Paint for the facade of a wooden house: which one to choose
As you know, facade paints and varnishes not only decorate wooden walls, but also protect them from insects, ultraviolet radiation, winds, and temperature changes.
But what will protect the paint itself from undesirable effects? How to be sure that on such a beautiful facade as on the title photo, the coating will not peel off and will not fall off the petals after some two or three years?
About what paint for wooden facades, taking into account our climate, is the best option, and this article will be discussed.
The content of the article
Paint temperature
What-what, but manufacturers are able to advertise their goods. Whatever paint you take, the instruction on the package says that it forms an elastic film that ideally protects the wood from all types of weathering, and is resistant to temperature and humidity changes. In fact, this super-resistant film cracks after two winters, and the walls do not take on a very attractive appearance. Oddly enough, most often this happens with paints from eminent European manufacturers - but, of course, not all. Is it really the fault of the poor quality of their products?
Note! The thing is that in countries with a warm climate there is simply no way to test the paint for frost resistance, since this very frost does not exist there. Therefore, experts advise: “If we take imported paint, then Swedish or Finnish, but not from the manufacturers of the Mediterranean countries: Italy, Spain, Greece.”
We note immediately that paints in which white spirit, turpentine, and drying oil are present do not behave very well in the cold. Basically, these are alkyd and oil compounds. Manufacturers of alkyd primers and enamels claim that they are resistant to the temperature range from -50 to +120 degrees, but do not guarantee that the coating will last more than three years.
Oil paints they do not even withstand this, and the only criterion for their choice by the buyer was and remains a low price. Yes, it is understandable: if a person, for example, needs to paint a modest summer house, he does not want to incur large expenses for this. To repaint a small structure with your own hands is also not difficult. And then, there are still some advantages of this paint, so let's talk about it in more detail.
Characteristics of oil paints
The oil-based paints that our chemical industry produces today differ in characteristics and color range from Soviet-style paints, like heaven and earth.
- Their durability depends on the mass fraction film-forming components, which in good paint should not be lower than 26%. It is these substances that contribute to the creation of an impermeable film when applying oil coatings on the surface, and the higher their percentage, the longer the coating will last. It is only necessary to bear in mind that their too high content reduces the shelf life of the paint after the depressurization of containers. If air gets into a jar, the paint turns into a thick lump in a few hours, which can no longer be brought into working consistency by any solvent.
- An important parameter of oil compositions is also an indicator such as amount of volatiles. In quality options, their amount should not exceed 10%. It is because of volatile substances that have a pungent smell and are also toxic, oil paint is practically not used today interior decoration. But when working on the street, this is not so relevant.
TO shortcomings of oil paints and varnishes, can be attributed to the fact that their drying takes the most time - at least two days.
The curing time of the film, as well as the fluidity of the paint, depends on the level of its viscosity. In high-quality material, it should vary between 60-135 units. But the hardness of the formed coating can be considered an undoubted advantage, since it depends on how much time the paint lasts on the facade.
Nuances of using oil-based coatings
- Wood, when compared with other types of substrates, has a fairly porous structure. Respectively, paint consumption on a log wall, it will be an order of magnitude higher than, for example, on a plastered surface. For example: on average, oil paint consumption is 150-170g / m2. In the case of wood, especially poorly planed, this figure increases to 350-380g / m2. Due to the low cost of oil paint, this is not as affordable as when using the same alkyd paints.
- The absorption of the paint also depends on degrees of milling. Judging by this symptom, then there are two options:
- grated paints;
- densely grated.
The former are ready for use, the latter are diluted with turpentine or drying oil before use.
Semi-gloss paint for exterior walls - By the way, which of these solvents is used depends on which surface - matte or glossy will work out. Drying oil gives gloss, which looks very good when painting windows. Well, for the exterior walls, you must admit, no gloss is needed. Quite the contrary: to make the paint as matt as possible, a hot solution of laundry soap is added to it. The calculation is as follows: one bar of soap on a three-kilogram can of paint.
- Concerning color gamutthen, if desired, you can buy paints tinted by the manufacturer (see How to paint: choose an option) But most often they are sold in white, which allows a person to choose a shade of their choice.
Cleaning log walls with a grinder - About longevity, in defense of oil paints, you can say this. Not always the cause of the destruction of the integrity of the paintwork is paint. It can quickly peel off simply due to poor surface preparation - and especially when it comes to the walls of a repaired house. It is very important to remove the remnants of the previous painting, and even better, remove the upper layer of fibers together with the old paint, carefully remove the dust.
Before applying the oil coating, the walls should be primed with the same paint, but diluted with drying oil to a liquid state. In the process of such processing, the wood is saturated, and the paint consumption for the finish coating will not be so great.
Believe me, the right approach to painting works will allow you to get an excellent result that will please the eye for at least six years.
Water dispersions
Best of all, as a paint for the facades of a wooden house, water-soluble paints have proven themselves. This is a large group of water-dispersion paints, which occupy a leading position in the team of paints and varnishes. Many of them are universal, and can also be used for internal work (see. Types of paints for interior work: consider in detail), and for painting facades, which the consumer must be informed on the label.
So:
- The simplest option is the compositions based on polyvinyl acetate, as well as butadiene styrene, which we used to call water-based paint. But they are not suitable for exterior decoration, as they are very susceptible to ultraviolet radiation and moisture. But the new generation paints made on the basis of polymer resins are completely devoid of these shortcomings.
- Unites all types of water-dispersion paints only technology, in which an emulsion is obtained from two immiscible substances. In this case, one of these substances is water, and the other is PVA, butadiene styrene, acrylic copolymers, latex, silicone. A suspension of these substances, the molecules of which are distributed in water, is called dispersion - it is they that give the emulsion certain properties.
- Water-soluble paints do not work at all like oil paints. When dried, the dispersion coating polymerizes, which is akin to setting cement or gypsum mortars. Being in a plastic state, the emulsion is easily diluted with water, but when the film sets, it becomes resistant to moisture. Accordingly, liquid paint is afraid of low temperatures, but the finished coating is not.
- The list of polymers acting as a dispersion in emulsion paints is quite wide, but acrylate compositions are the most popular. They are distinguished by stability, low price, long shelf life. And they best tolerate temperature surges and exposure to sunlight.
- In addition to the water-polymer combination, fillers in the form of talc, cellulose or chalk are added to dispersion paints, which give it the desired density.
- For whiteness, additives such as zinc white are used, as well as a substance called titanium dioxide. Water-soluble paints are only available in white, and tinted immediately before starting work. How this is done, you will tell the video in this article, or articles directly devoted to this topic. We will only say that it’s not at all necessary to do this on your own, as in each specialized store you will be offered a computer tinting service, in which you select the desired shade from the fan catalogs.
Tinted paints, or rather, coatings created with their help, do not differ in too bright and juicy shades, since the paint can take only a certain percentage of the pigment. If you really need to make a bright accent in the decoration, then for this you can use the tinting compounds in their pure form.
What to consider when applying
As for the durability of the coating, it, as in the case with any other type of paintwork, provides not only the paint itself, but also the quality of the surface preparation for its application. Everything that was said about the preparatory work in the previous chapter is also relevant in this case.
- The only thing is that when using water-dispersion paints, the walls need to be primed differently. Since wood, first of all, needs biocidal protection, it is treated with special primers before painting. On sale there are bioprotective complexes with a wide spectrum of action - they not only improve the adhesion of the paint to the tree, but are also an antiseptic.
- Such primers, one of the variants of which you see above, are recommended for the protection of structural and facing elements made of wood, as well as windows, fences, and small architectural forms before painting. In this case, not only water-dispersible, but also alkyd paint can be used, as well as all kinds of glazes and impregnations, which we will discuss later.
Note! Note that not every antiseptic can serve as a primer - you need to pay special attention to this when buying. If you used the usual fire-retardant composition, then on top of it before painting you need to apply an acrylic primer.
Color impregnation
If we continue the topic of impregnations for wood, then we can not but note such a type of finishing compounds as tinted antiseptics.
- They can be glaze, that is, give the coating a shade, while maintaining transparency, and leaving a natural picture of the tree in sight.
- In another embodiment, color impregnations create an opaque covering layer that completely covers the texture of the tree.
Both those and other compounds are used as "two in one":
- and for wood preservatives,
- and to give it a certain tone.
In their composition, they are very similar to varnishes, only very diluted. The most popular are translucent impregnations, as they emphasize the texture of the tree.
In order for them to acquire the functions of an antiseptic, manufacturers include fungicides in the composition of colored primers, which prevent the growth of fungi. Alkyd resins and natural oils are used as additives, which provide the soil with a water-repellent effect.
Depending on the basis, tinting impregnations for wood can be water-soluble, as well as the paints mentioned above. They are quite economical, as they are consumed within 70g / m2. Apply such compounds to dry wood, and preferably immediately after the construction of the walls. The coating dries on average about half a day, at normal humidity and a temperature close to room temperature.
The color scheme of tinted impregnations is not very wide, as it represents only the shades inherent in natural wood. The composition of many tints includes microcomponents of wax, which perfectly protect the painted surface from burnout, cracking, and give it a noble appearance.
Wood paint selection
Paint for a wooden facade is designed to solve two important tasks: to protect the facade and provide an aesthetically attractive appearance of the building.
Attention: If the tree is not painted in time, then it will begin to crack. This occurs under the influence of ultraviolet radiation: it breaks down the wood, which paves the way for the spread of microbes that affect it.
When choosing a paint, you should pay attention to the following points:
- Its composition, on which the final result depends. Carefully study the incoming components and their ratio: fillers, pigments, binders.
- Correspondence of the selected paint to the type of surface, the material of its manufacture.
- Take into account the technical characteristics of the enamel. Choose the type that is best suited for your climate region, weather conditions.
The classification according to the following criteria will help determine the type of paint:
- The binder used. Based on this, the paint is: oil, alkyd, acrylic, silicone.
- The type of solvent enamels is divided into: waterborne and solvent based.
- Destination Paint is construction, industrial, art.
- Gloss degree. The coating looks glossy, shiny, semi-shiny, semi-gloss, matte.
- The material from which the processed surface is made. It can be paint for wood, metal (see Types of paints for metal: which one to choose), concrete and other surfaces.
Staining technology
Facade paint for outdoor woodwork is applied according to certain rules. Both appearance and durability of the coating will depend on this.
Attention: An important point: it is recommended to paint the wooden facade at an air temperature of at least + 5 and a relative humidity of at least 80%.
We divide the whole process into sequential steps:
- We will prepare the necessary material and tool: paint, wide and beveled brush, narrow roller.
- We clean the working surface of dust, dirt, cobwebs.
- We will use a primer to process the facade.The bottom should be well lubricated, since it is here that the degree of exposure to moisture is high.
- To protect the wooden surface as much as possible, experts advise applying an additional layer of antiseptic. This composition prevents the appearance of mold, various fungi.
- If you plan to use a transparent antiseptic, then it is worth excluding the use of a special primer to protect metal fasteners, since it will shine through the glaze solution.
- We will use a brush for the primer.
- We give the protective solution time to dry completely, usually several days. Then proceed to staining.
- Alkyd or oil paint is well suited for the final finish. This choice depends on the type of wood and the preferences of the owner.
Regardless of the choice of the type of dye, it can be Finnish facade paints for wood and wood, first of all make a high-quality base. Look at the photo, choose the color you want and do everything slowly and efficiently.
