Paints, Varnishes and Distempers

PAINTS
Paint is applied on timber, metal, brick or other materials in the form of a
liquid which, on drying, forms a thin film on the painted surface. The
essential function of the paint film is to provide protection or decoration
or both. Paint is indispensable for the proper maintenance and
preservation of wooden structures against warping, checking or decay.
Most of the metals corrode if not painted at suitable intervals. Painting
enables the masonry and concrete work to resist checking and disin­
tegration, thereby extending the life of structure. Decoration, sanitation
or improved illumination are the additional factors which often make
painting necessary.
Paint is composed of two main components, viz., pigment and organic
binder. Pigment is the solid ingredient of the paint and is used in the
form of a fine powder. Organic binder is the liquid part of the paint and it
is called vehicle. The vehicle varies with the type of paint. It is usually
linseed oil for an oil paint, varnish is kalsomine in case of enamel paints
and it is water in case of cold water paints. A coloured substance which
is spread over a surface and dries to provide a thin decorative or
protective coating.

CONSTITUENTS OF AN OIL PAINT

An oil paint is generally made up of six main constituents given below:
1. A base
2. An inert filler or extender
3. Colouring pigment
4. A vehicle
5. A solvent or thinner
6. A drier
(a) Base : It is generally a metallic oxide and is used in the form of
powder. Base is essentially a pigment which forms the chief ingredient
of a paint. The most important purpose of adding base or pigment in a
paint is to make an opaque coating to hide the surface to be painted. In
addition, it makes the film of coating resistant to abrasion and prevents
shrinkage cracks likely to be formed in the film, during drying. White
lead, red lead, zinc oxide, iron oxide and titanium whites are the bases
commonly used.

(b) Inert filler or extender : It is a cheap pigment added in a paint to

reduce its cost. In addition, it modifies the weight of the paint and makes
it more durable. With proper formulations, the inert filler pigments may
be helpful in contributing useful properties to the paint film. The
commonly used inert fillers or extenders are : Barytes (Barium sulphate),
lithopone, silica, silicate of magnesia or alumina, whiting, gypsum,
charcoal etc.
(c) Colouring pigments : As the name indicates, it is a white or
coloured pigment, mixed in a paint to get the desired colour of the paint.

(d)Vehicle : It is a liquid which acts as a binder for the various pigments,

viz., bases, extender and colouring pigment. The vehicle makes the paint
in the state of a fluid and thus helps to spread its ingredients uniformly
over the surface to the painted. This forms as elastic, resistant to abrasion
and reasonably impermeable film on drying: Refined linseed oil is a
commonly used vehicle in oil paints. Tung, soyabean, sunflower,
tobacco seeds are also being used as vehicles in various combinations
with linseed oil or without linseed oil.

(e)Solvent or thinner : It is a liquid which thins the consistency of the

paint and evaporates after the paint film has been applied. It imparts to
the paint film good properties such as brush ability, smoothness and easy
flow. Turpentines, pure oils, petroleum spirit and highly solvent naptha
are commonly used as solvent or thinner.
(i) Drier: These are materials containing metallic compounds and are
used in small quantities for accelerating the drying of paint film. They
act as catalysts for the oxidation and polymerization of the vehicle used
in the paint. Litharge, and cobalt are the driers commonly used.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD PAINT
A good paint should have the following characteristics :
1. It should stick well to the surface and should be able to seal the porous
substrata.
2. Its consistency should provide easy workability.
3. The thickness of the paint film should be adequate for good protection
and decoration of the surface.
4. The paint film should dry rapidly.
5. The dried paint film should be able to withstand the adverse weather
effect for a long time without losing gloss.
6. It should offer resistance to failure by checking, cracking and flaking.
7. It should possess good moisture resistance.
8. Its colour should not fade with the passage of time.
BASES
The pigments commonly used as the principal constituents for forming
the body of various types of paints are briefly given below :

White lead : This is perhaps the cheapest pigment and is thus

extensively used for ordinary painting works. It is sold both in powder
form as well as in the form of a stiff paste made by mixing it with
linseed oil. It has good binding and spreading power. It is very poisonous
and is blackened when subjected to an atmosphere contaminated with
sulphur compounds. Paints with white lead base can be easily tinted. It is
not recommended for painting of iron works as it does not check rusting
of iron. White lead paints are best suited for wood work.

Red lead : It is an oxide of lead, bright red in colour and is usually sold
in powder form or in the form of paste made by grinding it with linseed
oil. Red lead mixed with linseed oil is considered to be the best primer
both for wooden surface as well as structural steel work. It forms a tough
and durable film which sticks well to the surface.
Lead pigment paints have excellent moisture and mildew resistance
properties. They have good adhesion and the paints film fades only on
account of checking and cracking.

Zinc white or Zinc oxide : It is a fine white zinc powder which is

available both in dry form as well as in the form of paste made by
mixing it with linseed oil. This pigment is used as a base for all the zinc
paints. Zinc white mixed with linseed oil forms a white paint, which has
a good hiding and spreading power. It is not effected by sulphur
compounds and is not poisonous. It forms a costly paint, less workable
and less durable than the white lead paints. It amalgamates readily with
the binding oil during the process of drying. It finally gets very hard
forming a paint film which is brittle and has a tendency of surface
cracks.

Iron oxide : It is a pigment produced from haematite ore. The pigment is

obtained by grinding ; nd levigating the red or brown haematite. When
mixed with vehicle oil, it forms a cheap and durablepaint, which is
Titanium white or titanium dioxide : This pigment is chemically inert
and is not affected by heat, or light. Due to its high refractive index,
titanium white possesses excellent hiding power and as such it is
generally used as an under-coat in all types of exterior Or interior
organic coatings. It can be used with all types of vehicle oils.

Lithopone : This pigment is obtained from the precipitate formed by

mixing equal quantities of the solutions of barium sulphate and zinc
sulphate under carefully controlled conditions. It is a dense white
pigment, having a good covering power, and it tends to turn yellow when
exposed to sunlight. The paint made with lithopone as its base is
generally used as under-coat. It is also used in cheap enamels. It should
not be allowed to come in contact with water.
VEHICLE
The vehicles commonly used in an oil paint are briefly described below:
Linseed oil: This is extensively used as a vehicle in oil paints. It is
obtained by pressing crushed flax seeds. The drying of the oil takes place
due to its oxidation when exposed to air. It may be used either in its raw
state or refined state or in boiled form.
Raw linseed oil : It is a transparent vehicle, yellowish in colour, sweet in
taste and has very little smell. It has inferior drying qualities and is
generally used for inside painting work. It is normally used for delicate
tints. The drying qualities of this vehicle can be improved by adding
about one pound of white lead to every gallon of the oil and then
allowing, it to settle for a period of one week.
Boiled linseed oil: The drawback of slow drying of raw linseed oil is
overcome by boiling the raw oil. During the process of boiling, red lead
and litharge are added to the oil in proportion of one pound each to one
gallon of raw oil. The boiled linseed oil is thicker in consistency and its
colour is darker than that of the raw linseed oil. Boiled linseed oil is
inferior to raw linseed oil from consideration of elasticity and power of
penetration. Being darker in colour, it is not recommended for white or
light-coloured paints.
Double boiled linseed oil : Its colour and transparency is exactly similar
to that of raw linseed oil but it smells slightly different. It has quick
drying qualities and is generally used for painting plastered surfaces.
Poppy oil : It is prepared by pressing poppy seeds. It is used for very
delicate colours. It is expensive and is thus used for internal painting of
light shades. It is inferior in drying qualities as compaired with raw
linseed oil. The raw oil is not suitable for use in paints and as such it is
boiled and suitable materials are added to make it possible to be used as
vehicle.

Tury oil : It is extracted by pressing the nuts of tury tree. It is a vehicle

better than linseed oil and is largely used for making superior paints and
varnishes. It stands well the attack of alkalies.

Nut oil : It is a cheap vehicle and a generally used for painting ordinary
works of temporary character. It is colourless, less durable and it dries
very quickly. It is used as a vehicle for white or light coloured paints.
THINNER

Turpentine is the most common thinner used in the preparation of an oil

paint. Turpentine is a spirit obtained by distilling balsam, which is the
resin or gum obtained from pine tree. Turpentine thus obtained is termed
as spirit of turpentine, sap turpentine or oil of turpentine. Turpentine is
an inflammable, volatile, colourless liquid, having a pungent smell. It is
used in paints and varnishes to dilute them and to increase their flowing
properties. It is added in more quantity in the priming coat on wood-
work in order to increase ability of the paint to penetrate into the pores of
the woodwork, while in the outer or final coat it is used in much less
quantity. If used in excess, it effects the durability of the paint and on
evaporation it leaves an excess of colour not mixed in the oil. The usage
of turpentine as thinner is adopted only when dull or flat finish without
gloss is desired. Weather has adverse effect on turpentine, and as such it
should normally be. recommended for indoor paint work. Benzene and
solvent naptha are the thinners which are cheaper and are sometimes
used as substitutes for turpentine.
COLOURING PIGMENTS
Colouring pigments are used to give the desired colour to the paint. In
general, for white, black and very dark shades, the base itself is chosen to
be a colour pigment. In case of light or bright colour, the desired shade is
obtained by mixing pigment to white paint.
The colouring pigments generally used are given below. The desired
colour may be obtained by using the pigments, singly or in com­bination
of two or more:
Black pigments: Lamp black , vegetable black , ivory black, graphite.
Brown pigments: Raw umber, burnt umber, burnt sienna , Vandyke
brown.
Blue pigments: Prussian blue, indigo, ultramarine blue , cobalt blue.
Yellow pigments: Chrome yellow , yellow ochre, zinc chromate; barium
chlorate ; sienna.
Red pigments: Indian red, carmine, red lead, vermillion, Venetian red,
tuscan red.
Green pigments: Verdigris, green earth, chrome green, emerald green.
TYPES OF PAINTS
The various types of paints commonly used can be broadly divided in the
following categories :
(i) Aluminium paints
(iii) Anti-corrosive paints
(iv) Asbestos paints
(v)Bituminous paints
(vi)Bronze paints
(vii)Cellulose paints
(vii)Casein paints,
(viii)Cement based paints
(ix)Enamel paints
(x)Oil paints
(xi)Rubber base paints.
(i) Aluminium Paints. Aluminium paint is used for painting wood work and metal
surfaces. Aluminium powder forms the base in this paint. In this paint the base is
held in suspension and bound by, either quick-drying spirit varnish, or slow drying
oil varnish to suit the require­ments of the surface to be painted. This paint is well
established for its good weather-resisting and water-proofing qualities. It is highly
heat reflective, resistant to corrosive action of sea water, and stands well the
atmosphere contaminated with acidic fumes. Because of its brilliant silvery shining
texture, the paint has the advantage of being visible in darkness. Aluminium paint is
commonly used for painting metal roofs, silos, machinery, electric and telegraphic
poles or towers, oil or gas storage tanks, hot water pipes or tanks etc.

(it) Anti-corrosive Paints. This paint is generally used as a metal protection paint for
preserving structural steel work against the adverse effect of fiimes, acids, corrosive
chemicals and the ravages of rough weather. Several types of anti-corrosive paints are
manufactured these days. The pigments used in the various types of paints are dry red
lead, sublimed blue lead, zinc oxide and iron oxide, zinc dust, zinc chromate etc.
linseed oil is generally used as the vehicle. Sometimes, driers and inert fillers are also
added to modify the requirements of the coatings.
(iii) Asbestos Paints. This type of paint is specially suitable for patch
work or stopping leakage in metal roofs. It is also used for painting
gutters, spouts flashings, etc. in order to prevent them from rusting.
Asbestos or fibrous coating is sometimes used as damp-proof cover for
the outer face of the basement walls.

(iv)Bituminous Paints. Bituminous paints are alkali resistant and are

chiefly used for painting exterior brick work, and plastered surfaces.
They are also used for water-proofing and protection of iron and steel
and are commonly applied on iron water mains and structural steel work
under water or on fabricated iron and steel products. Such paints usually
consist of asphalt, bitumen or pitch dissolved in mineral spirit or naptha.
When required, drying oils may also be added to the paint to modify its
properties. This type of paint is obtained in black colour but its colour
can be modified by incorporating certain pigments like red oxide etc.
These paints, however, deteriorate when exposed to the direct rays of the
sun.
(v)Bronze Paints. This type of paint is often used for painting interior or exterior
metallic surface. On account of its high reflective property, it is commonly applied on
radiators. Aluminium powder (or aluminium bronze) or copper powder (or copper
bronze)'are pigments commonly used in this paint. The vehicle used in the paint is
usually nitro­cellulose lacquer.
(vi) Cellulose Paints. This type of . paint is made form celluloid sheets and amyl-
acetate substitutes. For making a superior type of paint, Nitro-cotton is used. It dries
very quickly and possesses the additional advantages of hardness, flexibility, and
smoothness. It can be cleaned easily and it remains unaffected by hot water, smoky or
acidic atmosphere and stands well the wear and tear and ravages of rough weather. It is
much superior to ordinary house paint and on account of its high cost, its usage is
generally restricted to paints of motor cars, aeroplanes or other such situations.
(viii) Casein Paints. Casein is a protein substance extracted from milk curd which is
mixed-up with a base consisting of white pigment like whiting, titanium, lithopone etc.
to from the paint which is usually available in powder or pasty fomi. On account of its
high opacity, the paint can be applied on new plaster work without any danger of
scaling or alkali burning. The paint can be tinted in any desired shade of colour. It is
usually applied on walls, ceiling, wall boards, cement block construction etc. to
enhance the appearance of the surface. When used for exterior surfaces of cement,
brick or stone masonry, a little quantity of drying oil, or varnish is added to the paint to
make it weather well.
(ix) Cement-based Paints: This is a type of water paint in which
white or coloured pigment and cement forms the base. No oil or other
organic matter is used in making this paint. This type of paint is available
in packed powdered form under different trade names such as snow
cem etc. This paint can be made by adding paint powder to water to
obtain thick paste and thereafter diluting the paste with water to brush
able consistency. Normally equal volume of paint should be mixed only
in such quantity which can be used within an hour of its mixing as after
that the paint gets spoiled due to setting of cement. For new works,
cement paint is applied in three coats whereas for old works one or at
the most two coats may be sufficient. In any case, the second coat
should be applied only after the first coat has set for 24 hours. The
surface to be painted must be well wetted and the successive coats
must be sprayed over with water difring the process of drying.This paint
is applied to exposed or plastered brick masonry and concrete work. On
drying, it forms a decorative, strong, durable and water resistant film on
surface.
(x)Enamel Paints. Enamel paint is made by adding pigments
like white lead or zinc white to a vehicle which is a varnish. Colouring
pigments may also be mixed to obtain the enamel paint in any desired
colour. On drying, it forms a smooth glossy, relatively hard and
permanent solid thin film. Different types of enamel paints are now
manufactured in a variety or colours and are available in readymade
form  these days. Enamel paints are used both for interior as well as
exterior painting. They are not affected by atmosphere and stand well the
adverse effects of weather. The enamel paint film presents a glossy
surface but, if desired, an eggshell or flat finish may also be obtained by
adding turpentine in small or large quantity. It is commonly used for
painting porches, decks, stairs, concrete surfaces etc
(xi)Oil Paints. This type of paint can be used for almost all surfaces
such as wooden, masonry, metal etc. Oil paint basically consists of two
main components viz. a base and a vehicle. Oil paints are manufactured
in different shades and grades. They possess all the char­acteristics of
good paint and as such are very common in use.
(xii)Rubber Base Paints. This type of paint has excellent acid, alkali
and moisture resistant properties. It can be readily used for application
on new concrete and lime plastered surfaces. The paint is made from
rubber treated with chlorine gas (chlorinated rubber) which is dissolved
in suitable solvents and mixed with other pigments. It is commonly used
as protective coating on cement concrete floors and interior or exterior
masonry surfaces.
PROCESS OF PAINTING ON NEW WOODWORK
The correct preparation of surface plays an important role in pre­serving
the properties and life of the paint. The process of painting on new wood
work can be divided into the following different stages :
1.Preparation of surface
2. Knotting
3. Priming '
4. Stopping
5. Second or surface coats or undercoatings
6. Finishing coat.
 
1. Preparation of surface: Wood work to be painted must be properly
seasoned, clean, dry and free from dust. The surface should be
smoothened by rubbing it with a fine grade sand paper or glass paper
used obliquely across the grains and rendered free from grease.
2. Knotting. Knots exude resin. Knotting is the process of sealing the
knots by suitable means so that the resin from the knots may not destroy
the paint film by way of cracking, peeling or brown discoloration. The
three different methods of knotting commonly adopted are (i) Patent
knotting, (ii) Ordinary or size knotting (iii) Lime knotting.
(i) Patent knotting : This consists in sealing the knots by applying one or
more coats of shellac or aluminium varnish on the knots. (ii) Ordinary or
(ii)size knotting : This consists in sealing the knots by applying two coats
of varying ingredients. The first coat consists of red lead ground in water
to which strong glue size is mixed and the fluid is applied hot on the
knots. The second coat which consists of red lead ground in oil and
thinned with boiled oil and turpentine in applied soon after the first coat
is dry.
(iii) Lime knotting : This consists in keeping the knots covered with hot
lime for about 14 hours. After this period, the lime is scrapped off and
the knots are treated with the method of ordinary size knotting.
3. Priming. This consists in applying first coat or the priming coat on
the surface to fill the pores of wood by penetrating the primer inside the
wood. The main function of the priming coat or the primer is to serve as
the foundation for the subsequent coats. Primers have definite functions
to perform and their choice depends on the material being used and
hardness or condition of wooden surface to be coated. In general, the
ingredients of the priming coat should preferably be the same as in the
subsequent coats but their proportion may vary. The composition of
primer for interior and exterior wood-work may consist
of the following.
For interior wood-work
Red lead 0.25 kg.
White lead 3.5 kg.
Boiled linseed oil 0.50 litre
Raw linseed oil 0.50 litre
Litharge 005 kg.
For exterior wood-work
Red lead 004 kg.
White lead 45 kg.
Raw linseed oil 225 litre
Litharge 009 kg.
For ordinary works primer can be prepared on site by mixing red lead,
raw linseed oil and turpentine in the ratio 071 kg. : 071 kg : 1 litre.The
priming coat is generally applied before fixing wood-work in position.
4. Stopping. This consists in filling up all nail-holes, cracks, open joints,
dents and other such defects with the putty. Stopping is done soon after
the priming coat is dry. Before filling putty, the primed surface is rubbed
down with pumice stone or glass paper. After the putty has dried, the
surface is once again rubbed with glass paper or pumice stone to level
the same. The putty should be made by mixing powdered chalk with
pure linseed oil to the consistency of a paste, well kneaded ar.d worked,
till smooth, and soft. It should be coloured to match the shade of the
finished coat.
4. Second and succeeding coats or under-coatings. After the primary
coat is dry, second coat or under coatings are applied on the primed
surface. The colour of the under-coat should approximately be of the
same shade as that of the desired finish. It should be a thin opaque film,
free from brush marks. Two or more under-coatings are sometimes
necessary to achieve the object. The final appearance of gloss and
durability of the finishing coat depends very much upon the quality of
under-coating. Sufficient time must be allowed for each coat to dry
before applying the succeeding coat. For good results, the dry coating is
rubbed down with pumice stone or glass paper and cleaned before
applying the succeeding coats.

5. Finishing coat. This is the last coat applied on the surface after the
under-coat is properly dry. This coat is applied very carefully in a
workman like manner, so that the finished surface is free from thin
patches and brush marks.
PAINTING IRON AND STEEL WORK
Prevention of rust is one of the important requirements of painting on
metal surfaces. Painting on steel, iron, etc, requires utmost care in the
preparation of the surface for painting.
The mill scale and rust is removed by scrapping or brushing with steel
wire brushes while the oil, grease and dust may be removed by washing
the surface with petrol, benzene or lime water. The clean surface is then
given the priming coat which usually consists of an oxide-of-iron paint.
Priming coat consisting of red lead is considered to be the best. Two or
more coats of the desired paint are then applied over the primed surface
with a brush or by spraying. Care should be taken to see that each
succeeding coat is applied only after the . previous coat has dried
completely. For repainting iron or steel, the same procedure as given in
repainting old wood work is adopted.
PAINTING OF GALVANISED IRON WORK
Galvanised iron is one of the most troublesome metal surfaces to paint. This is on
account of the adhesion difficulty the surface offers, when organic finishes are used.
Galvanised iron should not preferably be painted until it has been exposed to weather
for a year. This is done because after sufficient weathering the zinc coating on the
galvanised , surface gets oxidised, forming a thin film of zinc oxide on the surface to
which paint easily adheres. If, however, weathering before painting is not possible from
consideration of time factor, the new galvanised surface is treated with (i) a solution
prepared by mixing (40) gm. of copper acetate in a litre of water or (it) with a solution
prepared by mixing 13 gm. each of muriatic acid, copper chloride, copper nitrate and
ammonium chloride dissolved in one litre of water. The quantity of solution thus
formed will be sufficient to cover an area of 250 to 300 sq. m. The galvanised iron
surface treated with either of the solutions gets black (due to chemical reaction of
copper present in the solution on zinc) and ensures proper adhesion of paint. A priming
coat consisting of red lead mixed with linseed oil and turpentine in equal proportions is
then applied on the treated surface. When priming coat js dry, the surface can be coated
with desired oil paint.
 PAINTING PLASTERED SURFACE
The greatest danger in painting plastered surfaces, particularly if they are
relatively fresh, is the free alkalies present in the lime or cement. . The
free alkalies discolour the paint, destroy its oil and adversely effect the
drying properties of the coating. Therefore, preparation of the surface
before painting is extremely important. The plastered surface should not
ordinarily be painted until it has dried completely. If possible, leave the
walls unpainted for at least first 12 months, so that they may dry out
completely. The walls may, however, be white-washed or paint
Varnish
Vhrnish is a solution of some resinous substance in alcohol, oil or
turpentine. The process of covering the surface with varnish is known as
varnishing. Varnishing is done only on wooden surface. Varnish performs
following functions.
(i) It brings about brilliance to the painted surface.
(ii) It protects the surface against adverse effects of the atmosphere.
(iii) It increases the durability of the paint film.
(iv) It beautifies the surface without hiding the beautiful grains of the
wood.
(v)Varnish plays an important part in finishing wooden surfaces of doors,
windows, floors, furniture, etc.
Properties of Good Varnish
 1. Varnish should not shrink or show cracks after drying.
2. The thin film of varnish developed after drying on the surface should
be tough, hard and durable,
3. They when varnished surface is exposed to atmospheric action.
4. It should make the surface glossy.
5. It should dry rapidly.
6. It should impart the finished surface uniform colour and pleasing
appearance.
7. It should not hide the natural grains of the surface.
Constituents of the Varnish
A varnish has usually three elements:
1. Resins or resinous material
2. 2. Driers and
3. 3. Solvents.
1. Resinous materials: Copal, lac, or shellac, amber and rosin are the
commonly used resins for varnishes.

2. Driers: Driers are used to accelerate the process of drying of the

varnish. Litharge, lead, acetate, and white copper are the various types
of driers, out of which litharge is mostly used.

3. Solvents: Selection of solvent is made depending upon the type of

resin. For amber and copal resins boiled linseed oil is used as solvent.
For lac or shellac, methylated spirit is used. Turpentine is used for
dissolving rosin, gum dammar and Mastic and Nephtha are used as a
solvents for cheap varieties of resins.
Type of Varnishes
The varnishes can be classified into following categories depending
upon the solvent used.
Oil Varnish: This type of varnish is manufactured by dissolving hard
resins such as amber and copal in linseed oil. Turpentine may be used in
small quantity to thin the varnish, and also to render it workable. Oil
varnishes form a hard and durable film, but they dry slowly.
Spirit varnish: This type of varnish is prepared by dissolving resins such
as lac or shellac in methylated spirit. This varnish dries very quickly and
gets easily affected by weather action. This varnish is mostly used for
wood furniture. Suitable pigment may be added to give required shade
to the varnished surface.
Turpentine varnish: In this type of varnish, gum, dammar, Mastic, and
rosin like resins are dissolved in turpentine. These varnishes are light in
colour and dry quickly. They are not as tough and hard as oil varnishes.
 
Water varnish: This varnish is prepared by dissolving shellac in hot
water. Shellac does not dissolve readily in water and as such to
accelerate the process of dissolving shellac in water either ammonia or
potash, or soda or borax is added. This vanish is used for painting
pictures, posters and maps. •
Asphalt Varnish: This varnish is obtained by dissolving melted asphalt in
linseed oil. The varnish may be thinned by adding suitable amount of
either turpentine or petroleum spirit. This varnish is used for varnishing
fabricated iron and steel products.
Spar varnish: This varnish drives its name from its use. It is mostly used
on spars and other exposed parts of the ships. It is very good weather
resistant. It should not be used indoor.
Flat varnish: This is an ordinary varnish to which material such as wax,
finely divided silica and metallic soaps are added, to reduce the gloss of
the varnished surface. This varnish presents a dull appearance
Distempering
It is also a process of applying wash or coating like white
washing or colour Washing on the surface. But finished
surfaces obtained by distempering are far superior than those
obtained by white washing or colour washing. Distempers are
available in ready made form in the market under different
trade names.
Compositions of distempers. Any distemper consists of a
base, a carrier, colouring agent, and size. Whiting (powdered
chalk) is used as base and water as the carrier. Colouring
agents or pigments ire added only, if specific shade is to be
obtained. Glue is mostly used as size. Distemper may also be
termed as a water paint, having whiting as base and water as
the carrier.
White Washing and Colour Washing:
White washing is a process of giving wash covering to the plastered
surface. For white washing, a wash of slaked lime is prepared with
water. Some other agents like gum, rice water, common salt etc. are also
added to the wash, to develop desired adhesion with the surface to be
white washed. If wash prepared is added with some colouring agent to
develop desired colour, it is known as colour washing. White washing or
colour washing is done on the prepared surface with the help of Moonz
brush.
The base material of the white wash or colour wash is fat lime or shell
lime. Lime is slaked in a larger drum by adding bulk of water to it. After
24 hours, solutions of slaked lime is taken, screened and dissolved gum
in hot water added to it. The resulting solution is white wash solution. If
this solution is added with some colouring agent the resulting solution is
known as colour wash.
White wash or colour wash should be applied on the surface after
cleaning and drying. Second coat should be applied only after the first
coat has completely dried.