can be said to be an environmentally friendly choice in all applications. What is certain is that the environmental impact of paint is lowest if you need less of it and the paint layer lasts as long as possible. You can take care of that with the right paint to properly pre-treat the substrate and maintain paint layers in good time.
Good covering paint prevents disappointment
The degree of coverage of paint can be recognized by the ‘number of m2 per liter’ stated on the packaging. The higher that number, the better the coverage. With paint with a high degree of coverage, you need to apply fewer layers for a nice, even covering result. This is especially important if you want to paint over a dark color with a light one. Cheap paints often cover less well, so you need more paint and probably take longer to finish your painting job. It certainly pays to compare different brands before buying. Based on the coverage ratio, you can also calculate how much paint you will need.
Paint adheres better to a good surface
Choose a paint that matches the surface you are going to paint. Clean and smooth the surface and repair any damage and irregularities. The paint will then adhere better and the result will remain beautiful for longer. This prevents you from having to repaint quickly. Moreover, fewer microplastics are released in this way, because the paint wears less quickly.
Pre-treatment
Substrates that have not been previously painted or treated in any other way require pre-treatment. This also applies if you have completely removed the old coat of paint. Depending on the type of surface, there are different products for this: primer, primer, fixer, or primer. Ask the shop which pre-treatment best suits the substrate and the paint you want to use.
Other application? Different types of paint!
The place or object you want to use the paint for determines which paint you need. Varnish, lacquer, and stain are used for wood, and for walls and ceilings, there are, for example, latex and wall paint. Then there are also paints with special extra properties, depending on the room you want to paint. Preferably choose a water-based paint, which contains fewer substances that are harmful to the environment and your health. The paint shop can advise you on the right paint for your job.
Anti-fungal paint for damp areas
In a bathroom or shower cubicle and in rooms that are difficult to ventilate, it is useful to choose special moisture-resistant wall and ceiling paint. You can also opt for mold-resistant paint here. Do not just take any latex or natural paint, because they are sensitive to mold. Remove existing mold well before applying the paint.
Scrub-resistant paint for children’s room or kitchen
Is it important that you can properly clean a wall? Then look at the packaging for the scrub resistance (in 5 classes): class 1 is the most scrub-resistant and therefore easy to clean, class 5 can’t even stand a wet cloth. Lime paint and mineral paint can never be cleaned properly. Latex and natural paint are usually more resistant to cleaning, but they are more prone to mold and discoloration.
Exterior painting
If you are going to paint wooden doors, windows, or frames that lead to the outside, pay attention to the moisture permeability of the paint. The paint on the inside must be less permeable to moisture than the paint on the outside. This ensures that moisture from the house cannot penetrate into the wood, while it cannot get out on the other side. If this difference is not there (or the wrong way round), moisture problems will arise in the wood. The result may be that the paint layer on the outside will come off. Also, don’t forget to paint the top and bottom of doors and windows. How much moisture a paint lets through (also called vapor permeability) depends on the concentration of solvent (such as white spirit, but also water): more solvent means less moisture-permeable. The inside of the door or frame, therefore, needs paint that contains more solvent than the paint you use on the outside. Paint in light colors is more resistant to the influence of the sun. So preferably choose light colors for exterior painting, in any case for windows, doors, and cladding that are on the sunny side. With light colors, your paintwork will last longer, which saves work for yourself but is also good for your wallet and the environment.
