What is the difference between latex and acrylic paints?

Not all people, planning repair, pay special attention to the choice of material. As a rule, for most they become important already in the store, at the time of purchase. But a premature analysis of various options would help you save a lot of money. For example, if we are talking about paints for wallpaper, you need to know the difference between latex and acrylic paints, what is their difference, so as not to let this issue take you by surprise already in the store.

Not to mention that latex is a natural material derived from the juice of rubber plants.And this immediately provides latex paint non-toxicity and safety. Of course, there is an artificial latex, which is a polymers (as a rule, butadiene-styrene acts as a polymer) with adhesive properties. Generally speaking, to be honest, latex is not a material, but a special state of a substance or a mixture of substances. This condition is called a water dispersion, in which particles of a substance are suspended in water for best adhesion to the surface.

Latex paint is dirt resistant and does not accumulate dust.moreover, it forms a dust-repellent surface. It lets air through, “breathes”, which is especially important if tenants suffer from lung diseases, for example, asthma or if they have small children, or family members suffer from allergies. This property of the material has a positive effect on the appearance of the coating, because in this case oxygen bubbles do not form on the surface.

It dries quickly, which is important in conditions of limited time (the second layer can be applied after a couple of hours) and is easy to clean, including in a wet way.Therefore, the removal of even the strongest contaminants usually does not cause much difficulty.

Latex paints are widespread: they are used for painting walls, floors and ceilings in home premises, and for the facades of offices of companies, large manufacturing companies or factories.

Of course, not to mention a huge palette and a large selection of textures. For example, you can find both latex paints that are matte, without gloss, laying on a surface with a perfectly-smooth canvas, and with a fairly noticeable shine.

Acrylic paints are divided into several varieties. The first is pure acrylic (acrylic resin), which has several advantages: here there is increased elasticity, and excellent strength, and physical characteristics, resistance to ultraviolet radiation and temperature fluctuations, protection against corrosion and other "diseases" of the walls. This option is quite expensive, but it can be used in any climate and even for painting facades.

The second - paints made on the basis of copolymers of acrylic with the addition of either silicone, or vinyl, or styrene. They are called acrylate. Possess low cost and not so versatile.

Consider each option in more detail:

Found use on the ceiling, so if you are going to specifically paint it, we advise you to pay attention to acrylic-based paint with the addition of vinyl. This paint has another name - water emulsion. If you say very simple words, the paint is made of PVA.

It does not smell at all, mixes easily, has a liquid consistency and is easy to apply.and the main difference is adhesion to the surface. She's just awesome, but at the same time, and short-lived: over time the paint is washed off, especially if you often use wet cleaning. At high humidity, this paint tends to wash off, even if it is already dry. Moreover, in this case, it can leave marks on clothes and objects, so it is not used for painting facades, most often used in painting in hard-to-reach or inconspicuous places.

It also does not tolerate frosts, which means that the ideal climate for using such paint is dry and sunny. This paint is probably the cheapest option of all acrylic paints.And the most popular precisely because of its low price, but quite capricious.

Unlike its vinyl analog, styrene-butadiene acrylic paints easily tolerate a humid climate and high humidity. If you look closely at the name, it becomes clear that this paint is a symbiosis of acrylic base and an artificial analogue of latex - styrene butadiene.

The price of a latex substitute here gives the paint a fairly affordable price., and the basis of acrylic gives increased wear resistance, which, in turn, increases the possibility of using paint. Among the disadvantages, it is possible to distinguish susceptibility to burnout - the symbiosis of acrylic and latex does not tolerate ultraviolet radiation and can only be used in rooms where there is little sunlight, for example, in corridors or bathrooms.

They are a mixture of acrylic and silicone resins. The most expensive of the presented acrylic paints and not just. Perhaps, the price / quality ratio is quite justified here, because, unlike acrylic-vinyl and acrylic-latex, this look is not subject to either burning out or high humidity.It is even vapor permeable, water-repellent and can "breathe", the appearance of mold and other microorganisms on the surface covered with silicone paint is minimal.

Perhaps this is one of the few species that are suitable for painting the facades of buildings. Due to its elasticity, it can be used to mask small (about 2 mm) cracks. You shouldn't expect more, this is already one of the best indicators of elasticity. Among the disadvantages is the specific smell of the uncured mixture and a long drying time.

Learn more about the properties, features, details of applying acrylic paint, you will learn from the following video.

Of course, the main difference between these two types of paints is their composition - in acrylic it is actually acrylic polymers with the addition of certain substances, in latex it is either a rubber base or artificial from styrene butadiene.

Acrylic paints are often called more stable and quality than latex, but they also have a higher price. In fact, the performance characteristics of both paints are about the same: in acrylic, perhaps, a little better, but completely insignificant. The main difference is the colors and price.

Moreover, it is likely that, having a closer look at the performance characteristics of latex paint, you decide that you do not need acrylic paint - there is no need for such a long service life, or you often change the situation in the house and look more important to you. A beautiful design, of course, is ready to provide you with latex paint with its huge variety of textures. Perhaps it is this diversity that distinguishes latex paint from analogs.

Also on the market there is another interesting option, such as acrylic-latex mixture, also known as acrylic butadiene styrene paint. It is an acrylic emulsion with the addition of latex. This option will be cheaper than ordinary acrylic paint.

When buying, be sure to pay attention to the manufacturer and reviews of its goods, which can be found on the Internet. For example, the most popular firms are: Turkish company Marshall, German Caparol, domestic Empils, Finnish Finncolor and Parkerpaint from the States.

For rooms with high humidity, especially kitchens and bathrooms, suitable acrylic (not acrylic, and that, which consists of only portage acrylic) paint or latex, as well as acrylic-latex. For living rooms (especially children’s and bedrooms) or rooms where allergy sufferers and people with lung diseases are often found, environmentally friendly latex paint is best, produced in Finland, Denmark or Norway. It is in these countries that strict control is carried out on the use of safe dyes. If the climate in your bedroom is not wet, you can buy a water-based acrylic compound mixed with vinyl.

For living rooms and corridors, you can choose any of the options., focusing on the climate in the rooms. If it comes to rooms with high traffic (kitchen, corridors), it is better to opt for acrylic-latex paint. Although purely acrylic, although it seems too expensive, it will cope well even with the most difficult conditions, including mechanical damage.