Aqueous emulsion paint has been successfully used for a long time not only for interior decoration, but also for outdoor work. But in recent years, water-based formulations have experienced their rebirth. Designers drew attention to them. Such paints have become rapidly gaining popularity, displacing various paints and varnishes made on the basis of harmful solvents.
Unsafe oil paint, as well as nitro enamels, which were often used in our country in Soviet times, almost disappeared. Aqueous emulsion ink for walls and ceilings is a composition with small polymer particles embedded in (but not dissolved) in water, additives, fillers and pigments. After applying paint to the wall (or ceiling) and further evaporation of water (in other words, after the composition dries up), a solid and dense polymer film is formed that adheres firmly to the base.
Why is this coating attractive?
Water-based paint for walls and ceilings is universal: it can be used to finish surfaces of any type. This is plaster and drywall, wood and brick, wallpaper for painting (especially cullet) and concrete.
Choosing the necessary water-based composition, it must be borne in mind that there are several main types of water-based paints intended for decoration of different rooms. They have their advantages and disadvantages. In this article we will talk about all the pros and cons of water-based paint for walls and ceilings, how to choose the right composition, calculate the required amount of this material, and, of course, discuss how to apply the product on the surface.
What are water-based paints?
Water-based formulations are divided into several categories. Get to know them in more detail.
Acrylic paints
This is the most popular and frequently used type of coating. Water -based acrylic paint for walls and ceilings is resistant to external influences. This is largely due to the presence of acrylic resins in its composition. If contaminated, it can be washed. Therefore, it is ideal for decoration of premises, offices, etc.
Features of acrylic paints :
- Suitable for all interior and exterior use acrylic paint for walls and ceilings. Consumption - from 100 to 200 grams per square meter (depending on the manufacturer's company).
- Application to alkaline substrates (plaster) is allowed only after the surface has completely dried. This is because the hardening process of the plaster layer is quite lengthy, at least 30 days.
- They have low gas permeability and are good corrosion protection for reinforced concrete.
- Not suitable for finishing rooms with damp walls and poor waterproofing of the foundation. In this case, silicate and silicone paints are more suitable .
Silicone Resin Paints
It is the presence of silicone resins that makes these formulations expensive. They can be used for application to any mineral coatings. The main advantage of this paint is its elasticity: it paints cracks up to two millimeters. Silicone paints are vapor permeable, and, no less important, microbes do not multiply on such a coating.
All this allows you to use silicone compounds in rooms where the humidity is quite high: showers, bathrooms, kitchens, basements, etc. Due to the filling of roughness and bumps, this paint is resistant to temperature and mechanical influences, humidity. It can be applied directly to the plaster without first priming the surface.
Silicate paint
This is a mixture consisting of aqueous solution, water glass and colored pigments. Its main advantages include the absence of a surface film, which is replaced by strong chemical-physical bonds. They are very resistant to mechanical and weathering. Manufacturers of silicate paints guarantee a long service life of these compounds - about twenty years. Such paints are excellent for exterior decoration of outdoor terraces and building facades.
Polyvinyl acetate paint
Such paint is very popular because of the quite affordable price and at the same time high quality. It is made on the basis of PVA and is intended for interior decoration.
Benefits:
- It fits perfectly on cardboard, plaster, wood and other porous materials.
- It is possible to use in rooms requiring a high level of fire safety.
- It does not contain harmful components, is explosion-proof and fireproof.
- It does not have a very large color palette, but special additives will help to give it any shade. Using additives allows you to get a matte or glossy surface.
- Dries fast.
Mineral paints
Mineral water-based paint for walls and ceilings basically has cement and slaked lime and is used for painting concrete and brick surfaces. The disadvantage of these compounds is their short service life, which is why they have recently lost their popularity.
Latex based water based paint
If you need a surface that is completely unaffected by moisture, then you need a water-based paint for walls and ceilings, washable. To obtain this effect, latex is added to the paints at the factory. As a result, it can withstand over five thousand wet cleanings, while ordinary paints can only be wiped occasionally. Therefore, it is suitable for painting ceilings and walls in the kitchen, bathroom. This subtype of acrylic paints belongs to the middle price category.
The advantage of these compounds is not only excellent water-repellent properties, but also the ability to cover rather large cracks (two layers of paint easily cover cracks up to one millimeter), therefore, thorough application with putty is not required before application.
Washable water-based paint for ceilings and walls of the following brands is popular today:
- "Expert";
- "EcoDom";
- Dall;
- "Premiere";
- Alpalux.
Gloss degree
Water-based paint for walls and ceilings differs in another indicator - the degree of gloss. Today, manufacturers offer:
- deeply dull;
- glossy;
- matte;
- semi-matt (silky matt);
- highly glossy;
- semi-glossy.
Glossy and semi-gloss paints are more resistant to abrasion than matte and deep matte. Paints with a glossy effect can be washed much more often. This is due to the fact that the surface of such paint is perfectly smooth and even. Cleaning with a wet cloth practically does not change its texture at the micro level, while matte paint can be quickly wiped away, as a result of which unsightly glossy spots may appear on the surface. In this case, the surface will have to be repainted.
Water based paint for walls, ceilings: characteristics
Before purchasing water-based paints, it is necessary to study its characteristics: composition, flow rate, viscosity, drying time, specific gravity, storage conditions, shelf life.
Viscosity
An important indicator, which should be quite high. It determines the degree of dilution of the composition with water. When applied by brush, this indicator ranges from 40 to 45 s, when using a paint sprayer, from 20 to 25 s.
Consumption
It is 150 grams per square meter, 250 grams with a two-layer coating. Often, manufacturers unintentionally mislead customers, indicating that their water-based paint for walls and ceilings consumes 110-140 grams per square meter. Such indicators correspond to ideal conditions - a well-plastered, completely smooth wall, covered with a thin layer of paint. In fact, the consumption, as a rule, depends on the material of the processed surface, its roughness, absorbency and method of painting. For example, applying with a roller is much more economical than using a brush .
Drying time
This indicator depends on humidity and air temperature. Optimum humidity - 65%, temperature - +20 ° C. Drying time ranges from 2 to 24 hours .
Shelf life
Most manufacturers indicate the shelf life of their products 24 months from the date of manufacture. In this case, the storage conditions must be observed: to provide a place protected from heat and to prevent freezing.
How to determine the quality?
One of the indicators of the quality indicators of water-based formulations is their cost. If we take into account that 90% of the components and materials used for the production of acrylic and water dispersion paints are imported to our country from Europe, then the price of one liter of paint cannot cost less than 70 rubles. A significant reduction in this cost may be caused by a significant decrease in product quality.
There is another quality indicator - the weight of the paint. Its average density varies from 1.35 to 1.5 kilograms per liter, so a ten-liter bucket should not weigh less than fifteen kilograms. Aqueous emulsion paint for walls and ceilings should not be purchased on the market, especially in winter, in unheated rooms - when freezing and further defrosting, the paint loses its properties.
Manufacturers
It is important to choose the right, well-established manufacturer of water-based paints. Today, Dulux (Great Britain) is the undisputed leader in our market, Tikkurila water-based emulsion paint for walls and ceilings (Finland) is distinguished by excellent technical characteristics and high quality, Dufa paints (Germany) are no less popular, good quality, but fairly high prices have compositions Johnstone's (UK). From domestic products, we recommend that you pay attention to the Admiral and Eurolux (Russia).
Painting walls and ceilings with water-based paint
With the painting of the walls, as a rule, there are no problems, but the decoration of the ceiling is a more technically difficult process. Before starting work, it is necessary to prepare the surface - remove the remnants of the old coating, grind and smooth. After this work, the paint consumption will be significantly reduced.
A primer can also be a water-based paint diluted with 30-40% water, but it is better to use a high-quality primer for your type of surface.
Colored water-based paint for walls and ceilings needs preliminary testing to understand what its color will actually be. Apply a small amount of paint on the wall with a thin layer and wait for it to dry. As a rule, the color obtained is several tones lighter than in the bucket.
Painting walls and ceilings with water-based paint starts from the far corner of the room from the window, after which it is necessary to paint the remaining corners and joints of the ceiling and walls: a strip about five centimeters wide is applied around the perimeter of the ceiling. After that, a roller or airbrush comes into operation.
In order for the coloring to be uniform, it is better to apply two or even three thin layers than one that is too thick. It is important to know that layers of paint should be applied perpendicular to each other. Each subsequent layer is applied after the final drying is applied previously. The last layer should be applied parallel to the light rays from the window. Thanks to this little trick, errors and minor irregularities will be subtle.
To completely eliminate problems with errors, use textured glass. Woven textured surface perfectly masks all errors during dyeing. It’s easy to paint the walls and ceiling with water-based paint, this work takes a little time and you can create an original interior.