Enamel Paint: All You wanted to Know!

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Enamel paint is basically oil based paint. Oil based paint is slow drying paint which consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil or oil varnish as the basic vehicle ingredient. It can be used for both interiors as well as exterior surfaces of the building. Enamel paints are more durable and have a hard strong finish.

Application:

  • Enamel paint is easy to apply. Enamel paint dries slowly or quickly depending on thinner used. It can be applied both by brush and roller. If you are planning to paint your house on your own than follow the “DIY” instructions on the manufacturer’s brochures.
  • Enamel paints are not ready to use. You have to add thinner before the application. If you don’t add thinner in the paint, there are chances of appearances of various defects on finished paint walls.
  • Enamel paints are applied to new as well as old plastered surfaces. It is also applied on metal, wood work and aluminium surface.
Enamel Paint

Properties of Enamel Paint:

Some manufacturer companies claim that it possesses “zero volatile organic compounds” but some companies claim that it contains 400-500 gm/ltr depending upon shades. Washability of Enamel paints is medium to high level. Washability mainly depends upon the surface sheen. Some sheen is wipeable & some are washable depending upon the manufacturer’s specification. Enamel paints are available in 500ml, 1 ltr, 4 ltr, 10 ltr, 20 ltr packs. Enamel paints are available in the market with several different finishes such as high gloss, smooth and opaque finish. As per two coat of enamel paints as for 100 -130 sqft of the area. You will need a litre of paint. i.e for painting 100 sqft of the area you may need 0.6 to 1.0 % litre paint for two coats.
Different paints have different properties and are formulated for different purposes. Hence paint needs to have different properties as interior and exterior paint and for understanding the difference between interior and exterior paints, one needs to understand basic paint chemistry.
Interior paints are so made that they can be scrubbed and can resist staining. Interior paints are formulated to be more resistant to physical damage. The resins used for interior paints can be firmer because the paint does not have to deal with weather and temperature differences.
Exterior paints are so made to combat against heat, moisture, mildew and fading. The resins used for exterior paint are softer and flexible so that it can survive temperature changes and effective to exposure to moisture. Exterior paint must be tougher and resist peeling, chipping and fading from sunlight. Exterior paints are also supposed to resist water hence they need to be waterproof.

Most of the manufacturers make 2 to 3 categories of interior or exterior paints under different “trade name” or “brand name”. This is again the function of price. Though all brands are technically same and recommended for interior areas, why are there 2 or 3 different brands with different prices. In our opinion, there is minor variation in material chemistry, which alters its prices. Than how does it affect its quality. In our opinion, one with low grade or lower price have less life (i.e you will have to repaint early), may take more time in drying, and are not easily washable as compared to a higher grade.
There are various products available for interior as well as the exterior surface in different ranges and under different brands. Some of the typical products of few known companies are listed below.

SR NOMANUFACTURER’S NAMEPRODUCT NAMERECOMMEND AREAGRADE VALUE
 01. Asian PaintsApcolite Advanced Hi-Gloss EnamelInteriorMedium
Apcolite Premium Gloss EnamelInteriorMedium
Apcolite Premium Satin EnamelInteriorMedium
Royale Luxury Enamel Wood & Metal BasecoatWood & MetalHigh
Royale Luxury EnamelInteriorHigh
Tractor EnamelInteriorLow
02.Dulux PaintPremium Gloss Enamel PainInterior & Exterior
Medium
Lustre Finish Enamel PaintInteriorHigh
Satin Finish Enamel PaintInteriorMedium
Super Premium Enamel PaintInteriorHigh
Stain Stay Bright Enamel PaintWood & Metal SurfaceHigh
03.Nerolac PaintsNerolac Synthetic EnamelInterior and Exterior Wood & Interior SurfaceMedium
Nerolac Impressions Water Based Enamel Hi-GlossInterior  &  ExteriorHigh
Nerolac satin EnamelInteriorMedium
 04.Shalimar PaintsSuperlac Premium Hi-Gloss InteriorMedium
 Superlac Satin Finish EnamelInterior  &  ExteriorHigh

Also Read:

Types of Paint Finishes and Sheens 
All You Need to Know About Emulsion Paint
11 Qualities that an Ideal Paint Should Possess

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