Whether you do it yourself or hire a pro, painting involves a serious commitment of time, money, and effort. You want to get it right the first time so you won't be back on ladders in a couple of years. One of the most important decisions you'll face is choosing the right paint. This is critical to whether or not your new paint job will look good and last.

Paint basics
Paint is primarily a mixture of pigment, resin, and a carrier. Titanium dioxide is the main, white pigment; relatively small amounts of other pigments are added by the dealer to tint the color. Resin makes paint adhere to a surface. Carrier is the evaporative liquid added to thin the mixture so you can brush or roll it on'water for latex paints or a solvent such as linseed or soybean oil for oil/alkyd paints. Paint also contains clay or other inert ingredients to adjust the paint's sheen. And it may contain small amounts of secondary solvents that help gloss, drying characteristics, and the like.

The amount and quality of each ingredient determine a paint's performance and price. For example, paint with plenty of titanium dioxide has strong hiding characteristics and, because this is the most expensive ingredient, costs more. Oil/alkyd paints that utilize odorless mineral spirits as a carrier are more expensive than those with regular solvents. With this in mind, price is a good indicator of quality.

Latex or oil/alkyd?
When choosing paint, the most perplexing question for homeowners is often latex or oil/alkyd? This confusion is rooted in history. For years, solvent-based paints were favored for woodwork, trim, some interior and most exterior surfaces because they flow uniformly, have excellent leveling characteristics, adhere well'particularly to chalky or poorly prepared surfaces'and provide a tough, hard-shell finish. And exterior alkyds can be used in sub-freezing situations.

But now, change is in the wind'literally. Both state and federal air-quality laws are clamping down on the use of solvents in oil/alkyd paints. The problem is this: A gallon of solvent-based paint contains about two quarts of mineral spirits. These solvents evaporate into the air as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), causing pollution.

In the near future, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to issue guidelines to all states, setting minimum standards for paint formulas. Many existing state regulations already align with or exceed the expected standards. Some states, such as California, already have more stringent requirements.

These guidelines significantly impact the makeup of solvent-based paints. Solvent paints that comply with these guidelines don't have any advantages over water-based paints. In fact, they dry slower, are more difficult to apply, and cost more. Although water-based paints contain various levels of the regulated solvents (in an 'alkyd-modified' latex, there may be as much as one pint of solvent per gallon), solvent levels in all water-based paints fall far short of the limits.

These new regulations are good news for most people. The environmental constraints have forced better technology than ever before, and the new water-based finishes are more varied and outstanding than even five years ago. A good quality acrylic latex has far better gloss retention and fade resistance than an alkyd. It can be used on aluminum siding or vinyl siding, as long as a paler shade is chosen (darker colors absorb heat more, and heat may distort the siding).

The only place really left for alkyds is trim, the front door, and maybe the windows. If there's an older coating of oil-alkyd paint and the finish is flaking or poorly prepared, it may be smart to seek out an oil-alkyd paint that complies with regulations. But judging by the tightening standards, there may come a day when all paints are required to be zero VOC.

The bottom line is this: The technology has shifted so dramatically that your best choice in most situations will be latex paint. Eventually, latex may become your only choice.

Acrylic, vinyl-acrylic, or alkyd-modified?
Latex paints are not all the same. Although the first latex paints were named after their synthetic 'latex' rubber base, synthetic rubber isn't used anymore. Now the term 'latex' encompasses all water-borne paint. But within that category, there are choices, notably vinyl-acrylic, 100% acrylic, and alkyd-modified latex.

Vinyl-acrylic latex is the least expensive, suitable for most interior walls and for shorter-durability exterior walls. High-performance interior paints are 100% acrylic; they have better color retention, better adhesion, and, in the case of the enamels, better gloss than vinyl-acrylics.

High-quality exterior paints are either 100% acrylic or alkyd-modified latex. Both are excellent. But if the siding was previously painted with an alkyd or is chalking, consider using an alkyd-modified latex, which does a better job of penetrating and anchoring the coating on a chalky surface.

The paint's sheen
Paint may have any of several lusters. From dull to shiny, they are: flat, eggshell, pearl, satin, semi-gloss, and gloss (in Canada, satin falls between flat and eggshell). Each paint manufacturer has slight variations in the level of sheen in each category.

Flat paint is great at hiding irregularities and surface imperfections. Pearl and eggshell are a compromise; they partially hide imperfections and are more washable than flat. For painting interiors, the best choices are often flat for ceilings, eggshell for walls, and semi-gloss or gloss for doors and trim. Exteriors typically call for flat or satin and semi-gloss on trim. Satin tends to be not too shiny and easier to clean than flat.

Highly durable gloss enamels used to be available only as oil/alkyd-based products. Now you can get a very high-gloss, water-based finish that almost looks sprayed on. These finishes offer excellent hiding, don't yellow or become brittle. and are guaranteed to cover in one coat.

One-coat hiding
Another distinguishing characteristic of good paint is coverage, sometimes called 'hiding' When a label reads 'one-coat hiding,' read the fine print to make sure that one coat, when properly applied, without any exceptions, is guaranteed. Obviously, one-coat hiding is a major labor saver and well worth paying a premium for.

The determining factor for good hiding is the level of titanium dioxide in the mixture'the more it contains, the better the hiding. Some flat paints utilize cheap fillers to achieve high levels of hiding; unfortunately, the rest of their characteristics, such as scrubbability, fall short.

Scrubbable finishes
Interior paints have a scrubbability rating, established through standardized testing. This is a good indication of a paint film's toughness and ability to withstand physical abuse. Though this rating may not be posted on the can, a paint retailer should have information on the rating. By comparing these, you can get a good idea of a paint's quality.

One problem with using a flat paint on interior walls is that though it can be washed, it doesn't take kindly to scrubbing. If you scrub it with a damp cloth, you'll remove the dirt or smudge but exposed pigment particles actually become burnished or polished, which ruins the finish. To avoid this, it's better to choose a high-performance eggshell (not flat) paint.

Some new high-performance finishes are amazingly easy to clean'you just sponge them off as if you were wiping off a countertop. Ketchup, food, scuff marks, mud'all of these just wipe clean.

Which paint in which room?
Choosing the right paint also involves recognizing how the room will be used. If you don't want to figure out the right formula, sheen, and other characteristics for a certain job, you may want to check out the Dutch Boy Paints line, which decided to take the guesswork out of choosing the right formulas.

Dutch Boy found out what the most-often-painted interior rooms and exterior projects were and formulated products for those uses. In functional rooms such as kitchens, baths, and bedrooms, people wanted durability and easy maintenance first. In more decorative rooms, such as living rooms, master bedrooms, and dining rooms, appearance was often the key factor. In a child's room, safety was critical. With the results from the company's research, Dutch Boy came out with "Kid's Room," "Kitchen & Bath," "Cabinet & Trim," and other location-specific paints. Its Kid's Room paint, for example, is a durable, washable, low-odor latex formula that coordinates with a line of matching children's borders.

Final thoughts
When you buy paint, go with reputable brands. Tailor your choices to the project, but don't waste time or money on low-quality paint. There are significant differences between cheap and quality paints, particularly in characteristics such as hiding and washability. You're also more likely to find a more extensive color palette in the quality lines.

And last but not least, don't forget to check the warranty on the label--this is a benchmark that normally gives you a fair measure of the differences between quality levels of various paints.