No house is complete without a few coats of paint but it ’ s not quite as straight forward as slapping some colour on a wall ... especially not for an affordable housing project .
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A paint job can be a big task when contractors or developers haven ’ t done the research .
IMAGE COURTESY OF PIXABAY
Paint it black or grey or ...
No house is complete without a few coats of paint but it ’ s not quite as straight forward as slapping some colour on a wall ... especially not for an affordable housing project .
By Ntsako Khosa
“ Each brand of paint is different and the guarantee on each different product also varies ,” says Jaques Scheepers from 70Nine SHADES .
South African Paints Manufacturing Association ( SAPMA ) say that getting the most value out of paint is a three-step process , it is part of a system . “ The choice of the paint , preparation of the substrate to be painted and quality of person who paints it , is important ,” Scheepers advises .
Having been in the SAPMA for over eight years , executive director Deryck Spence , says that what you commonly find with paint selection , is that the cheapest product usually takes the cup . “ The architects or whoever is developing the property should ask how long they want the paint to last and ensure it must be done properly . This is what is going to give people a continuance of a lifestyle that they like ,” says Spence .
“ Paint is the last thing that is executed in a project , because of this , it bears the brunt of skimping ,” says Guy Lawson director at My Law Chemicals and Excelsior Paints . The problem with cheap paint is that , “ you apply that paint and the first rains that come , you ’ ve got no paint , or it ’ ll become transparent or you ’ ll walk past it with a leather jacket and you ’ ll have paint on it , fluorescence or if you ’ ve got a dirty mark on it , you scrub it and the paint comes off ,” Spence says . These are just some of the examples you will experience with cheap paint . There is also the recoating process that can be expensive .
DECISIONS , DECISIONS , DECISIONS
According to Spence , 20l of exterior PVA paint can range from R80 to about R1 500 this includes the packaging , transporting and so on . When deciding which paint to buy , it is pertinent to look at the properties of it .
Also , units to be built will house families that have children and the possibly of the walls getting dirty due to crayons or pen or dirty hands touching the paint , are some of the things that should be considered when selecting paint . Having a paint specification is a good start .
“ You ’ ve got to decide on whether you want to spend the money on painting that is going to last five or 10 years . Or if you ’ ll paint painting every year ,” he says .
Some of the questions that you should ask when deciding include :
• What kind of paint is required , ( oil-based or water-based )?
• What kind of brush to use , ( fluffy , wool , synthetic or thin roller )?
• Is a 75ml brush needed if I ’ m painting a gutter ?
• What ’ s the condition of the structure ?
• Is safety equipment required to be painted ?
“ It all depends on what you ’ re going to be painting . All of this is important in painting , you can ’ t take a chance ,” explains Spence . Developers need to make sure that when purchasing paint
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JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2018
AFFORDABLE
SA HOUSING