For most buildings in the world, exterior appearance is a key parameter. A beautiful façade is often perceived to be equated with a solid, well-made, long-lasting building. Highly durable aesthetic properties are one of the benefits of a high-performance exterior coating. To maintain a good appearance, an exterior paint has to be resistant to climate variations, as well as dirt coming from man-made or natural sources. Even though each ingredient in a formulation has some effect on the final performance of the paint, the binder plays one of the biggest roles in determining the dry film’s properties and longevity. In this article we examine how the formulator can, with the right binder choice, obtain a superior exterior paint with a good environmental profile.
Different binder technologies are used today for thin-film exterior masonry coatings. Their selection depends either on economic considerations, performance or sometimes historical habits.