The invention provides a water-based paint and a process for formulating it. The paint includes, as constituents thereof, cement particles and water. The cement particles are uncured cement particles and the paint also includes, as a constituent, colloidally-sized particles of polymeric material capable of forming a stable colloid in water. The paint is in the form of a homogeneous blend of its constituents. The cement particles form 5 - 40% by mass of the paint and the colloidally-sized particles form 0.25 - 10% by mass of the paint. The process includes the steps of suspending the colloidally-sized polymer particles in water to form a colloidal suspension and admixing the cement particles with the colloidal suspension to form a blend of the water, cement and colloidally-sized polymer particles. |