By Santosh PAWAR
Whenever home or building owners are embarking on a painting job, many times they are not quite aware of just how critical perfect painting is in the long run. The following are the four steps necessary to achieve the best possible painting results:
Adequate surface preparation
Top quality paints
Tools used to apply the paint
Weather conditions under which the painting is done.
It may be a great temptation to take shortcuts and start painting without proper surface preparation although the end result will be even top quality paint failing to deliver.
Surface preparation
The costly mistake of inadequate preparation of the surface will eventually necessitate a repeat of the job and hence unplanned increase in maintenance costs of a building. Surface preparation is simple and entails scrubbing the surface with soap and water to remove foreign particles.
The surface should then be rinsed and any loose or flaking particles be removed by scraping, sanding or wire brushing. The additional cost of quality paints is well worth the price. In essence the extra money will provide the durability, adhesion, superior finish just to mention a few attributes.
One hundred per cent acrylic paints are currently considered suitable as they ensure long term cost savings due to less frequent painting. In addition they have a lasting top quality finish.
Duracoat Royale Sun Proof 100 per cent Acrylic Emulsion Roof Paint and Duracoat Royale Outdoor Protector 100 per cent Acrylic Emulsion Paint are two such paints available from Basco Paints that fit the above qualities. The Duracoat Royale Sun Proof Roof Paint resists UV light while the Duracoat Royale Outdoor Protector comes with a 10 year product guarantee.
Excellent qualities
One of the reasons for the excellent durability of top quality acrylic paints is elasticity, which allows the paint to expand and contract with the surface on which it is applied on. This capability minimizes the stress on paint and lessens the potential for problems like blistering, cracking and chipping.
Quality exterior finishes such as the above paints also hide imperfections and the colour beneath to a much greater extent than standard grades of paint. Apart from this Basco Paints has a vast range of durable high quality paints available in emulsion or gloss for users to make a selection.
Good quality tools and brushes last longer, speed up a job and apply the paint smoothly and hence enhance durability of the paint. It would be an exercise in futility to prepare a surface well, purchase from the Duracoat Range of paints and then use old, weathered brushes to apply the paint.
It is advisable to use synthetic bristle brushes or rollers to apply the paints. Brushes with nylon or polyester bristles are the best choice since they hold their shape and maintain the proper stiffness regardless of the amount of water they are exposed to.
Weather conditions
Lastly it is important to put in mind the weather conditions when applying paints. Ideally, exterior painting should be undertaken when there is little or no wind. Painting in direct sunlight should be avoided as this can cause water in the emulsion paint to quickly evaporate before the paint binder particles can completely fuse into a continuous high durable film. This leads to early paint failures like feeling and flaking.
For a consumer, the selection of paint may seem like an easy decision requiring nothing more than a quick cost comparison. However the proper way to choose paint involves more than looking at the price of the paint.
It makes sense to purchase a top quality paint that will perform well, look better, offer improved protection and last longer than cheaper grades of paint. This investment ensures long term savings and far less maintenance.
The writer is the Research and Development Head at Basco Paints
