Which pigment to use for a silicone paint?

Why do we use pigments for silicone paints?

With a silicone paint pigment, you can quickly change the colour from white to another that meets your expectations. The range of shades offered by such products is very extensive, plus you can control the colour intensity by adding more or less pigment. This method is also a way to save money, as white paints are usually cheaper than coloured ones.

What type of silicone paint pigment to choose?

The market offers many types of paint pigments. They can be organic or inorganic, natural or synthetic. You can also find carbon-based pigments (that provide a black-and-grey tint) and metallic pigments that will give your paint a slight gloss. Which of them will be suitable for silicone paints?

Finding a pigment for a silicone paint is not difficult. This type of paint is water-thinnable, which means that you can add most of the universal organic pigments. They are the same products that we use for dyeing acrylic, latex or emulsion paints.

Pigment vs. dye for a silicon paint: what is the difference?

It may appear that pigment and dye are synonyms. In daily life, we can indeed use these words interchangeably, but when it comes to construction products, they must be clearly distinguished.

A silicone paint pigment is not the same as a dye. First and foremost, dyes are soluble in water, alcohol, and other liquids. They can also transmit light. Dyes usually have organic origin.

Pigments are strongly fragmented substances that, once mixed with a liquid, do not dissolve in it. They also do not react with the paint or the material on which they are applied. Pigment particles give the wall a particular colour by settling on its surface and forming a uniform layer.

How to use a silicone paint pigment?

A pigment is normally used for dyeing white paint, but it can also be applied to brighten up a paint having a different colour (which is, for example, the only method to obtain grey colour). When it comes to the number of shades and the amount of ingredient to be added, the users have quite a high degree of discretion. A paint can be dyed with one or more pigments. The painted wall can have a gentle or a more intensive shade, depending on the quantity of the coloured ingredient.

To change the paint colour with a pigment, you have to add it to the container and mix carefully. You can do it manually or with a drill. This stage is very important, as only precise mixing will allow you to avoid bad looking streaks on the wall. The silicone paint pigment should be added gradually, so that you can constantly control the shade intensity until you obtain the desired effect.

First, you should carry out a test: apply the coloured paint on a fragment of your wall. Why? Because the final colour is only visible once the paint gets dry. If the outcome of the test is satisfactory, you can paint the entire wall. It is important that you prepare the whole amount of material at once; if the entire operation needs to be re-performed with another paint container, it is almost certain that the shade will be slightly different.

See the range of raw materials for paints and coatings from the PCC Group.