4 tips to buying long-lasting paint for your walls

Colour is only one of the choices you have to make when choosing paint. When considering durability, you have a few other choices that are more important.

• When it comes to paint, more money usually does buy you more durability.
• A top-quality can of paint will contain a higher percentage of titanium oxide — the solid pigment.
• As a result, a can of top-quality paint will actually weigh more than cheaper paint.
• Besides, cheap paint may not really be so cheap, since it takes more paint and more work to get good coverage.

• Once upon a time there was only oil-based paint.
• Then latex paint came on the scene.
• Latex can be cleaned up with water, but many pros stuck with oil-base because it was more durable and flowed on better.
• Today oil-base paints use a synthetic oil called alkyd and still require paint thinner to clean up.
• Natural latex also has been replaced with synthetic materials, usually acrylic, though most paint cans still say latex on them.
• Today these latex paints are so durable that there is no reason to use alkyd paints indoors.

• The level of gloss you choose can be very important to durability.
• Most paint cans are labelled high-gloss, semigloss, eggshell, satin, low sheen, or flat.
• Recognize that these are general labels — the semigloss from one manufacturer might be similar to the gloss of another.
• Glossier paints resist marks better, are easier to clean, and usually last longer, but they make any dents or other unevenness in the wall more apparent.
• Touch-ups also blend in better with less gloss.

• If you are painting an area that will be submitted to high humidity, such as a bathroom, have the paint store add mildewcide to the paint.
• This will protect your walls and keep you from having to repaint, or do more substantial repairs.