Ensuring your customer’s surfaces are properly coated is key to achieving a perfect finish. Not only this, but you need to be confident in the fact that the product you use will also stand the test of time. Here, Richard Palmer, Head of Trade from Valspar Trade, will talk about durability and opacity…
Whether you’re working on a new build, full renovation or quick refurbishment, paint will form a key part of delivering the perfect finish for your clients. You need to be bringing your ‘A game’ to every project, using paint that you can trust to get the job done – not just during your work but also once you’ve left site. But what makes a good quality paint?
Superior covering power
You’ll want to achieve a high-quality, consistent and true finish, without patches, lap marks or the need to apply countless coats. To achieve this, good opacity is essential – ensuring the previous colour of the substrate has been fully obscured.
While you can use an undercoat in the case of extreme tonal differences, there will be times when your new colour may not be too far from the original. Here, you want a paint with high opacity that ensures full and proper coverage of the substrate, saving you time. Two coats should be all that’s needed.
Paint formulations are generally made up of three main elements: binder, pigment and extenders, with the extenders influencing the opacity, sheen and whiteness of a paint. When formulating for superior covering power, we will consider the level of extenders used in the formula and the transfer of paint from the roller or brush to the substrate.
Spreading rate
Just as important as a paint’s covering power is its spreading rate. Defined by ISO as the surface area that can be covered by a given quantity of coating material, the spreading rate is integral to determining the coverage ratio. Additives can help the paint to spread out and self-level when applied to the wall or ceiling, eliminating unsightly brush strokes and enabling the paint to go even further.
Standing up to daily life
As satisfying as a freshly painted interior is, life can often get in the way, with the potential for spills, knocks and scuff marks. Whilst these incidents are perhaps unavoidable, they can be counteracted by choosing a paint with enhanced durability, stain resistance and scrubbability, giving it the ability to stand up to the test of time.
Scrubbability is broken down into five classes according to EN 13300, with Class 1 having the highest wet-abrasion resistance. For a paint to be classed as scrubbable, it must be able to withstand thorough cleaning with a mild detergent solution, without any visible damage to the finish. An ISO Class 1 scrub rating ensures that the paint loses less than five microns of thickness after 200 scrubbing cycles, guaranteeing exceptional durability and maintaining its original appearance.
Valspar Trade
At Valspar Trade, we want to make your job easier. With a dedicated research and development team, we’re proud to offer a range of expertly formulated high-quality trade essentials. Each of our products have undergone rigorous ISO testing to ensure they stand up to the expectations of the trade, including high opacity, scrubbability and durability, with stain resistance to boot.
Our Tough Matt paint exemplifies these characteristics. A stain resistant and scrubbable paint, it can be used for walls and ceilings, protecting the surface against scrapes, marks and mess across a buildings lifespan.
For further information on Valspar Trade click here
