Interior wall surfaces are of different quality with regard to construction material and final treatment. Most frequently they are built from different bricks and treated with final plaster of different qualities or they are prefabricated made of plaster-cardboard plates, which we usually treat with interior levelling out masses. When we choose the paint, Helios offers with HELIOMIX system more than ten thousand colour shades. In case of the old wall surfaces, we meet with various coatings such as lime, dispersion, siliceous, silicone, oil paints. Since the substrates are very different, the interior wall paints must meet some basic requirements, so that the colour film on the wall will fulfil the decorative and the protective function. From the user's point of view the paint must be suitable for application with a brush, roller or sometimes by spraying. The work should be easy, paint should drop as little as possible, but it should have good levelling, it should have a long enough drying time that enables wet-to-wet application, it should be suitable for work in a sufficiently wide temperature range between +5 and +30 º C. In addition, the coating must have a sufficient hiding power, the appearance must be suitable with regard to the selected decorative effect. In some cases, tha paint can not fulfil all these requirements, especially this is valid for cheaper coatings. The characteristics of paints are conditioned with their composition. Main components, which decide on the characteristics of interior wall paints are a binder, pigment, water (in some cases the organic solvent), fillers and additives. Most of the interior wall paints are made on the basis of the so-called dispersive binders. The type and quantity of a binder have influence on the characteristics of a film, such as hardness, light stability, weather resistance, dirt absorption, elasticity, etc.. The manufacturer selects the binder according to the requirements , which the paint should fulfil. For the user it is important to know what to expect from the chosen paint, as he will decide in this way which paint to choose for an individual room. Often the producers group the interior wall paints depending on the mechanical properties and the appearance of the colour film in :
From the point of view of composiion these paints contain a small quantity of a binder, therefore they are not resistant to cleaning of spots with water and detergents. The colour film is resistant to dry wiping. As there is a small quantity of binder, colour film is open - passing of water vapour through it is quick, therefore the condense is not built on such surfaces. The open film also means, that the spots absorb into a film and also into the substrate, besides the mechanical hardness is small, therefore the colour film is damaged more quickly. The consequence is that the wall surfaces, which are painted with such coats should be renovated more quickly (SPEKTRA interior wall paint). Sometimes such paints contain more white pigment, therefore their hiding power is higher and the coat is more white (SPEKTRA 2000 interior wall paint, SPEKTRA interior wall paint EXTRA). Sometimes biocide agents are added to these paints, which prevent the growth of mould and other microorganisms on walls, which often happens with non-isolated wall surfaces in kitchens and bathrooms (SPEKTRA wall paint for kitchens and bathrooms). As regards the colour shades, the most frequent is white. The paint composition does not enable preparation of intensive colour shades, we get light ones with the use of the already prepared pigment concentrates (addition max. 3–5%). With reference to all the stated, such paints are suitable for low wear wall surfaces, such as ceilings, bedrooms and similar. It is true, that they are to higher degree used for majority of residential rooms due to favourable prices and users' wishes to keep the walls as vapour permeable as possible.
For washable wall paints (SPEKTRA interior washable wall paint, SPEKTRA latex semi-matt/matt and SPEKTRA DOMFLOK) generally a higher binder content is characteristic. The colour film is resistant to washing with water and detergents (defined in DIN EN 13330) therefore a frquent renovation of the coat is not necessary. The film is also much harder, resistant to mechanical damages and dirt absorption. The film appearance depends on type of paint, usually the film is very smooth,gloss varies from matt to half-matt and to high gloss. Some high washable coatings have a higher decorative effect, which is the consequence of a special composition or the application with different tools. Washable paints are distinguished for higher coverage, as we use them for at least 1/3 less less than unwashable paints. Typical is also good levelling, which is especially evident on very smooth, puttied and polished substrates. Helios offers in this segment of coatings the preparation of optional colour shades in the own mixing units, where a colourful selection in more than 10 000 colour shades is waiting for you. Due to all mentioned characteristics these paints are suitable for wall surfaces, exposed to high mechanical stresses, in rooms where many people get together, we think of staircases, corridors, offices, living rooms, chicldren rooms etc.
The last very important group are the so called isolation paints, which are usually produced on basis of binders, solved in organic solvents. They are used for isolation of spots, which water-based paints can not isolate, as they are soluble in water. These are dirty spots of nicotine, water outlet, smoke, tar, water soluble children paints … Such spots dissolve in water, contained in the applied paint and water brings them during drying phase to surface. Water evaporates and stains remain on surface. If we paint them with isolation paint, they remain under the coloured film. In past they covered such spots with facade paints and road marking paints, produced on basis of solvents with a very aggressive odour. Therefore they were very unsuitable for interior walls. Modern isolation paints (SPEKTRA antinicotine paint, SPEKTRA antimicrobal paint) are made on basis of solvents, which contain a minimal quantity of aromates, therefore they are less harmful to health and do not have an intensive odour. It is characteristic of these paints that they dry quickly, are washable, easy for application and have a good levelling. Care is necessary at tinting, as we can use only pigment concentrates, which are suitable for solvent-based paints. Due to wide selection of interior wall paints it is difficult to select the most suitable one. You have to consider wear, intention of a room as not every coating is for each room, especially from point of view of decorative and user's effect. back to top
