How To Best Match Paint To Different Surfaces

How To Best Match Paint To Different Surfaces

For those of us that are painting beginners, we may get easily overwhelmed when we not only find out that there are multiple types of paint but also that every different surfaces requires a different types of paint. So how do we choose the right one for each of our projects that will match the surfaces we are looking to paint the best?

There are two main types of paints, oil-based and water-based, and knowing about the two and what their differences are will help when deciding what type of paint best matches each type of surface.

Oil-based paints are solvent-based paints and they are sometimes called alkyds. The base of these types of paints are solvents like petroleum distillate. With water-based paints, also known as latex-based paints, the main base is water. Generally oil-based paints can be more difficult to work with and will be heavy, making them harder to apply but they will generally stick to the walls better and may create a better finished product. Whereas water-based paint is easier to work with but may not work well for certain surfaces.

There are different surfaces where either an oil-based or a water-based paint will work and Noel Painting can help you determine which type of paint you’d like to work with, however, below I will detail specific surfaces and the paint that will best match with that surface to create the best result.

• Wood: Priming wood is the first step, and from there you can use either an oil or water (latex) based paint. Semi-gloss finishes will work best for pieces that are used often, but for more decorative pieces you can also use flat or satin finishes.
• Metal: Metal needs to be prepared properly before it is painted or you may risk paint not drying well to the surface. Once it is prepared you will need to choose an oil-based paint.
• Walls: Walls like drywall, and wood will work well with water-based paints, which are great for easy jobs since this paint is the easiest to work with.
• Ceilings: Ceilings should be painted with flat ceiling paint which you can find at paint stores and hardware stores.