The good kind of fake: A sample of a faux stone technique, available from Cloudland Paintworks
A recent news article from China caught my eye as I heard the term “fake paint” for the first time. I immediately thought of faux painting, which was not what the story was about. The definition of faux painting, or faux finishing, as found on Wikipedia defines it as: “a wide range of decorative painting techniques. The naming comes from the French word faux, meaning false, as these techniques started as a form of replicating materials such as marble and wood with paint, but has subsequently come to encompass many other decorative finishes for walls and furniture.”
Faux painting by its very nature sets out to replicate the look of something else. Fake paint, on the other hand, attempts to pass itself off as the real thing without any indication that it is, indeed, fake. According to the article three men in China were arrested for manufacturing and selling fake paint out of an apartment. They used containers from reputable brands of paint, passing it off on unsuspecting consumers at a fraction of the cost of the real thing. Not only did these men defraud consumers with the fake paint, they apparently also created it out of components that are potentially harmful to the consumer’s respiratory systems and internal organs! For their criminal behavior each man stands to serve up to 15 years in prison. For consumers this was a costly lesson learned, not only in terms of the money lost, but also in the potential health dangers of using the fake paint.
The vice-chairman of the China Consumers Association was quoted in the article as saying, “Most people have no knowledge about paint and tend to buy products with lower prices.” We encourage consumers not to make a decision based solely on price. Budgets are important and a good painting contractor will work with his customers to ensure they keep the budget in mind when choosing products. However, if a decision is made on price alone, you may find that the product doesn’t hold up well and may end up costing you more in the long run. There are ways in which you can trim costs, so don’t be afraid to talk to your painting contractor about the best way to get the quality you want at the price you can afford. Remember, a good painting contractor will never cut corners or do a slapdash job just to save you money! Professional painting contractors maintain high standards for themselves, their employees, and most of all for you, the customer.