FEATURES
Materials used to paint play a vital role in the longevity of paint .
that it has correct paint specifications . “ It clearly details what the paint on the project is , what they use and then obviously it ’ s up to the contractor ’ s integrity to ensure that he applies the paints according to specification ,” advises Lawson .
Doing research for a paint job , isn ’ t something that is common in the construction sector , however , the salesman in the retail outlet should be able to guide you through the process , by asking these questions . “ These are things that they should be able to tell you because he ’ s selling it , he should be able to advice . Additionally , a qualified painter should know these things and be able to make recommendations as well ,” says Spence .
“ It is important that the correct primer , undercoat and top coat are used for most surfaces ,” says Lawson . Failure to follow the process can cause issues ; there are different recommended products for plastered surfaces for interior and exterior .
“ Because being economical is a major concern they use a cheap first coat of polyvinyl acetate ( PVAs ) instead of proper alkali resistant plaster primers , this causes the top coat to fail ,” says Lawson . The applicator is responsible to be well trained and knowledgeable on how to paint and they need to use the right products and the correct system .
“ Very often , I ’ ve seen due to lack of knowledge and training , the wrong process is followed , and this is only because they are ill-informed and poorly trained ,” he says .
Once the paint has been selected how the product is used and the sequence thereafter comes into play . “ If its new housing there must be an undercoat and then a top coat so the quality of these two is terribly important on how long that lasts and whether it ’ ll be washed or cleaned ,” Spence says . It ’ s a common fact that workers are under pressure because of this they often paint when the plaster isn ’ t dry .
According to Lawson , plaster takes a minimum recommended of 21 days good weather to dry well prior to painting . However , often the workers plaster and then three to four days after , they paint . “ What happens is moisture trapped brings alkali salts because the building material ( sand plaster ) is very alkaline in nature and that alkalinity comes through . This leads to common paint failures like peeling or blistering ,” he says .
About 86 % of paint failures is the result of bad preparation of the surface . Repainting over an uncleaned
IMAGE COURTESY OF PIXABAY surface can be problematic once applied such as bubbles , cracks or water in the wall if it ’ s been painted more than 10 times . “ By not inspecting your project properly you can just compound any previous errors by painting over them again . So , do a proper site inspection and get a local paint expert to also assess the site ,” cautions Scheepers .
“ If there ’ s more than 25 % water in the wall it will come off . Particularly if there ’ s been moisture in the wall , which may be caused by bad damp coursing done in the structure and the water rises in the bottom . You ’ ve got to repair the leaks , it ’ s not a matter of just saying I ’ ll just paint over it . You must find out where the leaks are . There ’ s an old saying in our industry that says for every hour of painting you should have four hours of preparation , cleaning off the cracks , taking the old paint off , and preparing the surface properly ,” advises Spence .
A LEARNED APPLICATOR
“ There are not qualified painters like there used to be , it used to be a five-year course . We at SAPMA are training applicators ,” he says . Due to the training process being fragmented , contractors just take someone off the street and ask them to paint . The contractor or construction company needs to work closely with the paint company . “ This is to ensure that the paint company assists in making sure that the applicators are using the correct products and format ,” says Lawson .
Long-standing paint manufacturers have spent years and millions of rands on the development of paint . They ’ ve been asking and answering questions like how many scrubs does it take , whether it can smell , whether it ’ s pure white , whether it applies in one or three coats .
“ You ’ re talking about using very good quality constituents or component in the paint , the best resins , and the titanium dioxide which makes up a large proportion of that paint , the emulsions and anti-odours . All of the things that go into a paint to make it the most pleasant experience for the end-user so that you can paint your bedroom in the morning and then you can sleep in it that same night ,” he says .
So , when all this research has been done to create the best quality and then an unqualified painter is given the paint , Spence compares this to giving a 12-year-old , a loaded shotgun .
He also says that when looking for a good quality paint , you don ’ t need to go right to the top . “ Look for as good a quality paint that you can afford ,” he says .
SAPMA does a lot of training and is the key association in the paints manufacturing industry .
“ We do three things , we communicate with regulatory bodies ’ and the legislature and as far as imports and exports tariffs and dumping are concerned and applying the Hazardous Substance Act by removing lead from paint , so it doesn ’ t harm kids . Lastly , we also provide training to our industry ,” he says .
SAPMA provides training for paint technologists ( chemists ) employees in the factory making the paint , paint applicators and in 2018 they will start training paint sales personnel in the retail store .
A complex or block of apartments that is well painted requires planning and serious attention . “ A paint job needs to be done right from the beginning ,” says Lawson . Providing high quality finishes and affordably isn ’ t as easy as we may think ...
AFFORDABLE
SA HOUSING JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2018 21