High-quality paint can mean the difference between picking up peeling paint off your lawn in a few years time and not seeing another painter at your home for 10 years or more. If you’re going to the expense of having your home painted, you want to know that it’ll look good not just now, but for years to come.
Quality paint not only looks good but protects your home from weather, heat and humidity. The quality of your paint can protect your asset and save you money in repairs for a long time to come. High-quality paint is a relatively minor investment when considering the overall cost of painting your home. Especially when you take into consideration the length of time a high-quality paint job will last before needing repainting, meaning you will save money in the long run. But what makes a paint high-quality and low-quality? There are three main things to consider when buying your paint.
Quality Paint Has Better and More Pigments
The colour of your paint is made up of two key ingredients; pigments and colourants. If you’ve ever gone to your local paint store or paint section in your local hardware store for paint matching, colourants are what are added here to tweak the colour of the paint to your exact specifications. The pigment, on the other hand, is a compound added that gives the paint its full and luscious colour. It is the pigment that creates the opacity of the paint and this means the better quality and higher concentration of pigment the paint has, the better it is at covering the surface in a thick, consistent layer.
The main pigment in high-quality paints is titanium dioxide which is a pure white pigment (otherwise known as a prime pigment) that makes its colour pop. Cheaper pigments (known as extender pigments) such as clay, silica and talc are more prevalent in cheaper paints and will require more coats to provide the same coverage when compared to paint with high levels of titanium dioxide.
Quality Paint Lasts Longer
You want the paint to look good and you want it to stick to the surface in a durable manner that lasts for years and years. Binders (or resins) are what help the paint bond to the surface. A paint with quality binders will resist cracking and peeling to remain a smooth, solid and consistent layer over years of punishment from the elements. Polymers act as binders in latex paints and the ideal polymer is plentiful and small. This helps it fill all the minuscule nooks and crannies of the painting surface and adhere to it strongly.
Glossy paint has more binders and less pigment than matte paint. It’s the binders that create the sheen. Higher quality paint will have more binders that are of higher quality compared to lower quality paint. The binders are the most expensive component of the paint and therefore cheap paints by definition won’t last as long.
Quality Paint Has Better Additives
The perfect ratio of additives is what gives high-quality paint the rest of its desirable physical qualities. It’s a fine balance of chemicals that needs to be just right to make the paint versatile and long-lasting. Liquids, colourants and solvents are just a few of the additives in paint. Chemical engineers work mostly in secret to create, develop and test paints that stand the test of time.
Additives also help the paint soak into the surface for better adhesion or to stabilise the colour. Other additives reduce foaming when the paint is mixed or assist the paint to transfer from the brush/roller to the surface. Thanks to the proper additives, high-quality latex paint will brush on as smooth as oil-based paint.
McAuliffe Paint Uses All High-Quality Paints
At McAuliffe Painting, we only use high-quality paints to ensure your new paint job stands the test of time. However, it’s not only the quality of the paint but the way in which the surface is prepared prior to painting that ensures a long-lasting paint job. We are the experts in exterior and interior painting and we have the know-how to properly prepare any surface prior to painting.
Having professionals prepare your walls will ensure you get the most life possible out of your paint. We have experience painting buildings of all sizes and purposes, both residential and commercial, across Brisbane. Our reputation is built on ensuring our customers receive a quality paint job that lasts them for years to come. Contact us today on 1300 733 447 to discuss your next painting project.