THE PURPOSE OF STAINS AND PAINTS PART II

FEATURES OF PAINTS AND STAINS - PART TWO

This is part two of a 2 part series of articles on paints and stains.

Take The Headache Out of Finding Interior Paints Coatings for Each Job

Did you ever wonder about the difference between interior and exterior paints? I once used exterior paint on an inside ceiling, reasoning that it would last longer. It may last longer, but as I then found out when I needed to touch up the ceiling only two years later, exterior paints will discolor on an interior surface. Exterior paints contain special additives made to withstand the outside. Interior paints have additives that help the paint dry out to a durable, uniform finish.

Most of the advances in painting technology have been with latex. In fact, latex has overtaken oil-based paint in several areas: durability and elasticity, as well as ease of use, clean-up, and disposal. Latexes have fewer VOCs than oil-based paints. Some, including the Pristine collection made by Benjamin Moore, are created without VOCs at all. Today's latexes are made with higher quality pigments and binders that provide them more body, so each goes on thicker.

Latexes enjoy quite a bit of popularity for interior applications, especially for walls and ceilings. Alkyds continue to be the professionals' choice for trim work because oil based paints are better to paint on detailed surfaces like molding and trim. However, that traditional school of thought is slowly changing as better latexes, including Pratt & Lambert's Accolade Interior Acrylic Semi Gloss, come on the market.

Take The Headache Out of Finding Exterior Paint Coatings

Moisture is an important consideration for exterior paint selection. Every day a family of four will create several gallons of vaporized water inside a house.

Coupled with naturally occurring humidity, this can mean a lot of moisture moving through the wall surfaces and siding. Wetness is highest in the baths and kitchen. If these rooms aren't sufficiently ventilated, moisture will migrate through the walls. Vapor barriers help contain wetness, but vapor always seeks to leave. The structure of a home, the sort of vapor barrier it has, ventilation, and dampness all make choosing the right paint critical.

In wetter climates you require a paint that will let moisture pass through the wood, so water doesn't get trapped under the paint and cause blistering and peeling. Latexes are porous and let water pass through, unlike alkyd paints, which form a waterproof seal. Alkyds also don't flex with areas that expand and contract, as wood does, especially in colder climates. Latex paints have more elasticity, allowing better adhesion.

I favor using latex on all exterior surface areas, including wood siding, stucco, and cement. Latexes avoid fading better than most oil-based paints, and they'll cover either oil-based or latex primer (most oils have to go on top of an alkyd primer).

Latexes do a great job of covering cement. Despite its hardness, concrete is very porous, and oil-based paints don't always stay well. For greatest durability, I recommend latex enamel.

In general, if I know of a latex product that will provide superior performance, I will choose it over an oil-based product that needs to be cleaned with a thinner.

Latex only needs water. Thinners add yet another expense, are hard to get rid of, and usually end up spattered on my skin or clothes, no matter how careful I am.

Solution For Staining Inside

You could spend a life time learning about stains and sealers, but there's nothing mysterious about them. The bottom line in determining which stain to work with is to become acquainted with the products available. Scan the label, along with any product information you can get, and talk to the personnel at a professional paint shop.

Exterior stains come in oil based, varnish, polyurethane, and water-borne solvents. Stains have less colorant than paint and even more solvents, providing them with better wood penetration. Waterproofing is a priority with exterior stains. Most include built-in sealants to add sturdiness and help maintain the wood. The coloring in stains can be pigments, dyes, or both. A semi-transparent stain has more dye for grain penetration. A solid stain has more pigment for surface covering. Pigment is a finely ground coloring that doesn't penetrate the grain as deeply as a dye. That is why a pigmented stain is often used along with a sealer such as urethane or varnish.

Some high quality interior stains have dyes to penetrate and pigments to bring out the richness of the grain. Others contain only pigments, that are simpler to apply, blend, and touch up. Pigmented stains are lighter in color and bring out more of the wood grain. If you're looking for darker results, a dyed stain provides what you want in one overcoat (be sure to use a conditioner on porous wood, such as pine and birch wood, to avoid splotching). Dyed stains are extremely difficult to touch up. Every coating eventually will need touching up, so make certain to consider the ease of maintenance in your selection of stains. You'll receive the best results by using better stains such as Minwax, Pratt & Lambert's Tonetic, Pittsburgh's Rez, or Wood-Kote.

If you wish to stay away from the watery nature of stains, try a gel stain, which had almost all of the liquid solvent removed. Gels are simple to use. They spread on, dry out fast, and cover evenly. Since they're colored with pigment, gel stains don't penetrate that well. They're a great choice for porous woods that are troublesome to cover evenly without a toner. Gel stains do a excellent job of bringing out the grain on embossed metal or composite surfaces. I don't recommend working with them for hardwoods, which need a good dye stain to emphasize the depth and beauty of the grain.

How We Improved Our Painting With Sanding Sealers

Sanding sealers are interior primers that both penetrate and seal wood. You should use them under clear coats or over stains as sealers. Sanding sealers are different from a sealer like polyurethane, which is not made to prime. They're more like varnish, but diluted with solvents to allow better penetration for priming. The hardness of varnishes and lacquers stops them from soaking in to the wood pores. Sanding sealer provides a better bond for clear coats.

Shellacs are often put into sanding sealers to fortify the resin and provide an instant drying agent. In addition they add an amber tone, so if you're utilizing a sanding sealer with shellac, make sure it will not have an impact on the stain. Shellacs have a tendency to yellow aver time and contain toluene, which has a high VOC content. Shellacs are gradually offering ways to new sanding sealer formulas with lower VOCs and better performance.

Alkyd resin sanding sealers also have high VOCs, although less than their shellac based cousins. Pittsburgh Paints makes a slow drying alkyd resin sanding sealer without shellac named Rez 77-1. This particular primer/sealer is good for both interiors and exteriors. Pratt & Lambert's Latex Sanding Sealer has very low VOCs, but is purely for interior wood and must not be used under a water borne polyurethane.

Oil-based sanding sealers can also be used to seal exterior wood, especially decking, which is continually subjected to sun and water. For color reliability in areas like decks, you need to completely coat, or back prime, the lumber before it is in place, using the same sealer or stain. Olympic Water Guard, Messmer's UV Plus, Behr's, and most top quality deck stains are great water repellent sealers that can also be used for priming exterior wood.

Improved Wood and Stain Sealers for Interior Wood

Sealers, including varnishes, lacquers, urethanes, and shellacs, are put into the stain itself, applied as a top coat over a stain, or used as a clear coat on unstained wood trim. They can be used for any type of wood trim, including windows, entry doors, and the casing around them. Although you can purchase stain/sealer combinations, they have a tendency to yellow, are difficult to keep up, and don't endure as long as separately applied stain and sealers.

Varnishes contain oils such as Tung oil, a very hard, durable sealant that can be brushed on and dries slowly. Varnishes are easy to completely clean and keep maintaining with soap and water followed by a wiped on varnish, which often keeps a wood surface looking great for years. Make sure there's no wax in your cleaner, because wax clogs wood pores. I prefer using Hope's Tung Oil varnish for a wipe-on maintenance layer. Lacquer is a quick drying sealer that more often than not must be sprayed, since it becomes tacky almost immediately.

Polyurethanes do almost everything shellac does, but they're easier to maintain. While shellacs act like paint, polyurethanes act more like a clear coat that permeates the wood instead of sitting on top of it. Polyurethanes brush on and dry quickly, with little odour and VOCs. They have more or less replaced shellacs as a clear sealer. Another reason urethanes have become such popular sealers is the fact that they don't really require sanding sealers.

The odors associated numerous paints and stains can be more than simply offensive, they can be toxic. Solvent based varnishes, lacquers, and shellacs give a super hard coating but contain very high VOC levels. Water borne sealers, like the stains, match the performance of several solvent based sealers, with fewer VOCs. The VOC content of water based sealers such as Sherwin Williams Kern Aqua Lacquer average about 250 grams per liter, or 2 pounds per gallon, half the most common VOCs of oil-based lacquers. The ethers in water borne sealers aren't combustible, another advantage, but they still have enough VOCs to warrant a respirator.

Although they resist yellowing, water borne sealers such as acrylic latex polyurethanes do tend to raise the grain. They will also set up or "flash off" quickly at temperature ranges greater than 60°F. The best working temperature for most water based acrylic latex polyurethanes is between 50°F and 60°F, which lets them flash a little more slowly. In this case, flashing-off simply means that the solvent evaporates and leaves the resins to finish the drying process. A contractor I know once used water borne latex polyurethane sealer that flashed off so fast he could only apply it between 5 A.M. and 9 A.M. Anything later than that was too warm.

Minwax makes very good water based polyurethane, as do Pittsburgh, Pratt & Lambert, Benjamin Moore, as well as others.

No-Fuss Stains and Sealers for Exteriors

Due to their better penetration and sealing ability, most exterior stains sold today are oil-based. However, oil-based solid stains peel off as they get older, making them more challenging to maintain. A solid stain is similar to paint: It coats more than it penetrates. A latex solid stain peels less and it is simpler to maintain as it ages. However, I prefer oil-based products for semi-transparent stains. Added oil solvents let them penetrate deeper. A number of the better stains on the market include Pittsburgh Solid Color Latex Stain, Messmer's U.V Plus, Moorwood Solid Color Exterior Stain, Sherwin Williams Woodscape stains, Pittsburgh Semi-transparent Exterior Stain, Rez Deck Stain by Pittsburgh, and the Sikkens Cetol system.

Deck stains will often have more solids when compared to a typical exterior stain, which will make them stronger. I recommend buying a high-end stain that is semi-transparent or what's called a trans-oxide. Until lately, the major problem with outside stains was their low UV resistance, but newer trans-oxides have finely ground metal mixed in for greater protection. A higher end deck stain won't require a different sealer coat, although you can add one (such as Olympic Water Guard) if you think extra protection is needed to combat dampness and sun exposure. Better deck stains retail for about $35 a gallon and cover 300 to 400 sq. ft.

Avoid using deck stains that contain silicone. Despite their low price, they aren't a good deal. Advertisements for silicone stains and deck sealers often show beaded up water on the deck, and many people are fooled into thinking that this is the indication of a successful coating. However, silicon deteriorates quickly, usually in just a matter of months, producing a discolored, waxy coat that is a pain to eliminate. The broken down silicone also ceases repelling water.

"High build" coatings such as Sikkens and Messmers work remarkably well on outside siding, nonetheless they are too soft to be used on your deck. Eliminating these coatings takes gallons of wood cleaner and way too much work.

Water based outside stains, such as Sherwin Williams Woodscapes, incorporate the advantages of oil-based and latex coatings. They run and drip significantly less than oil based stain, and dry faster, allowing for two coatings the same day. Water based stains possess the resilience and flexibility of any latex stain, which gives them stamina. They're a good choice for most applications. But bear in mind that clearing up water borne stains needs work. You can find a couple of oil components in the solvent which have to be cleaned. First use soap and water, then alcohol. Ask your seller for specific cleaning guidelines for water based stains, and scan the label.

When In Doubt, Ask Questions

If you still have questions about which paint or stain to utilize, don't hesitate to ask people in the know. An experienced, educated salesperson can clear up any questions you might have. Look for a paint store with staff having at least a decade of experience in the business. Inquire further what has worked best for your unique application and ask to read a spec sheet on the merchandise in question.

The answers you get will rely upon whom you ask. A paint store will attempt to market you one of their products, after all, that's why they're running a business. Painting contractors may not be impartial, either. They need to sell their know-how. I get lots of cell phone calls from people wanting help with their painting problems. Most painters, including myself, don't mind giving one hour of our time, but if you want comprehensive answers, consider finding a contractor for a professional examination. Rates vary, but I usually charge about $60 for a written and oral examination, depending on the traveling time included. A paid evaluation will tell you whether you should paint, stain, or re-side, as well as which covering might be best for finishing your project. Each painting job has unique conditions that require specific answers.

Sound Quality Painting

824 90th Dr SE suite B

Lake Stevens WA 98258

(425) 512-7400

Sound Quality Painting