Chapter 22

Painting

Paints are coatings of fluid materials which are applied as a final finish to
surfaces like walls, ceiling, wood and metal works.

Painting is done to protect the surface from the effects of weathering, to

prevent wood from decay and metal from corrosion, to provide a
decorative finish and to obtain a clean, hygienic and healthy living
atmosphere.

22.1 TYPES OF PAINTS

1. Enamel paints: These paints are available in numerous shades. They
mainly consist of white lead or zinc white, resinous matter and petroleum
spirit. Their formation into hard, impervious, decay-resistant enamel-like
surface soon after application protects it from being affected by acids,
alkalies, fumes and gas, hot and cold water, etc. They can be used for
internal as well as external purposes.
2. Cement paints: These include a variety of paints in which cement is the
main constituent responsible for the hardness and durability of the painted
surface. They are available in dry, powder form. They are waterproof. It is
desirable to provide cement paint on a rough surface rather than a smooth
surface because its adhesion power is more on rough surface than on
smooth surface. They prove to be economical as compared to oil paints.
They are suitable for painting fresh plasters having high alkalinity because
cement paints are not likely to be attacked by the alkalinity of the masonry
surface. It is not necessary to remove the existing paint for the application
of new paint.
3. Oil paints: They are generally applied in three different layers with varying
composition. These are termed as primes, undercoats and finishing coats.
The dampness of the wall affects the life of the oil paint, hence it must not
be applied during damp weather.
4. Cellulose paints: They are prepared from nitro cotton, celluloid sheets,
photographic films, etc. The cellulose paints harden by evaporation of
thinning agents. The surface painted with cellulose can be washed and
cleaned easily. They are little costlier than other paints.
5. Aluminium paints: Finely ground aluminium is suspended in either
quick-drying spirit varnish or slow-drying oil varnish as per requirement.
As the spirit or oil evaporates, a thin film of aluminium is formed on the
 surface. This paint forms a better protective surface over steel and iron.
They are impervious to moisture and possess high electrical resistance.
They have a good appearance and are visible in darkness.
6. Emulsion paints: These paints contain polyvinyl acetate, synthetic resins,
etc. They are easy to apply and are retained for a long period and can be
cleaned easily with water. For a rough plastered surface, a thin coat of
cement paint may be first applied to smoothen the surface. It is necessary to
have a sound surface to receive the paint.
7. Anticorrosive paints: These consist of oil and a strong drier. The
pigments such as chromium oxide, lead or zinc chrome is taken and after
mixing it with a small quantity of very fine sand it is added to the paint.
These are cheap and last for a long duration. They are black in colour.
8. Synthetic rubber paints: These paints are prepared from resins. They
have an excellent chemical resistant property. They can be applied to
surfaces that may not be completely dry. They offer good resistance to water
and are not affected by heavy rains. They dry very quickly. They are not
affected by weather and sunlight and are quite easy to apply.

22.2 USES OF PAINT

1. It protects the surface from weathering effects of the atmosphere and the
actions by other liquids, fumes and gases.
2. It prevents decay and corrosion in metal.
3. It is used to give good appearance to the surface.
4. It provides a smooth surface.

22.2.1 Characteristics of a good paint

A good paint should possess high spreading power and should be

durable, tough and resistant to wear on drying. It should work smoothly
and freely and should not crack, fade or change colour. Its surface should
become dry in 9 hours and hard enough to take another coat in 24 hours.
We should be able to spread it into a very thin layer and it should
provide a smooth and pleasing appearance.

22.3 PAINTING OF DIFFERENT SURFACES

22.3.1 New woodwork

Normally, four coats of paint are required for new woodwork. The
process of painting is as follows:

1. The surface of the woodwork is prepared to receive the paint for satisfactory
working. It is necessary that the woodwork is sufficiently seasoned and it
 does not contain more than 15 per cent moisture at the time of painting. The
surface of the woodwork is thoroughly cleaned and the heads of nails are
punched to a depth of 3 mm below the surface.
2. The surface of the woodwork is then knotted.
3. The process of cleaning the surface using sand paper is then carried out.
4. The subsequent coats of paint, namely undercoat and finishing coats, are
then applied on the surface. Extreme care should be taken to see that the
finishing coat presents a smooth and even surface and that no brush marks
are seen on the finished surface.

22.3.2 Repainting old woodwork

If the paint on the old woodwork has cracked or has developed blisters, it
is to be removed. If the surface has become greasy, it should be cleaned
by rubbing down with sandpaper or fine pumice stone. The old paint can
also be removed by applying any one of the following three paint
solvents.

1. A solution containing 200 g of caustic soda in a litre of water is prepared

and used to wash the surface. The paint dissolves and the surface becomes
clean.
2. A mixture consisting of one part of soft soda and two parts of potash is
prepared and one part of quick lime is added afterwards. This mixture is
applied on the surface in a hot state and allowed to stay for about 24 hours.
The surface is then washed with hot water.
3. A mixture consisting of equal parts of washing soda and quicklime is
brought to a paste form by adding required quantity of water. It is applied
on the surface and kept for about an hour. The surface is then washed with
water.

After removing the old paint from the surface, painting is carried out in 2
or 3 coats of an oil paint.

22.3.3 Painting new iron work and steel work

The surface of iron or steel to receive the paint should be free from rust,
grease, dirt, etc. Suitable equipments such as wire brushes and scrapers
are used to remove all loose scales, marks, etc. from the surface. Water
with caustic soda or lime is used to remove grease. The cleaned surface is
provided with a film of phosphoric acid. This film protects the surface
from rust and it also facilitates the adhesion of paint. The coats of paint
are then applied. The paint suitable to iron and steel surfaces should be
selected for each coat. The priming coat or first coat is made by
dissolving fine red lead powder in boiled linseed oil. After this coat has
dried, two or more coats of the desired paint are applied over the
priming coat, with the help of a brush or spray gun The finishing coat
should present a smooth finish and precaution should be taken to avoid
the presence of brush marks on the final painted surface.

22.4 WHITE WASHING

The process of white washing process can be done through carried out
under the following operations:

22.4.1 Preparation of white wash

The white wash is prepared from fresh burnt shell or pure stone lime
mixed with water. Shell lime is preferred to pure lime as it is whiter and
slakes more perfectly to a smoother paste.

To prepare white wash, fresh lime is slaked at the site of work and is
dissolved in a tub with sufficient quantity of water. After slaking, it is
allowed to remain in the tub of water for 2 days and then stirred up with
a pole until it attains the consistency of thin cream. This mixture is then
strained or screened through a clean coarse cloth. Clean gum dissolved
in hot water is then added at the rate of 2 kg/m3 of lime to the white-
wash water. The solution so formed is called as white wash. To prevent
the glaring effect due to whitewash, sometimes copper sulphate at the
rate of 4 kg/m3 of thin cream is added. In order to have better adhesive
properties, alum or common salt may be added in the same proportion
as gum.

22.4.2 Preparation of surface

Before applying white wash to a new wall surface, it is essential that the
surface should be cleaned, brushed and made free from loose materials
and any other foreign matter. If the surface to be coated is oversmooth,
then the coats will not stick to it. In such cases, the surface should be
rubbed with sand paper to ensure proper adhesion of white wash.

In case of re-white washing, all loose materials and scales should be

scrapped off. The old loose white wash is removed by rubbing with sand
paper. All holes on the wall, irregularities of surface and minor repairs
are corrected in advance by filling with lime putty.

All greasy spots should be given a coat of a mixture of rice water and
sand so that the finishing wash may stick to the surface. If old white
wash is discoloured by smoke or other reasons as in kitchens, factories,
restaurants, etc., then in such cases the surfaces should be given a wash
of a mixture of wood ashes and wastes or yellow earth, before the
application of white wash. Cement plastered walls should be washed
with a weak solution of soap and dried before applying white wash.

22.4.3 Application of white wash

The white wash is applied to a specified number of coats with a brush.

Usually, three coats are required for new work and scrapped surfaces,
while one or two coats are considered sufficient for old work. For each
coat, one stroke is given from the top downwards and the other from the
bottom upwards over the first stroke, and similarly one stroke from the
right and another from the left over the first brush before it dries. Each
coat should be allowed to dry before applying the next coat. The finished
dry surface should not show any signs of cracking or peeling and should
not come off readily on fingers when rubbed.

22.5 COLOUR WASHING

A colour wash is usually prepared by adding the necessary colouring

pigments in suitable quantities to the screened white wash or liquid
mixture of white wash. It should be ensured that the colouring pigment
is not affected by the presence of lime. The colour wash is applied in
exactly the similar manner as white wash. The colour is constantly
stirred with a stick during its use. The quantity of colour wash, which is
just enough for the day's work, should be prepared at a time in the
morning.

1. Normally, the ceilings are white washed and the walls are colour washed.
2. Before applying colour wash on new surfaces or scrapped surfaces, a coat of
white wash should be applied. This coat will act as a priming coat and
incidentally result in economy also.
3. In the case of old work, a coat of colour wash is first applied over the
patches or repaired work and rectified surface spots. Two or more coats of
colour are then applied on the entire surfaces till it presents the desired
finish.
4. A satisfactory finish should not give out the powder when rubbed with
fingers.

22.6 DISTEMPERING
The main object of applying distemper to the plastered surfaces is to
create a smooth surface. The distempers are available in the market
under different trade names. They are cheaper than paints and varnishes
and they present a neat appearance. They are available in a variety of
colours.

22.6.1 Properties of distempers

1. On drying, the film of distemper shrinks. Hence, it leads to cracking and

flaking, if the surface to distemper is weak.
2. The coating of distemper is usually thick and they are more brittle than
other types of water paints.
3. The film developed by distemper is porous in character and it allows water
vapour to pass through it. Hence, it permits new walls to dry out without
damaging the distemper film.
4. They are generally light in colour and they provide a good reflective coating.
5. They are less durable than oil paints.
6. They are treated as the water paints and they are easy to apply.
7. They can be applied on brickwork, cement plastered surface, insulating
board, etc.
8. They exhibit poor workability.
9. They prove to be unsatisfactory in damp locations such as kitchens and
bathrooms.

22.6.2 Process of distempering

The application of distemper is carried out in the following manner:

22.6.2.1 Preparation of surface

The surface to receive the distemper is thoroughly rubbed and cleaned.

The important points to be noted are:

1. The new plastered surfaces are to be kept exposed for a period of 2 months
or so to dry out before the distemper is applied on them. The presence of
dampness on the surface results in failure of the distemper coating.
2. The surface to receive the distemper should be free from any efflorescence
patches. The patches are to be wiped out by a clean cloth.
3. The irregularities of the surface such as cracks and holes are to be filled by
lime putty or gypsum and are allowed to become hard before distemper is
applied on the surface.
4. If distemper is to be applied on the existing distempered surface, the old
distemper should be removed by profuse watering.

22.6.2.2 Priming coat

After preparing the surface to receive the coats of distemper, a priming
coat is applied and it is allowed to become dry. For readymade
distempers, the priming coat should be composed of materials as
recommended by the makers of distempers. For locally made
distempers, the milk can be used for priming coat. One litre milk will
cover about 10 m2 of the surface.

22.6.2.3 Coats of distemper

The first coat of distemper is then applied on the surface. It should be of

a light tint and applied with great care. The second coat of distemper is
applied after the first coat has dried and become hard.

1. The distempering should be done in dry weather to achieve better results.

2. The oil-bound distemper or washable distemper adheres well to oil-painted
walls, woods, corrugated iron, etc. But a priming coat of pure milk should be
applied before distempering is done on such surfaces.
3. The application of distemper by a spraying pistol is superior to that by
brushes. Spraying affords a smooth and durable film of distemper.

22.7 TILING OF WALLS

Nowadays walls of the bathrooms, kitchens, work area, etc. are given a
covering of glazed tiles in order to provide improved cleanliness and
aesthetic appearance. Tiles are available in various forms, shapes, sizes
and colours.

Before fixing the tiles, the verticality of all the corners should be checked
and all the concealed plumbing and electric works should be completed
and checked for their leak proofness. The plastered surface should then
be given a final bedding of cement paste 1:2 with very fine sand. Tiles
should be kept soaked in clean fresh water for 30 minutes before mixing.
Cement mix should evenly be applied on the backside of the tiles and
fixed in position by tapping into the correct position. The joint should be
kept minimum (1.5 mm). Then the corners should be stroked with a
mallet to check whether there is any hollow sound, which indicates poor
workmanship. The joints should then be cleaned and a finish of white or
coloured cement should be given. Curing should be continued for at least
15 days.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Why is painting done on wooden surfaces?

2. What are the types of paints mainly used?
3. What are the main uses of paints?
4. What are the main characteristics of a good paint?
5. How is painting done on wooden surfaces?
6. What is white washing and how is white wash prepared?
7. What are the properties of distempers?
8. Briefly discuss the process of distempering.
9. What do you mean by tiling of walls?