Although we believe that 80 percent of a good paint job is in the preparation, even with the best of safeguards some paint jobs fall apart in no time from cracking, peeling and chipping. The quality of the paint, thus, is essential to a good result. And, knowing what makes good paint good will improve the chance that the job will be a good one.

Paint contains three main ingredients: pigment, binder and solvent. The pigment provides the texture, color and the hiding properties of the paint. Pigments used to be rather dangerous, and included lead, chromates and asbestos. Hazardous pigments are rare and outlawed in most places. Titanium dioxide and iron oxides are safe, high-grade pigments that are found in better quality paints. Clay and silica are also used but don't hold up as well. Cheaper pigment materials cannot be ground as finely as the better ones. You can tell whether or not paint is good by rubbing it between the tips of your thumb and index finger. If it feels gritty, it more than likely contains either a cheap pigment or lot of cheap filler such as clay. This kind of paint normally will not last as long as paint containing mostly titanium dioxide or iron oxides that are smooth to the touch.

In paint, the binder holds everything together. In oil paint the binder is usually linseed oil which is frequently mixed with one or more other vegetable oils. In water-base paint a popular binder is polyvinyl acetate (white glue).

The solvent in water-base paint is water. In oil-base paint, the solvent is thinner (petrochemical distillate). When the water is evaporating out of latex paint and when the thinner is evaporating out of oil-base paint, both processes are referred to as drying. Before they evaporate, the solvents keep their respective pigments and binders in solution, and help them penetrate deeply into the surface being painted. After the solvents have evaporated they leave a thin, hardened layer of pigment and binder paint.

There are other additives that help flow, reduce bubbles, control consistency, etc., but remember that good paints are not gritty. Another test: Apply a spot of good paint to any surface; apply a spot of cheap paint next to it. Once the paint has dried completely, put a drop of food coloring onto each spot. The good paint will hold the food coloring together. The cheap paint will allow the food coloring to spread.