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House Painting Danville – Elastomeric Paint for Masonry or Concrete Exteriors


House Painting Danville – Elastomeric Paint for Masonry or Concrete Exteriors

Before, painting masonry and concrete was the unthinkable thing to do as a way to give a refreshed look to your home. Instead, they really had to be torn down and rebuilt in order to give a new look and dimension to the surface.

But because of the amazing developments in the paint industry, it is now possible to do house painting in Danville on masonry, brick, and concrete. There’s no need to dismantle them and build a new one — all you have to do is to simply paint them, and still enjoy a new look for your home.

Since the masonry or concrete expands or contracts due to the changes in the weather, thankfully there are elastomeric paints for these kinds of substrates. They have been made more flexible to adjust to these expansions/contractions which prevent the paint from cracking.

Yet, you can’t be confident with the elastomeric paints alone for an effective and smooth painting job. The success of the masonry, concrete, and brick painting still depends on the preparation done on the surface, just like painting wood or metal siding would. The key to a successful painting job is a clean, dry surface before the paint will be applied.

Cleaning is essential because if you don’t clean the surface, the top coat will have difficulty in adhering to the surface. Make sure that you have cleaned away all the dust, dirt, soot, mold, mildew, chalk, efflorescence, or cracking/fading/peeling paint.

Using an appropriate primer for the brick and concrete painting is not really that necessary. Only prime the surface if there is unevenness of the substrate or if it is too porous — and remember that porous surfaces would just absorb the paint. The purpose of the primer is to inhibit the topcoat from being absorbed especially if the surface is too porous or too rough. If the substrate is brand new, then there’s no reason to prime it.

Be sure to know what type of paint was used if the surface has already been painted. If the brick or concrete was previously painted with an oil-based paint, applying an elastomeric paint on it is a no-no.

For the new surfaces, they must be cured for at least 30 days to make sure that they are free of moisture and alkaline. Some even let the new substrates cure for as long as 90 days to make sure that they are moisture- and alkaline-free to receive the elastomeric paint.

Elastomeric paints may be a blessing to painters dealing with brick or concrete, but they do have limits. Nevertheless, they help in sealing in cracks and other obvious fissures found on the surface.

So how do you apply the elastomeric paints properly? You can do it by brushing but that method is more preferred for covering smaller areas. Rather, it should be done by rolling or air-spraying. The high film content of the elastomeric paints varies among paint manufacturers, so make sure to read the manufacturer’s directions and pay close attention especially if the substrate is very rough or porous.

Usually, elastomeric paints are applied in two coats, to ensure full coverage of the paint as well as the proper distribution of the paint film. If you apply the paint with an air-spray, make sure to back-roll it for a more even coating.

Remember that elastomeric paints are slightly different from conventional paints so the application should be a slightly different approach. Another thing to consider is the weather conditions when painting. Although elastomeric paints are designed to protect the masonry or concrete from rain or moisture, they cannot be used if moisture is already there in the substrate. Even dew can be detrimental to the performance to the elastomeric paints. This is why you should pay special attention to the weather conditions as well as the temperature and time of day when you decide to apply it on the brick, concrete, and other types of masonry.

If these instructions aren’t clear or you’d rather have a professional handle the job, contact Custom Painting, Inc. when you’re ready for house painting in Danville and nearby areas.

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