How are interior and exterior paint different?
It depends on the brands you use, but there are general differences. With interior paint, you get good resistance to stains, splatter resistance, and it’s easier to touch up.
Exterior paint, on the other hand, retains its color well, and resists fading, mildew, and bleed. It’s also flexible – it holds up well to the natural expansion and contraction of your home’s or business’s siding.
What’s the purpose of primers and sealers?
The ultimate end goals of both are to make the finish coat last longer and look better. Both work to block stains, slow corrosion, bond the topcoat to the substrate, and fill a porous surface (as in the case of wood).
Why should I hire a professional painter instead of doing the work myself?
Many reasons, but safety, health, and quality of work are the top three. Do you really want to stand on a ladder or scaffolding, knowing you could fall off?
If your building was finished before 1978, lead paint was most likely used. You must be extremely careful when preparing it for new paint, otherwise it can cause serious health effects.
Finally, even though you might be a fairly skilled painter, professionals leave no drips, runs, or bleeding behind. Those mistakes can eventually cause more damage and cost you more money to repair.
How do latex and oil paints differ?
There’s quite a bit of difference between these types of paint. Oil goes on smoother, shrinks less, takes longer to dry, covers more thoroughly in a single coat, and performs better in high-traffic areas. The major con is that it’s more likely to yellow over time than latex.
Latex, on the other hand, dries much faster, cleans easier with soap and water, is generally easier to buy at stores, and is also better for the environment. However, you do have to sand between coats if applying it to wood because it causes wood’s grain to swell.