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Introduction
Paint is one of the useful materials for building construction. Generally, it is used to improve the aesthetic of the building. Besides, special paints are used for protection against rust, as internal vapour barriers, to protect against radon emissions from radioactive building materials to seal of volatile formaldehyde in chipboard and more.

Ordinary paint consists of three elements, binder, pigment and solvents. The binder makes the coat of paint retain its structure, and binds it to the surface to which it is applied. While the pigment gives the paint colour, also plays a role in its consistency, ease of application, drying ability, durability, and hardness. The solvent dissolve the paint to make it usable at normal room temperatures. Moreover, it is possible to add fillers to paint to make more economical. Some modern paint based on synthetics resins need a large proportion of different additives in order to achieve technical and aesthetic requirements.

One of the painting methods, Lazure is painting with less pigment; used when the structure of the material needs to remain visible it can be achieved by using a larger proportion of solvent in the paint. There are many types of paint; Varnish is the paint without pigment, while stain is paint with no binder, where the pigment is drawn into the surface.

Special conditions are often required by the materials and components to be treated, and in relation to their position within or on the building. Factors those are important such as diffusion through the paint, sensitivity to water, resistance to wear, sensitivity to light, and the risk of emissions. Interior and exterior paint have a big difference in this respect.

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Many types of paint are mainly based on raw materials from plants, while others are based on fossil raw materials. Pigments for painting buildings are usually mineral-based.

History
Prior to the earliest cave paintings were made by using iron oxide. The ancient Egyptians developed other paints from pigments in the soil such as yellow, orange, and red. It was the Romans who gave us purple, a pound of royal purple dye, required the crushing of four million mollusks. Cochineal red, discovered by the Aztecs, was made using the female cochineal beetle. A pound of water-soluble extract required about a million insects and it was the Spaniards who introduced the crimson color to Europe in the 1500's. Later genuine Indian Yellow was produced from concentrated cows urine which was mixed with mud and transported to London for purifying, Sap Green from the Blackthorn berry and Sepia Brown from the dried ink sac of squid.

Paint is made up of a pigment, a binder to hold it together and appropriate thinners to make it easy to apply. Blue Frit was the first synthetic pigment being produced by the Egyptians from ground down blue glass 5000 years ago. Before the nineteenth century the word 'paint' was only applied to oil-bound types; those bound with glue were called 'distemper'.

By 1000 B.C. development of paints and varnishes based on the gum of the acacia tree, better known as gum Arabic, had been developed. At this time umbers, ocher's and blacks were readily obtainable, new colors were also discovered - the first was 'Egyptian Blue'; 'Naples Yellow' dates from around 500 BC and 'red lead' was discovered by accident in about 2500.

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White lead occurred naturally but demand encouraged production of manmade versions. Vitruvius describes production of white lead in the 2nd century AD.

Before the 16th century, pigment color was largely dependent on dyestuffs which could be grown in, or were indigenous to Europe and similar temperate regions. Between 1550 and 1850 only the so-called natural dyestuffs were available but the range was greatly extended with tropical dyestuffs from Central America and India and elsewhere.

In the 17th century the Dutch greatly increased availability of white lead and lowered cost by invention of the Stack Process. All white lead paints included chalk in their undercoats, reserving purer white lead for finish coats. In1856 the first real synthetic dye, 'Mauveine', was discovered by Henry Perkins. It was then realized that a great many dyes could be made synthetically and cheaply. It was then that Linseed Oil began being mass produced. They also had pigment grade zinc oxide, which is white paint. Using cast-iron paint mills and zinc-based pigments, industrialists produced the first washable paint marketed as 'Charlton White' in the 1870's.

The Sherwin-Williams company spent ten years trying to perfect the formula where fine paint particles would stay suspended in Linseed oil. In 1880 they succeeded in developing a formula that far exceeded the quality of all paints available at the time. It was then that emulsions based on similar formulae, were produced and marketed as 'oil bound distempers'. By 1880 the new paints were readily available in tins, in a wide range of colors, and came to be exported all over the World.

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The paint trade has change a great deal over the last hundred years. During the 19th century, painters prepared the pigments themselves from the raw materials. During the last 30 years everything has been industrialized, including the application of paint, particularly for windows, doors and outside paneling.

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Types of paint
Paint technology is a complicated science. There are many types of paint available today, some giving different surface finishes, others designed for particular applications. This makes the selection of paint less straightforward, however selecting the correct type of paint will give a more satisfactory end result.

Nowadays, all paints basically fall under two binders categories which define their type; mineral binders and organic binders.

Paints with mineral binders

These types of paints are best suited for painting on mineral surfaces and unplaned timber surfaces. Most common type are based on binders of lime, cement and water glass, which is soluble in water. For examples, lime paint, silicate paint, and cement paint.

Binder for lime paint is slaked lime. The pure lime colours give matt, absorbent surfaces which are difficult to wash and it is porous to vapour and not elastic. The lime paint must be completely removed before it is being painted over.

Silicate paints can be made by react the waterglass paints with lime on the painted surface. The paint film forms crystalline layers which has a high resistance against acids. The best results are achieved on fresh render. This paint is more durable than lime paint and has a strong resistance to pollution.

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Cement paints usually consists of Portland cements. They can be made by mixing some lime with a small amount of water and then added to the pigment and water. Their durability and quality fall somewhere between lime and silicate product.

Paints with organic binders

Organic binders consist of synthetics resins, protein glue, drying oils, tar, natural resin, cellulose products, starch and emulsion.

Synthetics resins can be divided into thermoplastics and thermosetting products. Alkyde oil paint is the most important thermosetting product. It is a paint with chemical compound between linseed oil and the polymer. It is widespread use during 1950s.Less pigment alkyde oil paint is called a stain. With no pigment, the paint is used as varnished. Its high percentage of solvent can be a big risk in the working environment because of its emission of solvents.

Protein glue paint cannot be over painted with others type of paint. Two type of paints are animal glue paint and casein paint. It can be used in emulsion paint and dissolved in water. Under dry conditions, it is inert and does not lead to electrostatic charging.

Example of drying oil are linseed oil, Chinese tree oil and hemp oil. Linseed oil used in painting since the beginning of the 17th century and also used for stone facades. It is generally water prove and dry very slowly.

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Tar is weak brown in colour. Pigment such as English red or ochre is stirred in to give more beautiful colour. It is impossible to paint others colour on top of it.

Natural resins can be used for varnishing wood, but it is less durable and needs a longer drying time, and it also more expensive.

Emulsion paints are waterproof and produce a good matt surface. It is very economical. Sometime, more than one layer of painting is needed to prevent flaking occur.

Stain do not contain added binders. Two main types of stain are chemical and waterbased stain. Chemical stain is based on a colour reaction with substances in the timber. While, water-based stain is made with pigments that are soluble in water.

Other types of paint

Other types of paint that are available for specific jobs include:

Primer These can be either oil or water based and are used to seal unpainted surfaces to prevent covering coats of paint soaking in.

Undercoat These usually are oil-based, applied on top of the primer. They should be in correct colour to provide the right colour base for the finishing coats.

Anti-condensation

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It is for use in humid conditions such as in kitchens and bathrooms, this paint ii specially formulated to prevent the surface becoming cold to the touch and therefore less conducive to condensation. It is not a cure for condensation, only a way of reducing its effect on painted surfaces.

Radiator paint It is used for central heating pipes and radiators and will stand up to the high temperatures without discolouring as other paints are prone to do.

Fire-retardant These special paints contain an additive to provide a fire-resistant quality, they do not resist fire completely, but has a greater flame resistance than ordinary paint and will reduce their spread.

Bituminous Although often not considered as a paint, bitumen is used where a water proof coating is required. Bitumen does not dry in the normal sense used with paint, it can crack if stressed when frozen and will run or at least become sticky to the touch in hot weather. It is thick and usually black and is used for areas where high water resistance is needed and appearance is not important such as on the inside of cast irons guttering and metal cold water tank. Bitumen is difficult to paint over with conventional paints as the underlying bitumen tends to bleed into the overlaying paint and will move with temperature changes while the covering paint may not be able to stand up to the movement.

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Properties
Latex Paint
Top coat latex paints have been around for a long time. Some of the new latex paints provide an excellent finish. hey consist of pigments suspended in water, therefore, they are thinned with water instead of mineral spirits or turpentine. These materials are added to the latex to make it dry faster and make it more durable. Acrylic-based latex paints are fast drying, washable, durable, and ready to repaint in less than an hour. Some vinyl-based latex paints are self-priming and fast drying. Rubber-based latex paints are effectively used on metal and masonry.

Advantages of latex paint:

-comes in gloss, stain, and flat finishes -dries quickly -is easy to apply and touch up -can apply two coats in one day -cleans up easily -is non-flammable -can be used on almost any surface --can often be washed, depending on type -spots can be touched up easily -sometimes a prime coat is not needed

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Disadvantages of latex paint:

-may have to wait 30 days before washing -does not clean as well as oil-based paints -must be sanded between coats on new woodwork. -is not as durable as oil-based paints -may rust metal -sometimes does not adhere to glossy surfaces -some brands yellow with time -must be stored where it will not freeze -may become brittle and chip -generally cannot be used on metal and wood

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Oil-based Paints
These paints are very common on the market. They consist of alkyd resins thinned with solvents like paint thinner or turpentine.

Advantages of oil-based paint:

-can be purchased from high-gloss to flat finish -wall easily cleaned after being painted -may resist chips and mars -covers some wall imperfections -resists stains -may not need a prime coat

Disadvantages of oil-based paint:

-fades faster than latex paint -hard to touch up -may become shiny after repeated cleaning -can discolor if applied over masonry -thinned with a solvent, therefore more costly -requires solvent to clean brushes -flammable -has an odor when newly applied

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Performance Comparison Chart for Top-Quality Paints

Oil-based Excellent adhesion; better adhesion than latex on heavily chalked surfaces. Latex Excellent adhesion to most substrates; better elasticity than oil.

Durability

Color Retention

Not as good as latex, more likely to chalk and fade in sunny exposure.

Superior resistance to chalking and fading, especially when exposed to bright sun. Goes on smoothly and evenly, with less brush drag.

Ease of Application

More difficult to apply due to greater "drag," but goes on heavier for better one-coat hiding and coverage. Vegetable-oil base can provide nutrients for mildew growth; most products contain mildewcide to minimize growth.

Mildew Resistance

Less likely to grow mildew; mildewcide additives discourage mildew growth, help maintain fresh appearance.

Versatility

Can be used on most materials, but for new concrete, stucco and other masonry, a sealer or pre-treatment is required; should not be applied directly to galvanized metal.

Can be used on wood, concrete, stucco, brick, galvanized metal, vinyl siding, aluminum siding, etc.

Odor

Stronger odor than latex.

Very little odor; non-combustible.

Cleanup Drying Time

Turpentine, paint thinner or other solvent. Eight to 24 hours.

Simple water cleanup. One to six hours, permitting quick recoating.

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Pros and Cons of Non-Toxic Paint

Non-toxic paint (also called non-VOC paint) has been gaining popularity since it was first introduced in the 1960s. Essentially, non-toxic paint is marketed as a safer, less-polluting solution for interior wall painting and even artistic painting. The absence of chemical solvents renders it safer for both the environment and for the people that might otherwise be breathing toxic fumes. Of course, as with any product, there are both pros and cons to using non-toxic paint.

Obviously, the major pros involve health and the environment. When you use non-toxic paint on your interior walls or on your canvas, you don't breathe in the fumes that are emitted by solvent-containing paints as they dry. Some of the most popular non-VOC paints are made with milk or other organic components that smell better as you paint and don't release harmful vapours.

The pros of non-toxic paint are especially important for people who have chronic respiratory problems or allergies. Chemical fumes create more irritants in the air, which can worsen pre-existing conditions or even create new conditions that are harder to control. Even if you use an air purifier and allergen-free furnishings, paint with chemicals can significantly damage your health.

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Other pros of non-toxic paint include price, drying time and disposal, though the first two are affected largely by the non-VOC paint product you choose. Many of these alternative paints cost less (especially in bulk), and dry much faster due to their thicker consistency. Furthermore, you don't have to dispose of non-toxic paint as hazardous waste, which makes clean-up much easier.

The cons of non-toxic paint are relatively few, but you should consider all aspects of the paint job before you. For example, it can be difficult to find the specific colors you need for a painting project when you use non-VOC paint. Every color in the world might be available, but finding each in the same brand with the same ingredients can be a chore.

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The usage of paint for building or constructions

Different types of paint have different usage for building or constructions.

Most of the paints with mineral binders are used on mineral surfaces or unplanned timber surfaces.

Lime paints are used on pure cement or rough timber. It is being painted in thin coats. Silicate paints can be used on all mineral surfaces and also on rough wood. While pure cement paint is mainly used for special treatment of pools and various concrete structures, with large quantities of added polymers.

Paints with organic binders are mostly used in painting of wood, concrete and render.

Linseed oil is used on wood, concrete, render and to a certain extent, steel. It can be used out of doors or indoors. Tar is normally used outdoor so that the polycyclical aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) substances can be filtered into the soil. While, emulsion paint is used for painting render and concrete also. Stain is basically used on wood such as spruce or pine.

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Paint is also used for protecting against certain building materials. Non-ferrous metals may corrode in contact with alkaline concrete cement or lime mortar, or with acidic gypsum plasters. Water running off such materials may also be corrosive. Aluminium and lead must always be protected; zinc, cadmium and tin need protection in most conditions, copper rarely. Thick coats of bitumen give suitable protection. Alkali-resisting primers may be used on alkaline surfaces and will also suffice for the plaster contacts.

Besides, wood, especially western red cedar, Douglas fir, oak and sweet chestnut, may affect metals. Bitumen, aluminium paint or zinc chromate primers may be used to prevent contact. Wood primers may not be suitable. Wood treated with copper based preservatives should not be in contact with aluminium.

The sheen of paint is the amount of light reflected by the surface of a paint finish. There are four basic sheens, flat, satin, semi gloss and gloss.

Flat Paints exhibit non-reflective properties providing a matte finish. This finish helps hide surface imperfections, and is normally used for ceilings and walls in areas not subjected to a lot of wear and tear, dining rooms, living rooms and bedrooms not used by small children.

Satin Finish also know as eggshell finish, provides soft luster sheen similar to that of an eggshell. A satin finish provides a harder surface finish which is more durable and more stain

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resistant than a flat finish. This durability makes satin paint a good choice for walls in children's rooms, hallways, stairways and family rooms.

Semi gloss Paints are very durable, they are easier to clean, and are more stain resistant than satin finish paints. Semi gloss paints are most often used on heavy wear surfaces or areas that are frequently cleaned such as kitchens and bathrooms. Semi gloss paint is also used on wood trim and cabinets.

Gloss Paint is a harder, more durable, more stain resistant paint finish. It is easier to clean than all the other paint finishes. Gloss finishes generally make surface imperfections more noticeable. Gloss finishes are the best choice for heavy wear areas like kitchens, bathrooms, furniture and cabinets, floors, stairs, handrails, high traffic doors and trim.

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Conclusion
Paints are very useful and important in not only building construction but also for other purposes. However, they bring a lot of environment issues to human. When the paint is manufactured, some toxic substances can also be produced to the surrounding at the same time. When painting also, some of them that contain VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) will release low level toxic emissions into the air for years after application. These VOCs are a major contributor to low-level atmospheric pollution and the use of these compounds leads to global warming. It is also a major cause of sick building syndrome, asthma, allergies and chemical sensitivities. Now, this issue can be solved by using low-VOC and zero-VOC paints and finishes. Most paint manufacturers now produce one or more non-VOC variety of paint. These new paints are durable, cost-effective and less harmful to human and environmental health.

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References:

Building Materials/essential information from Building Research establishment, Lancaster: MTP Construction, 1973

The Ecology of Building Materials, Bjorne Berge, Architectural Press Architects Pocket Book, Charlotte Baden-Powell, 3rd Edition, Architectural Press/Elsevier

http://www.diydata.com/materials/paints/paints.php http://www.hytechsales.com/howtopaint/paint_types.htm http://www.brendasemanick.com/art/historyofpaint.htm http://homerepair.about.com/od/interiorhomerepair/ss/paint_6.htm

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