The bluffer’s guide to paint and painting

Confused about paint selection for indoor surfaces? Kya deLongchamps weighs up your many options

Colour is the basis of all paint — here pigment is piled up for use in an Asian market.

Interior paint selection can be a confusing area, and there are more formulations available than ever before. Some paints are completely dedicated to single surface types, others are multi-use performers and yet others require no priming whatsoever, reducing time and fuss for the DIY weekend warrior. Matching paint types to the receiving surface is the single most important thing to get right, so let’s start there.

Interior Walls:

Walls finished in plaster or plasterboard have an open porous structure that pulls paint in. Water-based emulsion paint has a loose fluid quality, cleans up easily and is low in the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that make solvent paint potentially toxic to the atmosphere even as it dries. Brushing, rolling, paint pads and sprays work well with emulsion as it spreads beautifully, leaves no brush marks and washes out with soap and water.

Finishes:

* Matt emulsion: No lustre, this paint has a traditional slightly chalky look that diffuses light, masking surface imperfections. It does mark in standard varieties making it more suited to polite spaces such as bedrooms. You don’t need an undercoat for an already painted wall, but it will increase the opacity (depth) of the colour, giving good coverage. Cheap low opacity matt will still look patchy after three coats. From €2 per litre in pure white and €9 for colour choices.

* Wipeability matt:Essentially an emulsion that can be wiped off. Low sheen varieties such as Easycare Matt from Dulux, and Easyclean from Crown, Woodies Washable matt, Little Greene Intelligent Matt, (Hickey’s Cork), and Colortrend Historic Matt, combine a flatter finish with excellent scuff resistance and wipeability. From €9 per litre.

* Vinyl silk/satin emulsion: Moving up to sheens, satins and silk vinyls are stickier to work with, less forgiving of blemishes but have a light-bouncing lustre that’s great for cramped spaces and busy hallways.

Satin finishes are shinier than silk mid-sheens. You can choose from an acrylic or vinyl emulsion, acrylic having better environmental credentials. Generally the shinier the finished surface the tougher it will be. From €9 per litre.

* Eggshell: Traditionally an oil-based paint for both walls and woodwork, eggshell has a pearl-like sheen that makes it durable and easy to wipe down. Higher in VOCs than standard emulsions, the solvents included take time to clear in the atmosphere. Look for water-based eggshells that require no undercoat, dry swiftly, and are far more pleasant to use. From €15 per litre for Colortrend Historic Antique Eggshell (Pat McDonnell Paints), Little Greene Intelligent Eggshell, (Hickey’s Cork) and Pro-Aqua Eggshell (Stoneware Studios. www.stonewarestudios.com).

* High humidity emulsion: These paints are marketed for bathrooms and kitchens where condensing damp can be a problem in a moisture rich environment. These water-based vinyl emulsions include ingredients to fight mould and fungus, but they are water resistant not waterproof. Ensure you use a good primer to prepare virgin plaster to receive the paint as they sit up more than a flat emulsion. Dulux and Crown offer ranges from €13 per litres. A home-made primer combines one part water to four parts emulsion.

* Environmentally friendly emulsion: ‘Natural’ emulsion uses water, vegetable oils, natural dyes and minerals as principal ingredients over chemical binders and carrying agents. They are more expensive, take longer to dry and come in a more limited range of colours. Considering the relatively cheap price of paint in a total decorating budget, and the array of classic muted shades delivered, these drawbacks would seem a small price to pay. Consider this emulsion type for children’s bedrooms and all over the house. Earthborn can be found at Pat McDonnells Paint, Cork, and the Stoneware Studios, Youghal. www.stonewarestudios.com. €72.49 per gallon (5Ls).

Ceilings:

The greatest problem is dripping the paint onto your upturned face and the surfaces below. A non-drip ceiling paint has a gelatinous, clinging character that makes it worth the extra expense. Solid emulsions come in handy integral trays for use by roller. From €2.80 per litre.

Woodwork & Metal (interior & exterior):

* Gloss: Wood reacts to heat and humidity, and needs a viscous carrying agent. Metal will slough off anything less than a plasticised coating. Heavy with solvent, standard gloss dries to a tough top coat that’s impermeable to moisture, and is resistant to dings and blows. Gloss can be used on metal and woodwork inside and out. Patience and ‘laying off’ drips is key to a dribble-free result.

* Low VOC Gloss: Water-based low VOC gloss is just as diamond bright, but takes longer to dry and has a lower impact resistance. The undercoat products now have what is termed an aqueous solvent to help them spread, and are thicker than the old style undercoats. Water-based gloss is not suited to bathrooms or outdoor projects. Dulux €10,99 (white) 750ml, Colourtrend €19.99 per litre.

* Traditional Satinwood: For a finish between Eggshell and gloss, satinwood delivers a more traditional flat appearance, similar to old-style distempers, but with a bit of muscle to head off excessive wear. Flatter paint hides imperfections and the product is less sticky, going further than the same millilitres of gloss. From €12.60 per litre for Crown Liquid Satin. €15 for Woodies DIY Quick Drying Satinwood and Little Greene.

* One Coat: Varieties of gloss such as Crown Solo, and Dulux Once, guarantee to do the job in one coat for all but the darkest of shades. It’s twice the price for half the hassle. Keep in mind they are thicker and therefore will cover less area. Most one-coat glosses should not be stirred. ‘Non-drip’ gloss paint can and does run if you overload the brush. €12 per litre in white.

Undercoats/Primers:

Undercoating the walls before using the topcoat enriches and evens out the final colour. If you are painting a pale colour over a darker colour, using an undercoat will save you a coat or two of a pricey top-coat. Expect to pay around €8-10 per litre for a good universal undercoat. Crown’s new breed of basecoats will even fill hairline cracks and other minor imperfections. Oil-based Eggshells and any emulsions with a high sheen and solvent gloss paints almost always demand a primer and undercoat.

Primers aid adhesion and block stains. If you’re priming wood, use a knotting compound to seal knots before priming. Try using a different shade of undercoat for emulsions and gloss to their top coat to see where you are in the job. To check if a primer is needed on an already painted surface, press a piece of transparent tape onto old paint and remove — if the paint comes off it needs priming.

Tiling and MDF:

Using a universal surface primer you can paint just about anything using standard paint. Try Ronseal Tile Paint €22.99 for 750ml, or Plasticote Tile Paint. Melamine and MDF paint by Ronseal is €20.98 for 750ml, and all are blessedly self-priming. Furniture and Cupboard paint from International is a wonderful new introduction to their specialist range.