0203 397 4067
0741 837 2281
Mon - Fri
Saturday
Sunday
7AM - 5PM
8AM - 12PM
Closed

Guide to Choosing the Right Paint

Last modified: 08.12.2023
Close-up of a worker holding a tub of EWI Pro Silicone Paint (EWI-005) on-site, ready for exterior application. This waterproof, breathable, and flexible paint offers excellent hydrophobic protection, enhancing the longevity and appearance of rendered surfaces. Available at EWI Store, EWI Pro Silicone Paint is the perfect finishing touch for any external wall insulation project.

When it comes to giving your home or office a fresh look, choosing the right paint is pivotal. Not only does paint play a crucial role in enhancing the aesthetic appeal of a space, but it also serves as a protective barrier against environmental elements. In this guide, we'll delve into why EWI Pro Silicone Paint emerges as an outstanding choice for both external and internal applications.

  • Composition: Water-based paints primarily consist of water as the solvent, along with pigments and acrylic or vinyl binders. They may also contain additives to improve performance and longevity.
  • Characteristics: These paints are known for their low odour and low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). This makes them a healthier option for indoor use. They dry quickly, usually within a few hours, and are less prone to yellowing over time compared to oil-based paints. Clean-up is also more straightforward, requiring only soap and water.
  • Uses: Versatile, water-based paints are suitable for most interior walls and ceilings. Their durability and ease of application make them the right paint for residential and commercial projects. They are also increasingly used for exterior surfaces due to advancements in technology that enhance their weather-resistant properties.
  • Variants: Within water-based paints, there are several types, including acrylics, which offer enhanced durability and colour retention, and vinyl, which is often more affordable but may not be as robust.
  • Composition: Oil-based paints, often known as solvent-based paints, use natural oils like linseed or synthetic alkyds as their main ingredient. The oil serves as a binder, mixing with pigments to create the final product.
  • Characteristics: These paints are celebrated for their superior durability and smooth finish. They provide a hard-wearing, stain-resistant layer, making them excellent for high-traffic areas. However, they tend to have a strong odour due to the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) they emit. Their drying process is slower, often taking 24 hours or longer to dry to the touch.
  • Uses: Oil-based paints are the right paint surfaces that endure a lot of wear and tear, such as skirting boards, doors, window frames, and furniture. They are particularly effective in areas exposed to moisture, like bathrooms and kitchens, as they resist humidity well.
  • Maintenance and Clean-Up: These paints require mineral spirits or turpentine for clean-up. They are less prone to damage from cleaning products, making them a long-lasting option.
  • Environmental Considerations: Due to their high VOC content, oil-based paints are subject to stricter environmental regulations. It's important to use them in well-ventilated areas and dispose of any waste responsibly.
  • Composition: Latex-based paints, a subset of water-based paints, are formulated with a plastic polymer (often acrylic or vinyl acrylic) as the binder, which is suspended in water. They also contain pigments for colour and various additives to enhance properties like durability and drying time.
  • Characteristics: Known for their flexibility and ease of application, latex paints dry quickly and offer a durable finish that resists chipping and cracking. They emit fewer odours and have lower VOC levels compared to oil-based paints, making them a more environmentally friendly and health-conscious choice.
  • Uses: Exceptionally versatile, latex paints are commonly used for interior walls and ceilings due to their resilience to peeling and fading. They are also suitable for exterior surfaces, adapting well to varying temperatures and humidity levels.
  • Advantages: These paints are easy to work with and clean up (requiring just soap and water), making them ideal for DIY projects. Their quick-drying nature facilitates faster completion of painting jobs.
  • Considerations: While latex paints are suitable for most surfaces, they may not adhere well to more challenging surfaces like bare metal or plastic without proper preparation or a suitable primer.
  • Composition: Acrylic paints are a type of water-based paint, but they stand out due to their use of acrylic resin as the binder. This resin provides a robust, flexible coating that adheres well to various surfaces.
  • Characteristics: Acrylic paints are known for their exceptional durability and resistance to weathering. They retain colour well, resisting fading and UV damage. Acrylics also have a fast drying time, similar to other water-based paints, and emit lower levels of VOCs.
  • Uses: These paints are a popular choice for both interior and exterior surfaces due to their versatility. They perform exceptionally on exterior walls, outdoor furniture, and other surfaces exposed to the elements. Inside, they're often used in areas that require a durable, easy-to-clean finish, like kitchens and bathrooms.
  • Advantages: Acrylic paints are flexible, preventing cracking and peeling, and they adhere well to a variety of surfaces, including wood, metal, and masonry. They also offer a wide range of finishes, from matte to high gloss.
  • Environmental Impact: Due to their water-based nature, acrylic paints are more environmentally friendly than oil-based options, making them a preferred choice for eco-conscious consumers and professionals.
  • Composition: EWI Pro Silicone Paint is a high-quality, silicone resin-based paint. This type of paint combines silicone with traditional paint components, resulting in a highly effective and durable product.
  • Characteristics: Known for its outstanding breathability and water repellence, this paint allows moisture to escape from the substrate. Ultimately, this reduces the risk of dampness and mould growth. It's also extremely weather-resistant and capable of withstanding harsh environmental conditions without fading, cracking, or peeling.
  • Uses: This paint is designed for versatility, making it the right paint for both external and internal surfaces. Externally, it provides a protective and aesthetic coating for facades, while internally, it can be used in areas prone to moisture, such as bathrooms and kitchens.
  • Advantages: EWI Pro Silicone Paint is long-lasting and maintains its colour and finish over time, reducing the need for frequent repainting. It’s also eco-friendly, with lower VOC emissions compared to many traditional paints.
  • Application: It is easy to apply and can be used on a variety of substrates, including mineral and acrylic renders. Therefore, making it a popular choice for both DIY enthusiasts and professional decorators.
  • Maintenance: This paint is easy to maintain, requiring only occasional cleaning to keep surfaces looking fresh and new.

Water-based options are lauded for their low VOC emissions and ease of use, making them a popular choice for indoor applications. However, when compared to EWI Pro Silicone Paint, the latter excels in terms of weather resistance and durability. The silicone-based formulation ensures that it withstands harsh external conditions better, making it a more suitable option for exterior applications. Oil-based types offer durability and a smooth finish, which are often preferred for surfaces subjected to frequent wear. However, their high VOC content and longer drying times are significant drawbacks. EWI Pro Silicone Paint, in contrast, combines durability with environmental friendliness. Its quicker drying time and lower VOC emissions make it a safer and more convenient choice for both indoor and outdoor applications. While latex-based coatings are easy to apply and quick to dry, they sometimes lack the robustness required for harsh outdoor conditions. EWI Pro Silicone Paint outperforms in this area with its exceptional resistance to weathering. As such, it is ideal for protecting exteriors against varying climatic challenges. Acrylics are known for their colour retention and resistance to fading. However, EWI Pro Silicone Paint takes it a step further with its added breathability. This feature is particularly beneficial for exterior surfaces, as it allows walls to release trapped moisture, thereby preventing dampness and mould, issues that are less effectively addressed by acrylics.