Paint & Varnish
What is Distemper?
- Distemper is available in various colors, made with a base as white chalk & thinner as water.
- Distemper is cheaper than paints.
- Distempers are the cheaper variety of paints in which chalk is used as base & water as carrier & glue as an emulsifying agent.
- Available in powder or paste form.
- They are most suitable for plastered surfaces as well as the white-washed surfaces of interior walls.
- Distempers are workable & easy for the applicant but less durable.
- This is used as interior paint for homes.
- It is not used for surfaces exposed to the weather.
- Distempers are washed away when used on exposed surfaces.
What is Varnish?
- Varnish is a nearly homogenous solution of resin in oil, alcohol, or turpentine.
- The surface looks after the varnish glossy.
- The type of solvent depends upon the type of resin used.
- The oil dries with time & other solvents evaporate leaving behind a solid transparent resin film over the surface.
- Drier in varnish is litharge.
Types of varnish
(a) Spirit Varnish:
- It uses resin of soft variety such as lac or shellac dissolved in spirit.
- It dries very quickly.
- These are not durable & easily affected by weathering action. Spirit varnish is made from spirit & Wax.
(b) Water varnish:
- It is shellac resin dissolved in hot water to which enough quantity of either borax, ammonia, soda is added.
- These are used for varnishing maps & pictures.
