Types of Paint

• Water-based paint vs. oil-based paint: The most popular type of interior paint is latex paint, which is water-based. Latex paint dries quickly, comes in just about any color, and cleans up easily with water. Oil-based paint is long-lasting and resilient, but it's harder to clean up—you must use a mineral-based solvent. Plus, the strong fumes of oil-based paint are hazardous to breathe.
• Stain-blocker paint: Dark stains covered with light-colored paint often show through the topcoat, or top layer of paint; stain-blocker paint covers stains before the paint is applied. Stain-blocker paint comes in water-, oil-, and even shellac-based versions.
• Primer: Primer is the indispensable first coat in any paint project. It’s available in both latex and oil formulations. Primer seals the surface and improves the bond between the surface and the paint. Alkyd-based primers can be used with any topcoat, but latex primers are best used only with latex topcoats.
• Flat paint: Flat paint is a topcoat with no luster, or shine. Though it comes in both water- and oil-based versions, the latex version is by far the most popular. Usually applied to ceilings and walls, this paint rolls on evenly and hides surface flaws better than paints with higher lusters.
• Eggshell paint: Another type of paint with a low luster is eggshell paint. Like satin paint, eggshell has a low luster and moderate washability, so it’s a great choice for walls, especially in high-traffic spaces.
• Satin paint: Satin paint is a topcoat with slightly more luster than flat paint. It hides surface problems like a flat paint does and has some of the washability of semigloss and gloss paints (see below). If you want to use the same paint on walls and woodwork, satin is the best choice.
• Semigloss paint: Semigloss paint is a glossy topcoat with a hard, washable surface. It’s usually applied to trim work, doors, windows, and built-in bookshelves. Even though oil products are known to have higher gloss, most consumers choose latex semigloss.
• Gloss paint: Gloss paint, or enamel paint, has a very high luster. It's designed for woodwork where durability is very important—for example, wainscoting in a kitchen or bathroom. Though gloss paints are available in latex versions, alkyd-based enamels have the highest gloss.

Eco-Friendly Paint