Paint - Primer or "Base Coat"

The primer, also called the "base coating" for a wall to be later painted the color it
will take on, is a preformance based coat for paint. What a base coating will do, is hold
any finish coats to the surface and prevent them from soaking into the substrate being
painted on. This will cause the gloss sheen to flash and show an inconsistant topcoat
while greating a solid bond between the substrate and paint applied to the surfacing.
Two categories of base coating are sealers, which prevents alkaline chemical
reaction damage in plaster substrates as well as reining in any other substrates that could
harm the finish coats, and underbodies, which conceal some imperfections and carry
more pigment than sealers and can be sanded leading to underbodies also being known as
"block fillers."
If any substrate is chalking, or an earlier paint coating is cracking, alligatoring, or
checking, it will have to be cleaned and primed with an appropriate sealer. The critical
component of beginning to paint surfaces is to properly prepare the substrate.
Keep in mind: some primers can work with various paints or none at all
outside of specific paints, this variance will differ from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Paint - Top Coating

Top coating is generally known as paint, and like primer it is also a preformance
based coat while remaining decorative.
Two variations of paint are alkyd (oil-based) or water-based primers. Alkyd
primers are a hybrid water-modified alkyd that uses plant-based or oil instead of
petroleum. Oil is becoming increasingly illegal for walls and trim applications, despite
oil-based paint remaning the go-to choice for metal applications as water corrodes metal.
Traditionally linseed, tung, and soya oil, oil-based paints now refer to modified oils
(alkyds.) The change from traditional to more modern oil mixtures results in an even
harder and faster drying for affected paint. Alkyd primers generally have an attractive
gloss and good leveling when brush strokes fill themselves in for a smoother finish. Oil-
based paints are more durable, but contain organic solvents that can irritate eyes and
crack skin due to the paint's high VOC content. Alkyd paint is best applied on glossy
woodwork, doors, and furniture, and demanding surfaces such as flooring.
Water-based can be either latex which is the most flexible or acrylic which is
harder than latex. Bear in mind, both water-based primers will cause grain raising of
untreated woodwork as water makes the grains swell. This leads to sanding the wood
post-painting after they dry or are tack-free. The vast majority of paint on the market is
water-based, as it is quick drying and possesses an elastic finish that resists cracking with
a stable color as the paint ages. Latex paints with "100% acrylic" binders are significantly
more durable and very flexible, so the paint will adhere well to exterior surfaces and
resist paint failures such as blistering, flaking, and peeling. Water-based paints possess
love VOC levels, and are capable of application on nearly any surface with small tweaks
to basic formulas.

Sheen Level Tips:

The flatter the paint, the better it will hide surface imperfections.
Flatter paint will allow for more seamless and easier touch-ups.
The more glossy a finish, the greater the durability.
The higher the gloss level is will determine how washable and scrubbable
the surface will be, as glossier paints are more easily cleaned than flatter
paints.
Gloss surfaces are less porous and thus more resistant to mildew.
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Wallcoverings
Wallcoverings are defined as any material that can be adhered to walls and later
removed without damage to the wall, and can be used as "wallpaper." Some wallcovering
products are antimicrobial or have biocides to combat potential issues with micro-
organisms or mold. Wallpaper can possess micro-venting, which is invisible perforations
in the wallpaper that will allow the walls to breathe and thus combat the buildup of mold
and mildew behind the material. Some types of wallcoverings might have recycled
content present, to guarentee some level of sustainability, select water-based inks and
limit coatings and adhesives that could emit VOCs, and look for recycled content and
shop for PVC-free materials. Vinyl is not ecologically sound.
Wallcovering Types:
Paper - Two kinds of paper laminated together with paper that has good
characteristics fro printing on the front, with paper that has good
characteristics for adhesion on the back.
Grass cloth - Grass cloth has vegetable fibers glued to a paper substrate,
the seams on this type of paper will always show.
String paper - Continuous rows of strings laid side-by-side on a paper
backing, this paper will not show its seams as readily as grass cloth.
Wood/Cork veneer - Real wood or cork veneers that are backed with paper
or mesh, providing flexible wallcovering.
Foil/Mylar/Metalized plastic - Backed with paper, is reflective and can
show every imperfection in the wall surface.
Flocked Glue is applied and small fibers are sprinkled onto the
wallcovering so it is "fuzzy" in those areas.
Cloth - Fabric can be backed with paper, knit backing, foam backing,
acrylic backing, or left unbacked, and should be treated with a stain-
repellant finish to make it easier to remove any adhesive from the face
after installation. If vinyl is laminated over the fabric, it improves
washability and protects the fabric from damage.
Vinyl - Considered scrubbable and can withstand more aggressive
cleaning and sanitizing products, so vinyl is an excellent choice for areas
subjected to slight moisture and dirt. However, vinyl offgasses VOCs, and
contains PVC and plasticizers, and some colorants contain toxic metals.

Wallcovering Ratings
Class I - Decorative
Class II - Decorative and serviceable, more washable and colorfast
Class III - Decorative with good serviceability, medium use for abrasion
and stain resistance, meets standards for strength and crocking resistance
Class IV - Decorative with full serviceability, heavy consumer and light
commercial use, meets strength, crocking, and tear-resistance criteria
Class V - Medium commercial serviceability, high-abrasion and crocking
resistance, colorfast and tear resistant
Class VI - Full commercial serviceability, in additon to all other criteria,
resists cold cracking, heat aging, and shrinkage
Commercial Wallcovering Ratings:
Type I - Light duty (offices, hotel rooms, patient rooms)
Type II - Medium duty (reception areas, corridors, classrooms)
Type III - Heavy duty (hospital corridors and other heavy uses with
moving equipment)
Standard Size chart: