Abstract

Paint has one of the most important roles in our economy. Its job is to protect homes, cars and infrastructure from all adversities and at the same time add appearance and aesthetics to the painted item. The main functions of a paint are to protect and beautify the substrate it is applied to. Paint is a liquid coating that is pigmented to produce an opaque solid film after application.

Paints have been used for about 30,000 years. Ancient paintings have been found on the walls of caves in France. These early coatings were decorative and were made from naturally occurring materials. Over the years different technologies have evolved to meet the challenges. Alkyds were an early improvement over oil type paints. Latex technology came out of WWII and the search for a rubber replacement. Today higher solids coatings and solvent free paints are coming out of the environmental movement.

This article discusses the different types of paints commonly used in architectural applications, which include house and trade sales paints. Coatings commonly encountered in architectural applications include primers, stains, varnishes, sealers, interior and exterior house paints. Today these coatings may be obtained in a variety of types including oil-based, latex, urethane, and others. The choice of color is almost endless in most interior and exterior house paints thanks to the industries ability to tint and the advent of the color computer (spectrophotometer). The choice of pigment, resin, extender, solvents, and additives type, as well as the amount, all play an important role in the performance of a paint. The manufacturing of the paint requires the quantitative addition and mixing of components in the correct order to produce a consistent paint. The paint manufacturer must meet, through rigorous testing, the needs of the specific application. The coating, however, is only as good as the surface preparation. The end user must use the paint in accordance with the manufacturer’s guidelines or the paint may fail.

Paints have been a bargain over the years. The price of a gallon of paint has remained low even though the price of other goods has increased. The application of technology and economy of scale has allowed this savings over the years. Early latex paints were not good performers, today they out perform most oil-based products. As technology continues to evolve, it will improve coatings even further.