Paint buying guide

Before you launch yourself into your painting project, it's important to understand the different types of paint on the market to make sure you choose the right one for the job! From water-based to oil-based paint, here we give a brief summary to help you make the right choice.

By identifying the main features, e.g. drying time, adhesion, finish, etc., you will be able to quickly pick one that meets your needs. But don't bother shopping for elbow grease - it's up to you to provide that! However, choosing the right paint will make the job that bit easier!

4 questions to help you choose the right paint

To get started and help ensure you make the right choice, ask yourself the following 4 questions:

1. What type of surface are you painting?: Fencing? Gate? Ceiling? Tiles?

2. What is the surface made from?: Wood? Metal? Plaster? Concrete?

3. Where is the surface to be painted?: Indoors? Indoors but damp? Outdoors?

4. If you're painting indoors, which room of the house?: Kitchen? Bathroom? Bedroom?

Certain additional, but no less important questions will help you choose the best paint:

• Single coat, double coat or standard?

• Odourless?

• Good coverage?

Water-based, vinyl or resin-based paints, whatever their composition, are the paints to go for! Interior wall paint normally comes under this category, although it's increasingly easy to find water-based versions of all types of paint.

In recent years these have proudly ousted oil-based paints as the most popular, and it doesn't stop there! They're packed with advantages: odourless, fast-drying, excellent coverage, and any utensils can be cleaned with just water! It's best to opt for these paints, unless the surface to be painted has specific needs. But don't be defeated, there are also specific undercoats available that are designed for application before acrylic paints.

Their popularity might be in decline due to their composition, but oil-based paints are still widely available and offer excellent adhesion. However, the VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) content is still very high, which is why we recommend you only use it outdoors or opt for water-based paint.

They can be diluted with white spirit and the same thinner is suitable for cleaning any painting tools. Durable and with a strong odour, oil-based paint does not let the surface breathe.

Wall paint is very often acrylic paint, or water-based paint. While 15 years ago this type of paint was practical but of poor quality, the formulation nowadays ensures optimal results! These paints are odourless, offer good coverage and are easy to clean with water. They can be single-coat or double-coat. Depending on the range you go for, they will be packed with pigment for extra coverage.

There are several types of paint within this category, which are normally called 'effect paints'. These paints offer two advantages: they cover well and are thick. Effect paints mask damaged and uneven walls, thus avoiding work to smooth the surface, while they also add a decorative element, killing two birds with one stone! Choose from sand-textured paints, wax coatings, cement-effect and tadelakts, as well as glitter or metallic effect paints.

Within this category there is a long list to choose from... you also have the option to decorate with magnetic paint, chalkboard paint or whiteboard paint, perfect for kids' bedrooms or to jazz up the kitchen. It will look great and come in handy too!

This type of paint, often polyurethane-based, is highly resistant. If you're painting the floor of a garage or workshop, with the correct preparation, they offer resistance to hot tyres and are very durable when it comes to scrubbing grease and oils.

For better hold on a concrete floor, you will need to make sure that it's not too 'fresh', i.e. you'll have to wait a few months after the floor has been poured before you apply paint.

There are also specialist floor paints for indoors, which can spruce up old floor tiles, hardwood or a laminate floor.

These offer excellent adhesion meaning you can go right ahead and paint without an undercoat! Perfect for renovating on a budget and saving time!

These paints are unstoppable! Most of them can be applied without an undercoat over old layers of paint or wood stain, as long as the previous paint isn't flaky! The most common types are resin-enriched acrylic paints, oil-based paints and alkyd-urethane enamels.

To prevent the paint on your shed or gate from eventually flaking off, make sure you pick a microporous paint!

Water and moisture can penetrate even highly 'waterproof' paints, and as soon as the weather heats up, the moisture will try to find a way out, causing the paint to blister.

Conversely, microporous paint is breathable, meaning the paint will stay stuck. In time, it will become 'floury', in other words, it will look and feel powdery to the touch, but you can repaint it without any problems.

As the name suggests, anti-rust paint contains an anti-rust additive. This makes it ideal for gates, security grilles and other metallic surfaces.

You can choose from water or solvent-based paints but solvent-based ones are more durable. Thanks to their composition, these are substantially more rust-proof.

The main feature of this type of paint is its heat-resistance. For better adhesion, once you've painted your radiator (while it's turned off!), let the paint dry then slowly turn up the heat on your radiator.

This type of paint is ideal for difficult-to-reach areas and rooms or objects with textured coatings. There's something to suit every taste!

You'll easily find the colour and finish you're after. Their formulation offers a multitude of possibilities: vehicles, radiators, bikes, ornaments, ground or forest markings and for fluorescent, chrome, sanded or hammered finishes, etc.

These are the paints of tomorrow! With no undercoat or stripping required, and just a light sand and clean, you can paint (just about) anything!

From melamine to laminate furniture, your kitchen cabinets, splashbacks, tiles, they adhere to any surface and are also ultra resistant to stains and scrubbing, while some are waterproof and can even be applied to the walls of your shower!

Not to be confused with renovation paint, this is similar to wall paint, but offers enhanced damp-proof qualities. Kitchen and bathroom paints are highly resistant to condensation and scrubbing.

You might also want to pick one with anti-mould properties.

If you're renovating, we recommend you install an MEV system: the paint, your walls and your lungs will all thank you!

When it comes to exterior wall paint, there are several options:

• classic pliolite - can be cleaned with white spirits;

• hydro-pliolite - combining the same technical specifications as pliolite with the practical features of an acrylic paint;

• acrylic - recommended for new surfaces;

• siloxane paint - offers high protection from adverse weather, ideal for seaside or mountain locations.

This is organic paint, made from natural products and VOC-free.

Perfect for the kids' bedroom, and for nature lovers who care about the environment.

It must be used on very clean and properly prepared surfaces.

With all of these paints, it's important to remember one thing: never paint over a flaky surface! A flaky surface has no grip. Even if you paint over it, you're only putting off the inevitable - the bottom layer will soon become unstuck! You'll have to put in some elbow grease to strip it down, with either a paint stripper or by sanding.

The same goes for damp and dirt... paint should always be applied to a clean surface.

When it comes to choosing a colour for exteriors, we need to let you into a secret: red and green pigments are the least UV-resistant, meaning that in time, the colour will fade. However, they're still very popular colours, for example Basque Green or Burgundy Red. Follow regional trends and take a look at the LPA (Local Planning Authority) restrictions if you don't want to have to repaint that bright yellow fence a dark oak sooner than planned.

• How to paint wall tiles

• Interior wall and ceiling paint buying guide

• How to paint a wall

• Bathroom paint buying guide