Top
Quality Acrylic Latex Paints Ideal for Most Exterior Surfaces
With
so many coatings available today, selecting the right exterior
house paint can be confusing. But you can resolve the matter
– and ensure, long-lasting performance – by simply
using a top quality acrylic latex paint.
Top quality 100% acrylic latex house paint is a versatile
product that offers advantages for virtually any exterior.
Here are some of the reasons it’s a great choice for
wood, aluminum siding, vinyl siding and masonry, from the
experts at The Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute.
Wood
When applied to a properly prepared and primed wood exterior,
top quality acrylic latex paint can protect and beautify
for up to 10 years or more, far longer than ordinary exterior
paint.
One reason is the excellent adhesion of these paints. In
simple terms, the acrylic binder used in these coatings
enables them to maintain better “grip” on primed
wood surfaces; it also gives high quality paints their elasticity.
Together, these attributes help prevent peeling, flaking
and other paint failures that can wreak havoc on ordinary
paint after only a few years.
Top quality paints also contain special additives to give
them exceptional mildew resistance, which is important on
wood surfaces. In contrast, an ordinary paint may contain
little or no mildewcide, so mildew can quickly begin to
grow on the painted surface – especially in damp areas
that receive little or no sunshine.
Aluminum Siding
Given proper surface preparation, aluminum siding is an
excellent candidate for top quality acrylic latex paint.
Because the factory-applied finish on aluminum siding tends
to chalk and fade over time, a coat of top quality paint
will refresh the surface, making it look almost new again.
Moreover, the superior resistance of top quality paint to
ultraviolet light will help prevent chalking and fading.
When selecting the sheen of your paint, keep in mind that
older siding may have dents or other superficial damage.
Using a flat paint will help conceal these imperfections.
Vinyl Siding
Although manufacturers often describe vinyl siding as “maintenance
free,” the surface can become marred, stained, discolored
or chalky. And even if it hasn’t, you might simply
want to change its color.
When painting vinyl siding, there are two compelling reasons
to use a top quality acrylic latex paint: excellent adhesion
and superior flexibility. Good adhesion is necessary to
enable the paint to “stick” to the surface of
vinyl siding. Flexibility is especially important with vinyl
siding because it tends to expand and contract more than
other exterior materials when subjected to day-to-day temperature
changes.
(Note: When painting vinyl, always select a paint color
that is no darker than the original siding. Darker colors
tend to absorb the sun’s heat, which can cause panels
to warp and buckle irreversibly.)
Masonry
To get the best performance on stucco, brick, concrete and
other masonry surfaces, it is best to use a top quality
100% acrylic latex coating. These coatings offer excellent
chalk resistance, which helps prevent fading, even in the
sunniest climates where ultraviolet rays can quickly fade
a lesser paint.
Top quality 100% acrylic latex paints are also a good choice
for masonry surfaces because of their superior alkali resistance.
Fresh masonry is very alkaline, and can “burn”
an ordinary coating, resulting in color change and deterioration
of the paint film. However, by using a quality acrylic sealer,
then applying a top quality 100% acrylic latex paint, you
can avoid this unsightly problem.
On aged masonry, these paints are beneficial because of
their resistance to efflorescence – a white, crusty
powder left on the masonry when water passes through it.
To ensure that you get the best performance from your paint
job, no matter what the surface, take time to do proper
surface preparation. For help in this regard and for more
information on top quality paints, The Rohm and Haas Paint
Quality Institute recommends that you consult with a knowledgeable
paint salesperson. Or visit the PQI Web site at www.paintquality.com
