Repair in the apartment is both a horror and a dream of every inhabitant. This is understandable - and I want to, and pricks, as the saying goes. But here you are firmly decided to make repairs, and a whole host of questions immediately rains down on you. It is also good when the repair is ongoing, and you do not need to change anything dramatically, but if everything is serious, then there are not only more questions, they also grow in scale. Indeed, deciding on new cabinets for dishes is much easier than choosing the color of paint for the walls. In addition to this, other problems often arise, such as the floor, ceiling, etc. In fact, the list is almost endless. But today it’s better to focus on one thing, and this will be the answer to the question “How to choose paint for the walls in the apartment?”
The beginning of the process - the first difficulties
At first glance, there is nothing complicated in choosing the color of the walls. Well, the truth is, you just have to remember your own favorite color and compare everything with the overall design of the room. But here the problems begin. The seller can "advise you" - in fact, he will simply give you a whole bunch of shades, and you will have to suffer for a long time, choosing the one that suits more of several hundred almost identical colors. But the problems are just beginning - after painting the shade will be a little different ...
And so on to infinity. So the question “how to choose the paint for the walls in the apartment” is not as simple as it seems at first glance. But we will try to figure it out.
Paint process
It is worth saying a few words about this, simply because in any case you have to go to a hardware store and choose the right paint. It would be better to explain everything at once in order to avoid awkward situations on the spot. On the shelves of construction stores you will see only white paints - these are the so-called bases on which the desired color is created. Agree, it’s simply pointless to keep several tens of thousands of different colors in warehouses - it’s not known whether anyone will come for this particular shade. Therefore, most building materials supermarkets use the services of computer equipment - a special machine based on the already mentioned databases will make you paint of absolutely any shade. Moreover, two bases are mainly used: the first is for pastel tones, and it is initially very dense. If the base is translucent, then you are in the second number - it is used to produce bright colors and shades. Sometimes also manufacturers take a transparent version (practically) for black or glossy substrates.
Alternative way out of the impasse
Of course, you can not trust computers - therefore, manual colorants are sold on the market, but the difficulties associated with this can become too great for an inexperienced person:
- How to choose the paint for the walls in the apartment, if you do not know how it will look before painting? The shade that you mix is far from identical to the one that appears on the walls after painting and drying. You yourself have to deal with this problem.
- Colorants also do not always adhere to the laws of color familiar to you, for example, mixing yellow with red, you may not get orange at all.
- If you need to paint one wall, experiment yourself, but one can is not enough for the whole room, and to repeat the same shade is almost impossible. People can’t measure by eye in micrograms, and the count goes on them.
In general, it’s better for you not to create problems for yourself and choose computer tinting - this is what most professional builders do.
Paint options
What paint is better to choose for walls? It depends not only on the color or manufacturer, but also on the type of paint. Today, two types are mainly used - solvent based and water based. Further we will tell a little more about each of them.
The first option is well suited for harsh environments, such as bathrooms or kitchens, since the walls can be washed even with household products. It is better to paint wood or metal with these paints - and even outside the room. The fact is that alkyd paints are not particularly healthy.
In turn, water-based paints are most often chosen specifically for indoor work. Most of these products are safe throughout their entire life cycle. In addition, such paints “breathe” while not letting water pass. Also, fire safety is at a high level - water-based paints do not burn. They have more prosaic advantages - they do not leak during operation, and you can clean them after painting with just a damp cloth.
Options for bathrooms and kitchens
If you decide to use paint in the decoration of such rooms as a bathroom or kitchen, then you will have to look for the answer to the question "Washable paint for walls - how to choose it?" With the kitchens it’s clear - grease, spray and so on. But for baths this is also critical - the overall humidity there is significantly higher than in other rooms, which means that the paint must withstand such a pressure.
It is better to use water-repellent acrylic types of paints in such cases - the walls can be not only soaked, but also washed using household chemicals. In addition, vapor impermeability, which prevents condensation under the paint layer, is also a very serious advantage over analogues. But even such paint can not be used on wet walls - they must be dry during work.
Water based paints
This type of product is used when you need to keep the walls or ceiling intact as long as possible. It has several advantages and disadvantages. The first is that almost all types of water-based paints (and there are quite a lot of them) are resistant to wiping, pressure, climatic, temperature and atmospheric influences.
The fact is that the smallest particles of polymers enter the paint, which after drying form a kind of film on top of the wall. Here you need to remember that such a film, albeit quite stable, but not intended for wet cleaning - you only need to use a dry rag, otherwise the paint layer can quickly rinse off. Although this problem is not typical for all paints of this type - some (for example, acrylic, or latex) perfectly resist not only water, but also household chemicals, and therefore you can not judge all at once. It is better to find out everything before going to the store, so that you know how to choose a water-based paint for walls.
Properties of washable paints
Such products are mainly characterized by a very high concentration of binders in their composition - you can take care of them during wet cleaning using household detergents. This will not damage the coating precisely due to the concentration of the binder - for a similar reason, such surfaces are quite hard and resistant to various contaminants and damage.
Walls covered with such paint can look different. The surface can form both glossy and semi-gloss films, which greatly expands the possibilities of using such paints in the interior.
Some nuances of work
At that moment, when you have already decided which paint to choose for the walls in the apartment, you should think about the rules of work. Actually, these rules are not difficult, but painting has several nuances that are worth focusing on:
- It is better to choose products that dry longer. This may seem counterintuitive or inconvenient, but it is such a paint that will ultimately look great on the wall, since it will much better spread and stretch over its entire surface.
- It is best to prepare the plane using materials from the same company that produces the paint. In this way, unwanted chemical reactions can be avoided.
- A wall painted in one tone should not have defects - with one color they will appear much stronger than you think, and it will be very difficult not to notice them.
- Weigh the pros and cons of gloss - it is more beautiful than matte coatings, it is easier to clean, and it is not so easy to get dirty. But one significant drawback outweighs everything - any scratch or kinks will be visible.
10 tips on how to choose the paint for the walls in the apartment
- Narrow your choice - ask to show only the primary colors, so as not to get lost in fifty shades of light green that you need.
- You need to choose paint not by brochures or third-party materials, but by examining the color catalog - you will be provided with it at the first request.
- Before choosing a paint for walls, remember where you will apply it. For example, too bright colors are hardly suitable for bedrooms.
- Do not listen to anyone's advice on color - this is your home and only your choice.
- Choose a slightly less saturated shade than your favorite color. A large wall will look more defiant than the pattern on the catalog page.
- Of particular importance is the texture of the walls - it must be taken into account when choosing.
- Take the time and make a test painting - a small square, this will be enough.
- Samples are best done in the room for which the color is selected. So it will be possible to better assess the future picture.
- In no case do not violate the rules of painting - this is fraught with coating problems.
- Before making conclusions about good luck or failure, wait a few days - the paint can dry completely and take a slightly different shade.
In conclusion
As you can see, the selection process is not particularly labor intensive and does not require time. A bit not what you expected to read, right? Indeed, this goes against all past advice. But here is how to choose the right paint for the walls, this is a serious question. However, if you stick to the technology and follow some simple rules, which, again, are listed above, you can easily do this task.