Joanna Gaines Uses Balloons To Demonstrate The Difference Between High And Low Resin Paint

"There's an ingredient in paint called resin, and depending on the quality of that resin, it can help prevent your paint from peeling and cracking," Joanna Gaines explained via YouTube. Besides preventing cracking, resin is an essential ingredient that binds the paint together, keeping the pigments from separating and helping the paint adhere to the wall. In addition to sharing some of her best painting tips and tricks in the YouTube video, Gaines showed viewers the drastic difference between paints with high-quality and low-quality resin. In her experiment, Gaines popped two paint-dipped balloons, one of which crumbled instantly while the other held its strength and flexibility. 

Why would it really matter to have paint that is resistant to cracking, peeling, and shrinkage? There are plenty of conditions that can cause peeling paint in your house. High humidity and condensation, improper surface preparation, dirty walls, too much natural light, and general aging can all take a toll on wall paint over time. Here's what Gaines learned from the balloon experiment and why she recommends viewers choose high-quality paint. 

What's the best way to test resin quality without waiting years to notice cracking? Joanna Gaines had a brilliant idea to set up her own experiment. "To demonstrate, I dipped both of these balloons in paint," said Gaines (via YouTube), "This first one I dipped in a lower quality paint." Holding up the balloon covered in dry paint, Gaines snipped the top tie and allowed the balloon to deflate. The low-quality paint instantly started to crumble and shed in her hands. 

When Gaines popped the second balloon, dipped in her own Magnolia Home brand paint, the balloon deflated slowly with the flexible paint still adhered to its surface. "As the air is released, everything is staying intact. There's no cracking; there's no peeling." Stretching the deflated balloon in her hands, Gaines continued, "Even when I try to pull it apart, look how strong and durable this paint is." Because the resin on the second balloon is of much higher quality, it tightly adheres to the surface of the balloon, bending and flexing to fit the new shape. Likewise, this high-quality paint will create a thicker, stronger seal on walls instead of crumbling away under environmental pressure. Gaines concluded, "This is the stuff you want on your walls. It's going to last you for years to come."