 COMPARISON  DISTEMPER  MELAMINE
1. DEFINITION  Distempers are the paints 
consisting of powdered
chalk, pigments, and glue 
mixed in water. These are
also known as water paints.
 Powder form of – dry
distemper ,Paste form of
distemper – oil bound
distemper.
2. BASE  Whiting or chalk , colouring 
pigments
3. VEHICLE/CARIER/BINDER  Water as carrier and , glue or 
casein as a binder
4. FINISHES  Provide better smooth 
surface.They give reflective
coating.
 Limited availability of
shades. Colours will fade
over time.  wide range of finishes,
 POLYURETHRANE
transparent/natural wood 
finishes.
Melamine is a synthetic
resin made by mixing
melamine and
formaldehyde
Melamine polish consists 
of this resin, which spreads
as a thin film over the
furniture surface
formaldehyde  PU Polish can be both 
after its application that 
offers more of glossy
appearance then matt
finish on coated wood
panel or surface.
from matte to satin to
glossy.
 FREANCH POLISH
transparent/natural wood 
finishes.
Synthetic hydrocarbon 
polymers which form a
film over the wood surface
that is coated, thus
laminating it.
water-based and solvent-
based.
Polyurethane provides 
superior gloss and colour
retention, exhibiting a
very high gloss wet look
finish. ... It is available in
Shades white, blue, red,
green, and almost all
furniture & industrial
colours.
French polishing is a
wood finishing technique
that results in a very high
gloss surface, with a deep
colour.
Shellac is a resin secreted
by the female lac bug on
trees in the forests of
India and Thailand. It is
processed and sold as dry
flakes and dissolved in
alcohol to make liquid
shellac
methylated
spirit./alcohol
French polishing is a
wood finishing technique
that results in a very high
gloss surface
5. APPLICATION  Needs primer and putty 
before painting.
 After that apply the first
layer of professional 
distemper. Apply 2-3 more
coatings after equal time
intervals.
 The paint can be directly 
applied to the wall without
removing the coating.
 Spray the final coat of
6. MODE OF APPLICATION  Paint can be applied with a 
brush, a roller, or a spray
gun.
7. PROCESSING  after application to a 
substrate in a thin layer,
converts to a solid film.
8. USES  It is most commonly used to 
protect, color, or provide
texture to objects.
 Used on interior side of
plastered wall and ceiling.
Sanding is a must to 
smoothen the rough
surfaces.
Apply one coat of sealer to
increase the adhesion of
melamine. It takes about
12 hours to dry.
Spray the first coat of
melamine. Resanding with
smooth water paper after
drying.
melamine.
It gets applied by spraying. 
Melamine is a closed pore, 
and makes it non-
breathable. It protects the
wood from hot and cold
objects placed on it and
also from minor damage.
not allowing the moisture 
of the wood to escape, 
preventing it from damage
from the elements and
protecting it from wear
and tear from use.
enhance the aesthetics of
the wood .
Apply a very  It is a classic technique of
thin coat of polyurethane wood finishing. It is a
with a fine brush, foam mixture of shellac and
pad, or cloth. Work with alcohol. A rubbing pad
the grain, and avoid lubricated with oil is used
applying too for the application of this
much polyurethane to finish on the wooden
avoid raising the grain. surface.
The initial coat should be
dry within a couple of
hours, and then apply a
second coat.
Apply a very thin coat of  French polishing is a
polyurethane with a fine method of applying finish
brush, foam pad, or cloth. to wood by hand with a
cotton pad.
 applying it with a special
pad lubricated with oil.
after application to a  after application to a
substrate in a thin layer, substrate in a thin layer,
converts to a solid film. converts to a solid film.
purpose of protection.  results in a highly glossy,
These coatings help glass-smooth surface
protect substrates from with a rich depth that
various types of defects beautifully highlights the
such as corrosion, grain of the wood.
weathering, abrasion and
other deteriorating
processes.
9. INTERIOR APPLICATION  Applied on plastered 
surfaces or surfaces which
have been previously white
washed.
 Not suitable for surfaces 
which remains wet for most
of the time as bathrooms ,
kitchens.
10. OUTDOOR APPLICATION  They are not suitable for 
exposed situations.
11. UV PROTECTION  Less UV resistance  Less UV resistance
 lasts for much longer than
12. DURABILITY  Distempers last for 4 – 5 
years and they have an only
mild odour.
Melamine is more suited 
to interior applications and
that too is exclusive for
wooden items.
The melamine polish
deteriorates when
exposed to sunlight,
mostly turning yellow and
loosening. Over time, it
may also chip off at the
edges of the furniture.
standard French polish.
lasts for much longer than
standard French polish.
The PU Polish prevents the  It is recommended for all
furniture from moisture, interior works.
scratches, dust, water,
therefore suitable for
outdoor application. PU
Polish can be very hard
and strong, providing
exceptional wear
resistance, and long-
lasting protection to the
surface.
PU Polish would be a
better choice than
Melamine Polish for the
exterior.
 Polyurethane finish for  It is not weather proof,
wood is not  they can’t be used on
recommended for external surface
outdoor use as it may turn
yellowish and crack on
exposure to UV rays.
 Less UV resistance  Less UV resistance
Very durable, but susceptible  French-polished shellac is
to cracking and UV damage. durable and doesn’t
require much in the way
of polishing once dry. It’s
flexible, so resists
cracking, scratches, and
wear
13. DRYING TIME  Leave it to dry for minimum  Melamine polish dries off 
of 12 to 16 hours. within 20 mins.
 Therefore the polish 
mixture needs to be used
within 8 hours of time.
14. COST  Cost-effective  Melamine polish is a 
popular and budget-
friendly polish for wooden
furniture in India.
15. TOXICITY  Water-based distemper is  Melamine is an organic 
environmentally friendly, compound that is toxic in
but oil-based distemper can nature. It is often
let off some fumes which combined with
could be harmful. formaldehyde to produce
melamine resin, which is
safe and not toxic.
16. WASHABILITY  The walls that are coated  Melamine polish has only 
with Distemper are not fully limited resistance against
washable because erosion of water.
distemper occurs when
washed with water. The
distemper will peel off when
it is wet.
Water-based dries quickly, 
oil-based dries slowly.
It takes oil-based
polyurethane 24 hours
and water-based
polyurethane 6 hours to
dry enough
Varies greatly, but 10-20% 
more expensive than
varnish for comparable
brands.
Once the polyurethane 
finish has dried and cured,
it is generally considered
to be safe, but during the
drying and curing process,
the finish releases
potentially harmful
chemicals into the air via
evaporation.
Washability of emulsion 
paint is good hence the
surface painted with this 
paint can be easily cleaned
with water.
Allow
the polish to dry for 15
minutes or so before
repeating the process.
Additional layers of
thinned polish can be
applied using straight
strokes along the grain.
Leave at least 10 to15
minutes between layers.
cost-effective way can be
to get wooden furniture
French polished as it can
be cheaper than buying
new furniture.
nontoxic
only limited resistance
against water.
Cleaning is best only with
a soft cloth without any
remedies