How to paint a treeFor an experiment wereeight identical stools, four alkyd and four acrylic enamels of different price categories, brushes were purchased. We decided that for painting stools hardly anyone would buy primer in addition to enamel. We also did not do this, although for some trains, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, this is a violation of technology. So consider, if you need to decorate large wooden surfaces (for example, interior doors), the primer is very useful, and then its acquisition is economically justified. Then you need to turn the stool, put on the legs and paint the remaining areas on the crossbars and the upper side of the seat. Subsequent layers were applied in the same way until the black squares were completely painted. Recently, environmental protection and human health have become increasingly important. That is why in a number of countries, by 2010, solvent-borne paints and varnishes, including alkyd enamels, will be completely replaced by water-based compositions, in particular, acrylic enamels.The better to paint the enamel tree assessed bythe following parameters: ease of use (painting characteristics), smell, quality of the coating obtained. To determine the hiding power of the compositions, on the seats of the stools, we drew a checkerboard with a black felt-tip pen. And then successively (letting it dry), layers were applied until the pattern was completely painted over. As a result of this improvised test, we were able to draw the expected, but no less interesting conclusions:

• The price determines the quality of the material.Yes, you will have to pay 300-1000 rubles for good enamel. But the quality of the coating (at least visible) will be much higher: the composition will show itself as more opaque, it will be easier and faster to work with it.
• To obtain bright colors and precise hitstone, you need to use paint of the corresponding base. In addition, you need to adhere to the coloring system of the same manufacturer. There are systems on the market from Beckers (Sweden), Dulux (Great Britain), Caparol (Germany); Teknos, Tikkurila (Finland), etc.
• If the packaging of a white composition says,that it is tinted according to the RAL fan, this does not mean that you can achieve a bright color (it will be lighter). In some cases, after drying, the color of the coating becomes darker by about a quarter of a tone. Therefore, it is advisable to test the paint on a small piece of hardboard or plywood beforehand.
• The absence of odor makes the work much easier, so it is much more convenient and pleasant to use water-based materials (in our case, acrylic enamels).

Opacity is the ability of a paint and varnish compound to even hide its original color when applied uniformly on a monochrome surface.

Paint or enamel?

In general, this division is conditional.In Germany, for example, there is no word "enamel" at all - either "paint" (farbe) or "varnish" (lack). When choosing a material with a high degree of gloss, special attention should be paid to the smoothness and cleanliness of the surface being treated, because all the flaws will appear.

• The paint consists of a film-forming substance(resin, latex or other), pigments or their mixture with fillers, solvent and additives. Pigments are mainly responsible for the covering power of the material. Titanium dioxide is often used for this purpose. The film-forming substance mainly determines resistance to water and abrasion.
• Enamel consists of the same set of components.But sometimes it contains significantly more film-forming substance, and the fillers are the bare minimum. After drying, it creates an opaque coating with varying degrees of gloss. As a rule, enamel surpasses paint in protective properties, hardness and elasticity.

Alkyd enamel

They consist of alkyd resins, pigments, variousadditives and solvent. They can be applied to almost any substrate. After drying, they create a durable coating that reliably protects the base from water, alkalis and can withstand wet friction. However, this coating has low vapor permeability, which is critical for "breathing" wooden surfaces, from which it often peels off. The disadvantages of alkyd enamels include toxicity and a very pungent odor both during work and during drying (12 hours or more). Dulux Trade High Gloss (UK) Alkyd glossy paintTo obtain orange colour RAL 2008used the corresponding Extra Deep base and tinted twice: once with a Tikkurila machine (this is the equipment that was in the store), the second time with the “native” Dulux. The difference in price was quite noticeable - 40 and 555 rubles, respectively. The properties of the two enamels differed in approximately the same way. When tinting on a “foreign” machine, a translucent composition of an intense orange color with a liquid consistency was obtained. And although the coating turned out to be smooth and mirror-glossy, each layer was thin and translucent - having covered the structure of the wood, the enamel did not paint over the dark squares even after four layers. Tinting on a Dulux machine gave a completely different result. The thick thixotropic enamel was evenly distributed over the surface, flowing over it and almost immediately hiding brush marks. Even the smell during work was less than in the first case. The black squares were painted over with two (!) layers of enamel. The coating is smooth, mirror-glossy, without drips and brush marks.1 layer.2 layers.4 layers.

• Coloring: there are four bases (Light, Medium, Deep, Extra Deep) that allow you to more accurately get to the desired color. Enamels of bright white and black colors are offered separately.
• Consumption: 1 l covers up to 18 m² in one layer.
• Drying: before applying the next layer – 16–24 hours.
• Packaging: metal cans of 1, 2.5 and 5 liters.
• Price: from 286 rubles for 1 liter of Extra Deep base (for rich colors) to 1716 rubles for 5 liters of Light base (white, for pastel tones).

Dufa Hochglanzlack (Germany) Enamel glossUnfortunately, there are no tinting bases in Russiasupplied only to order, and we could not find a Dufa tinting machine. Therefore, we chose white (RAL 9010) from the assortment. Naturally, as a result of its tinting using the Tikkurila system, a tone lighter than RAL 2008 was obtained. The moderately thick consistency of the paint resembled soft ice cream. The composition immediately lay down well on the base in a thick, opaque layer. However, we had to work quickly, since the film quickly "set". The undeniable advantage of the product is the absence of aromatic hydrocarbons in the composition and, therefore, the pungent odor characteristic of most alkyd enamels. In three layers, the enamel covered the surface completely, forming a semi-gloss coating without drips, but with slightly noticeable brush marks.1 layer.2 layers.3 layers.

• Coloring: 25 ready colors.
• Consumption: about 1 l per 8–10 m² in one layer.
• Drying: before applying the next layer – 12 hours.
• Packaging: metal cans of 0.375; 0.75; 2.5 l.
• Price: from 200 rubles for 0.75 l.

"Halo" (Russia) Enamel universal alkyd, glossyThe enamel has a strong specific smell,therefore, you should work in a respirator in a well-ventilated room, and ideally - outdoors. Since "Oreol" is only available in ready-made colors, we took white for our test and tinted it. Quite naturally, the color turned out not as saturated as RAL 2008. In the can, the composition resembled sour cream in consistency. The result was a matte coating that completely hid the texture of the wood, on which visible brush marks remained. The black squares were painted over completely with only four layers of enamel.1 layer.2 layers.3 layers.

• Coloring: 8 ready colors - white, black, gray, blue, green, yellow, beige, red.
• Consumption: for white colour – 1 kg per 8–10 m² in one layer.
• Drying: before applying the next layer – 24 hours.
• Packaging: metal cans of 1; 2.2; 3 kg.
• Price: about 100 rub. for 1 kg.

Acrylic enamels

They consist of acrylic binder, pigment,water and additives. They are practically odorless, easy to work with, can be easily washed off the tool with water, and dry quickly. And if a few years ago they were somewhat inferior in properties to alkyd enamels, modern compositions demonstrate the same high resistance to abrasion and water exposure. In addition, they form a vapor-permeable film, which is especially important for wooden surfaces. Beckers Elegant Aqua Lackfärg Halvblank (Sweden) Acrylic enamel paint, semi-glossTwo cans were tinted in RAL 6018paints of the required base (C - translucent). One - with the help of a Beckers tinting machine (cost 120 rubles), the other - on a Tikkurila machine (cost 40 rubles). In both cases, the color of the finished coating was the same, but the difference in the recipes and the number of colorants caused discrepancies in the painting properties of the two products. When using the "foreign" system, the enamel was too liquid, which practically flowed along the surface. Each time it was necessary to apply a very thin layer. However, the result is not bad: the black squares were painted in three layers. During the work, there was almost no smell, which made the work comfortable. Tinting on the Beckers machine provided the composition with a fairly thick consistency and thixotropy. The enamel lay well and tightly on the surface. After applying two (!) layers, the black squares were barely distinguishable. In both cases, a smooth coating with a noble shine and visible wood texture without drips was obtained.1 layer.2 layers.3 layers.

• Coloring: Base A (white) for receiving pastel tones and Base C (translucent) - for saturated.
• Consumption: 1 l per 8–10 m² in one layer.
• Drying: before applying the next layer – 4 hours.
• Packaging: metal cans of 0.9 and 2.8 l.
• Price: about 575 rubles for 0.9 l.

Sadolin Master Lux Aqua 70 (Sweden) Water enamel for wood and metal, glossySince this enamel is only available in white,tinting produces light tones. It is not surprising that the composition tinted in RAL 6018 using the Tikkurila machine turned out to be much lighter than the tone promised by the palette. There was practically no smell during operation. Due to the successful consistency and good thixotropic properties, the composition was distributed over the surface evenly, in a thin layer. The coating turned out to be glossy, leaving the wood texture visible. After applying three layers, the black squares were almost painted over. It is quite possible that when tinting with the "native" system, the result in terms of hiding power will be different.1 layer.2 layers.3 layers.

• Kolerovka: enamel is presented only in white color. It is tinted according to the Tintorama / Colornorm system.
• Consumption: 1 l per 8 m² in one layer.
• Drying: before applying the next layer – 12 hours.
• Packaging: metal cans of 1 and 2.5 liters.
• Price: about 414 rubles per 1 liter.

Feidal Acryl-Glanzlack (Russia – Germany) High gloss acrylic universal enamelThe composition was tinted in color 6018 according to the catalogRAL using a Tikkurila machine. Naturally, it turned out to be lighter than in the color chart. A couple of days later, when we opened the can, it turned out that the color had risen to the top. But after mixing, we got a uniform creamy thixotropic material. Working with enamel turned out to be very comfortable. The absence of a strong smell and the optimal consistency ensured ease of application. The black squares on the seat were painted completely in three layers. The coating turned out to be glossy, with a visible wood structure and barely noticeable brush marks.1 layer.2 layers.3 layers.

• Tinting: snow-white, tinting according to the color map.
• Consumption: 1 l per 8–12 m² in one layer.
• Drying: before applying the next layer – 3 hours.
• Packaging: plastic jars of 0.75; 2.5; 5 and 10 l.
• Price: from 252.52 rubles for 0.75 l; 748.12 rubles for 2.5 l; 1457.3 rubles for 5 l; 2986.58 rubles for 10 l.

The editors thank Euroinstroy for their help in preparing the material.

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