When Choosing Exterior Paint, Is Looking at the Colour Alone Enough?

No. Colour is the last decision to make; first the paint has to repel water, let the wall breathe, stand up to the sun and suit the condition of your facade. The same colour in the wrong paint soon fades or flakes.

Six properties to check before the colour

• Water repellency: it should shed rainwater rather than absorb it.
• Vapour permeability: moisture inside the wall must be able to escape.
• Sun resistance: the binder and pigment must withstand ultraviolet rays.
• Elasticity: a facade with hairline cracks needs a crack-bridging paint.
• Resistance to dirt and moss: this matters on shaded, damp facades.
• System: a primer and paint that suit each other, and the manufacturer's guarantee.

Where is this information stated?

On the product label and in the data sheet. The quote should state not only the colour but also the brand, type and number of coats.

Colour has a technical side too

Dark colours heat up more and fade more visibly, and on insulated facades the darkest shade that can be used is limited. See our post on light or dark colours.

The right order of decisions

1. Condition of the facade: cracks, damp, old paint
2. Type of paint
3. Primer and number of coats
4. Colour
5. A sample on the facade

Which paint for which facade?

We covered the types and how to choose in which paint to use on a building's exterior. During the survey Erdağ Yapı examines the facade and recommends the system and the colour together.