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Show September, 1968 ifi&h the past 25 years, many taken place in the have changes formulation of paints and the surfaces to which paints are applied. For this reason It Is important that the home owner study carefully the type of paint and the methods of surface preparation and application best suited to his In needs. Probably the greatest change to take place in the paint industry in the past 25 years is the almost total replacement of lead pigments in the exterior white house paints. For many years, white lead was considered the standard exterior finish of the paint Industry. Time and experience however, have proven that new blended paints formulated from pigments of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide can perform better than the old lead paints. Another distinct advantage of topaints Is that days lead-fr- ee to animals that they are non-tox- ic may chew or lick painted sur- faces. Not only have there been changes in pigments but changes also have been made in the oils used as the carrier for pigments. During Wrold War II, higher viscosity oils were substituted for a portion of the raw linseed oil. This was done to conserve linseed oil which was In short supply during the war. Paints based on high viscosity oils, however, proved to be superior in performance to the 100 percent raw linseed oil formulas they replaced, and today raw linseed oil seldom is used in exterior paints. In recent years we have seen the Introduction of latex paints, first for Interior surfaces and more recently for exterior finishes. Latex paints, properly formulated, can perform at least as well as linseed oil paints, and in some respects they are superior. Latex paint, for ex- - Page 7 UTAH FARM BUREAU Yy Reprinted from Buckeye Farm News ample, dries quickly and can generally be recoated within two hours after application. Unlike linseed oil based paints which must be applied to a dry surface, Latex paints can be applied to a damp (not wet) surface, which means that one can start painting earlier in the day before all the dew has completely evaporated from the surface. Either oil base or latex exterior finishes can be expected to give satisfactory performance In an agricultural exposure If they are properly applied and the surface has been properly pre- pared. PAINT MAINTENANCE In the long run It Is more economical to have a scheduled program for repainting than to allow paint to weather down to the wood. As a rule of thumb one coat of white exterior paint should be applied every four to five years. This assumes that the original paint job consisted of two coats, the first coat being a good primer. Metal roofs coated with zinc metal paint should be recoated at the appearance of ten percent rust. The number of years required for this will vary, depending on the original condition of the surface and the amount of paint applied originally. SURFACE PREPARATION Surface preparation Is the most Important step in any paint job. The better the preparation of the surface, the better the results. Blistered and peeled areas must be scraped and sanded thoroughly to provide a sound surface for recoating. Sanding Is necessary to remove reaction products left in the wood when paint blisters and peels. If reaction products are not removed by sanding, o o o there Is an increased possibility that succeeding finishes will also blister and peel. Metal surfaces to be coated must be clean and free of grease. When zinc metal paint is used there is no need to remove the tight rust on the surface. The best way to prepare a rusted roof for painting with zinc metal paint Is to sweep it with a stiff bristle broom. This will remove loose, scaly rust and any dirt from the surface. Concrete block surfaces can also be prepared In the above manner, although water may be needed to adequately remove dust and accumulated dirt. It Is always best to read the label and follow the instructions outlining the steps necessary for proper surface preparation. APPLICATION For the average person a good quality paint brush is still the most economical and reliable method of applying paint. Many a quality paint has been ruined by the use of a cheap throwaway brush. The use of a high quality brush will result In a more evenly coated surface and in the end will save the user time and money. Two other well known methods of paint application are the paint sprayer and the roller. Spray painting is the fastest and most economical method of painting, provided it is done by a reputable r flinft ;v ':'v irWMnfr iil1fiiiif - . vv . i ; . v V nf Surface preparation is an essential step in any paint job. Blistered and peeled areas must be scraped and sanded to remove loose material and reaction products left on the wood when paint blisters. with no way of being located. Roller application of paint to exterior surfaces is good, providing the surface is rather flat without exceeding deep joints or crevices. Concrete block walls can be successfully painted with long nap rollers that will reach into the pores and the mortar joints. With a little practice one can learn to use the roller proficiently. SOME FAILURES OCCUR Regardless of the type or quality WHY of paint, faulure may occur under some conditions. In most instances, however, this faulure is not due to poor paint but to concontractor or trained man. In selditions that should have been corecting a spray paint contractor the rected before the paint was aphomeowner should beware of conplied. There are methods of elimtractors from outside the local inating the causes of most paint area, especially those who travel failures and any good paint dealfrom house to house, soliciting er can provide solutions to these business and offering moneyproblems. In recent years, several blister-resisaving deals. Usually these are "fly by night operators who do stant exterior finishes shoddy work using inferior mathave been Introduced. Even these erials. When paint failure occurs, finishes, however, will blister and are long gone peel under the servere conditions these operators that exist in some buildings. One must also realize that if the surface has been coated with a paint that is not resistant to blistering, the addition of a coat of blister-resista- nt finish will not eliminate the problem. Another fallacy that has existed for many years is that of allowing the wood to weather six to nine months before paint is applied. removes material Weathering from the surface of the wood which actually holds the wood together. Removal of this material leaves loosely bound wood fibers on the surfaces. Paint applied to weathered wood will adhere well to the fibers themselves, but failure occurs when the wood deteriorates and the fibers fall away. If siding has weathered without a protective coating for a month or more, special treatment should be given before satisfactory painting can be done. QUALITY The only way to judge the quality of a paint proudct is on the reputation of the manufacturer and Blistering is a common failure of is Blistering exterior paints. caused by moisture, either from within the structure or from external sources, getting behind the adpaint and causing it to loose hesion. A good paint dealer can help determine the cause of blistering and recommend remedies and a blister resistant paint. a trained paint technologist usually cannot judge paint quality from the ingredient statement on the label. United Cooperatives Inc., Alliance maintains exposure test fences at several points throughout the nation for the testing of exterior house and barn finishes -both current production and experimental paints. Unico paints and well known competitive paints are applied to selected boards, and comparisons are made through out the lifetime of the paints. In this manner, the expected life of a particular paint or paint system is determined. and service performance To assure that the paint you buy is of top quality, every batch of Unico paint is tested in a modern quality control laboratory. All raw materials are tested before are approved for prothey duction. The finished paint product is also tested before it is packaged for distribution. The Paint Division of United Cooperatives produces a complete line of paint products for farm and home use. Unico Paints to give a lasting finish in any his quality control program. Even An important part of any paint job is calking nail holes, cracks, and joints around doors andwindowframes. Calking should be done only after a primer coat has been applied as calking or putty will dry and shrink if applied to bare wood. |