There are several types of paint, depending on their use. With exterior house paint, there are two basic types. Since exterior house paint is exposed to the weather conditions, it is very crucial to choose the right type of exterior house paint.
Exterior house paints have two types – the alkyd exterior house paint, and the latex exterior house paint. In choosing the right paint, it is important to know the qualities of each type of paint.
The main difference between latex and alkyd exterior paints is the curing or drying time of the paint. Alkyd paints take a long time to cure.
Typical alkyd paint usually dries in four to six hours. If a second coating will be used, then it can be recoated after eight to twelve hours. Though this paint type takes quite some time to dry, it continues to harden after a few months, forming a tough coating that is resistant to moisture.
Latex paint on the other hand takes only about 30 minutes to an hour to dry in places with warm climates. Latex paint is also resistant to moisture like dew and showers for about four hours.
Alkyd paint is also known as enamel paint, but enamel paint is just a type of alkyd paint. This paint comes in a variety of colors that can be mixed with other paint colors to form new hues. In some places, the use of alkyd paints is not allowed due to air quality laws or regulations.
There are several varieties of exterior latex paints. The type of latex paint that is of good quality is the one made with acrylic resin.
On the other hand, low quality latex paints are made using additives. A hundred percent acrylic latex paint may cost a lot, but it offers superior quality, color retention, gloss, and better adhesion to the surface where it is applied on.