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Getting Colour Right (When There Are 5,000 to Choose From!)
Paint companies provide consumers and specifiers with a number of different tools to help with colour selection. Like everything there are advantages and disadvantages with each of these tools. But… Read more
Understanding Opacity and the “Hiding Power” of Paints
One of the functions of paint is to obliterate whatever you are painting, whether it be old patterned wallpaper, stains, or the unloved colour of a previous tenant. “Opacity” is… Read more
Paint and Waterways Pollution
Some people do not realise that storm water drains (the ones on the road edge) go straight to local waterways or the ocean. They think they are doing the right thing… Read more
Greenwash in the Paint Industry
In 2008 the New Zealand Commerce Commission issued a press release on “greenwashing”. Here is the quote from Adrian Sparrow, director of fair trading: “The growing trend to greenwashing by… Read more
VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) and Paint
Over the past few years the paint industry has been working to reduce the level of VOCs in paint products. So what are VOCs and why are we moving to… Read more
Life Cycle of Transparent Coatings
Transparent and semi-transparent coatings on timbers do not have the same life-cycle as opaque coatings. The reasons for this are matters of science, including the fact that solar radiation (sunlight)… Read more
Visible Stopping Lines after Painting
This post covers off some of the causes of visible stopping lines after painting. 1. One of the most common causes is incomplete drying of the stopping compound. When painted,… Read more
Oddy Tests – How to Test for Potential Damage to Decorative Metals
When it comes to using water based paints some might disregard the fact that as paint dries the water is evaporating from the painted surface. Without adequate airflow, the humidity… Read more
Preventing Bathroom Mould
Moulds (also known as mildew), along with mushrooms and yeasts, are fungi. Fungi are simple microscopic organisms, present virtually everywhere. Moulds are a problem due to their unpleasant appearance but… Read more
Avoiding Outside Mould: When You Don’t Want a “Green” Building
NZ has a very damp climate and naturally we have many species of mould and algae that prosper. Unfortunately paint films are susceptible to adhesion failure if attacked by these,… Read more
