Wood is an excellent practical material used in construction. It has a beautiful appearance, eco-friendly and very warm. However, the tree requires proper care, because untreated wood is often covered with cracks and fungi, and then rots quickly. As one of the most convenient and practical materials for protecting this building material, wood enamel is used.
The use of paint in construction and repair work is one of the most popular options for finishing work, including the decoration of wooden surfaces. What is the big advantage of this material - you can apply it yourself, without resorting to the services of construction crews. To do this, you need to know what paint to choose when finishing a particular material, as well as to understand the method of applying it to the surface.
Composition and types of paints
The composition of enamel for wood must include the following elements:
- Base - a substance that binds all the components of the paint, which forms a protective film on the surface after complete drying.
- Pigment is the color component of any paint. From its quantity and quality depends how tightly the enamel for the tree will cover the surface.
- A filler that will give shine and strength. Chalk, talc, mica, dolomite are usually used as fillers.
- Various additives: hardeners, thickeners, elements of wood protection against fungus, fire-resistant dampers.
When choosing high-quality enamel on wood, the place of its application must be taken into account. If there is a need to apply paint to the facade of buildings, fences, etc., then it cannot be used for internal work, because it will not withstand the effects of external environmental factors. For interior decoration, such paints can be used: alkyd, acrylic, water-dispersible, polyurethane and oil.
Alkyd
They include alkyd varnish, which is based on a dense resin solution in which glycerin, vegetable oils and rosin are added. Various components that enhance the properties of the paint are also added. The resulting composition is diluted with a solvent.
This paint dries for a long time (at least a couple of days), but it retains its color and protective qualities perfectly, is quite durable. Alkyd enamel for wood can be used for outdoor applications. Of its main advantages, the following can be distinguished: it is durable, has water-repellent properties, is much cheaper than other types of paints, perfectly protects the tree from fungus and decay, and is difficult to mechanical effects. The best place to use alkyd enamel is a wooden floor. The choice of such paints in construction stores is huge, so before buying you need to carefully study the recommendations for their use in order to choose the best option.
One of the best alkyd enamels is PF-115. It is weatherproof, wear-resistant, has many matte and glossy colors, suitable for interior and exterior use. Among the minuses of PF-115, one can note the drying time - about a day. In addition, this paint contains some harmful substances.
Acrylic
This type of enamel for wood is beneficial in terms of low cost. This is the cheapest type of paint, despite the fact that their quality is not inferior to any other type. They are also very practical: they tolerate the effects of external environmental factors well, dry quickly, shelf life - at least three years. When applied to the surface, acrylic creates a dense coating that can withstand mechanical stress.
These paints are quite waterproof, reliably protect the tree from decay and destruction, can be tinted with pigment in almost any color that does not fade under the influence of sunlight. Modern technology allows us to constantly improve the quality of acrylic paint through the use of new polymers. If you need to use acrylic water-dispersion paint, you need to pay attention to the indicators of its whiteness and concealment. The higher the whiteness level declared by the manufacturer, the cleaner and better the pigment that is added to such a paint.
By the degree of whiteness, the paint can be superwhite, white, milk. Shelter describes the number of layers of paint that must be applied to completely hide the surface to be treated. Accordingly, the lower this indicator, the lower the paint consumption in operation. If it is necessary to use paint to protect a wooden surface, it is imperative to pay attention that it is intended to work with wood.
disadvantages
If you point out the disadvantages of such a paint, then the following can be noted:
- When tinting with dye, it is necessary to take into account the volume of paint immediately over the entire area of the surface to be treated, since when tinting a subsequent volume it will be very difficult to get into the desired shade.
- Paint stains that form when it is applied must be removed immediately, otherwise a special solvent will have to be used.
- It is impossible to leave the container with the paint open, because it dries very quickly and can become unusable.
Water dispersion
The basis for the dilution of such a paint is water, respectively, water-dispersion paints are the most environmentally friendly and safe. Their basis is resin or oil.
The paint itself is made in the form of a liquid paste, which is diluted with water immediately before use to the desired consistency. After applying to the treated surface, water evaporates from the paint, the base hardens and acquires its protective properties.
Benefits
The advantages of water-based enamel for wood are as follows:
- harmlessness (dries quickly, only water evaporates);
- fire safety;
- simplicity in operation;
- has a significant service life (from 10 years or more);
- water resistance;
- this enamel for wood is odorless (this plus is especially evident when covering large surfaces or prolonged work during the day).
The main disadvantage of this paint is the requirements for storage conditions. Water-dispersion paints must be stored at a temperature not lower than 0 º.
Polyurethane
They are based on a substance that provides such paints with a significant density and viscosity, an excellent protective base for the treated wooden surface. The color spectrum of such paints is quite wide. The main positive qualities include: moisture resistance, ability to withstand chemical and mechanical effects, significant temperature changes, non-toxicity and fire-fighting properties. Before using polyurethane paints, they must be diluted with a solvent.
Oil
These are paints that have a long service life and are resistant to moisture. However, they have a pungent odor and considerable drying time.
The choice of colors for rooms
Before painting the wooden base in the room, you need to make sure that the applied paint will not have a further effect on the human body, and its composition will allow cleaning in rooms without traces on painted surfaces. When choosing a good enamel for a tree, the following should be considered:
- It is customary to paint wooden floors, interior doors, corners and baseboards with environmentally friendly paints with a water base.
- It is recommended that the walls of a house built of wooden beams be painted with acrylics. It will hide all the roughness and roughness of the material, and due to its properties it will keep dry and warm in the room.
- The room for the child is best painted with easily removable acrylic paints. When choosing a manufacturer, you need to pay attention so that the enamel does not contain chemical elements that can affect the child's body. As a rule, such paints are marked with special designations.
- For coloring the kitchen and bath, it is best to choose acrylic paints, because they most reliably protect the surface from the appearance of fungi and rot. For the kitchen, it is advisable to choose a paint that will wash away grease and dirt.
- When painting walls in the corridor, acrylic-latex paints that are resistant to mechanical and chemical influences are usually used.
- If there are farm buildings in the house, then they are usually painted with inexpensive acrylic paints.
Also, do not forget that before applying the paint, the tree must be treated with antiseptic agents that will protect the material from pests and fungi from the inside.
Which manufacturers to choose?
Wood enamels for outdoor and indoor use, which are presented in construction stores, are produced by a sufficiently large number of both domestic and foreign manufacturers. All these enamels are good enough, but the most serious manufacturers that have proven their best are German and Finnish companies.
- The most popular is the Finnish company Tikkurila. It is one of the best paint manufacturers in the world with over 100 years of experience. It produces both facade paint and interior paint. Enamel for wood "Tikkurila" is distinguished by color and durability, withstands excellent wet cleaning using detergents.
- Zobe is a German manufacturer of paints for interior woodwork. The company produces high-quality products that can withstand both sudden changes in temperature and exposure to sunlight.
- Remmers GmbH is a leading German manufacturer of water-based paints and varnishes with high mechanical protection and weather resistance. It is characterized by high drying speed.
- Among domestic manufacturers, the company LZ "Rainbow" can be noted. The most famous is FORWOOD paint with a service life of 5-6 years, it has no smell, and contains antiseptic additives. The drying speed of quick-drying enamel is up to 1 hour.
- The company "Optimist" - a large manufacturer of inexpensive acrylic paints for woodwork. Its main feature is low consumption and high quality base shelter.
- “Drevoplast” is another manufacturer of enamel for the interior decoration of wooden surfaces. Basically, it contains special elements, alkides, which provide excellent application and surface protection from environmental factors. After application, it forms a surface resembling liquid plastic.
Application technology
The technology of applying paints is standard: you can use brushes, a roller, a spray. Painting is carried out strictly along the fibers of the tree. It is worth considering that each subsequent coat of paint is applied only after the previous one has completely dried. Aerosol enamels for wood are also popular. Before work, the can should be well shaken and then slowly apply an even layer.
Conclusion
In general, we can say that any of the above paints is perfect for processing walls, floors, and ceilings. Also, when applying paint, it should be borne in mind that too bright tones in large quantities can adversely affect the visual perception of the room. At the same time, you can try to mix brighter colors with darker colors, unless, of course, the paints are uniform in composition, and achieve bold and unexpected results. It should be borne in mind that rooms with insufficient lighting are always best painted with bright and light colors.
If the issue of repairing a house, apartment or recreation area was on the agenda, then you can safely use paint for finishing, because modern technology allows you to produce environmentally friendly paints that dry almost instantly, have no smell and are convenient to use.