As the building and decorating trades are hit by across-the-board price increases, it might be tempting to try and cut costs by selecting cheaper products. But this can have a detrimental effect on the quality of the finished job. So, what should you look for when selecting a product and just what does all the technical jargon boil down to?
“Here at Bradite, we take both aesthetic and protective issues into account when designing our products, says Marcus Cosgrove Technical Director at the company. “Our water-based formulations include pigments, specialist binders, extenders, thickeners and additives “.
Water-based paints are virtually odourless and dry incredibly fast. Extenders are used to control properties such as mudcrack resistance, scrub resistance, sheen or gloss, colour and opacity.
Specialist, high quality binders are of crucial importance in making sure the paint sticks to what you are painting. You need to choose the appropriate product for the substrate you are painting and the conditions it is likely to encounter.
Cost savings
Bradite paints are tough and durable. This is a key consideration as it means redecoration cycles can be much longer, which saves on costs for the client. There are three levels of binders in use: commodity binders, high-performance binders and crosslinking acrylics.
A commodity binder sticks the particles in the paint together adequately but can break down in time, whilst a high-quality binder conjoins them much more tightly. If you were scrubbing a painted surface, with a commodity binder you might do 100 scrubs before you break the film down. But with a high-performance binder, you could do 2,000 – 3,000 scrubs before you see any sort of damage.
The binder technology used in our One Can range is ambient crosslinking acrylics. Once this binder is applied, there is a further chemical reaction that takes place on the substrate, so adhesion becomes stronger – up to an additional 10,000 scrubs.
Quick Drying
Such products will stick to almost any substrate, including potentially difficult surfaces like glass and ceramics. One specific test carried out with One Can Eggshell was to paint on PVC and wood panels which were then immersed in water for two years. The panels were still in very good condition when they emerged.
Due to this crosslinking technology, our products combine toughness with quick-drying abilities with no compromise. One Can dries within 30 minutes and is re-coatable within an hour, the chosen paint colour has no effect on durability.
Paint coverage is usually between 12 and 14 square metres per litre, but what is crucial is how the paint performs once it’s applied, and this is where Bradite products score highly. Whether you’re using the versatile One Can Matt or Eggshell, Floor-It (which handles tarmac and asphalt surfaces) or Roadline Paint (for use on roads, runways, car parks and sports surfaces), the Bradite range provides a high-quality, durable finish.
