This issue of the PQI
Contractor Newsletter is the tenth of a
series illustrating the performance benefits of top quality
interior and exterior paints. The information can be
helpful for reducing the chance of complaints or call-backs,
and illustrating to customers the importance of using
quality paints.
Illustrating
Performance Benefits of Quality Paints:
 Maximum
Hiding
Background: How
well a paint hides the surface being painted can impact
uniformity of appearance with both interior and exterior
work. This includes uniformity of color achieved, especially
if the paint is different in color compared with the
surface being painted. In addition to inherent hiding
capability for a given film thickness, the quality
of the paint can impact how thick the paint tends to
apply, and how well it flows out, which affect hiding.
Factors to be Taken Into
Account:
 How
well a paint will hide the surface will depend
in part on pigmentation – the types and
levels of pigment used. For example, top quality
white latex gloss and semigloss enamels have
higher levels of titanium dioxide (TiO2), an
expensive high-hiding white pigment, than do
economy products offering the same gloss levels.
- Some white paints are “toned” in
the factory with low levels of brown or black
pigment in order to increase hiding. Take this
into account, especially
when applying the product near other white surfaces that are a brighter white – the
toning can make the new paint seem dingy.
- Top quality products tend to apply
in heavier coats, due in part to a higher solids content than economy paints
have. This provides a thicker dry film of paint,
and thus better hiding.
- The nature and use of application equipment
is important. Top-end brushes and rollers tend
to apply paint
in a thicker and smoother coat than economy
applicators, so hiding will be better with them.
- A
high hiding paint may reduce the number of
coats needed, but care is still needed with respect
to avoiding skips and thin spots.
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For
a printable copy of the PQI sheet illustrating
the quality latex paint benefit of Better Hiding
compared with economy paint, click on the
image.
To see sheets on other quality paint performance
benefits, please visit the Quality
Paint Page on the PQI web site.
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PQI News:
 The
Paint Quality Institute competition for finding the
Prettiest Painted Rooms in America is underway! PQI
is inviting professional interior designers to submit
photos of their work illustrating the creative use
of paint and color in a residential interior. If you
work with an outstanding professional interior designer
who would want to submit work that they have done using
your services, just direct them to the PQI web site
at www.paintquality.com Complete competition rules,
and entry forms are there. Deadline for receipt of
entries is May 1, 2006.
Q & A:
Q:
I’m always looking for ways to
help my residential customers, and provide value, so that they will call
on me again in the future, and even refer me to their friends and neighbors.
Are there some ways to do something “extra” for my customers?
A: Here are a couple
of tips: As you know, home owners often don’t
know where to begin when choosing paint colors to use, interior or exterior.
You can purchase a few of the PQI Color & Decorating pocket fan decks
(available in the PQI Store),
and lend one to the customer to help in their color decisions. Another
thoughtful touch is to leave behind a PQI sheet
with guidelines on maintaining the paint job in the coming years. Interior and Exterior paint
maintenance sheets can be downloaded and printed from
the PQI web site – just click on the link.
 Q: I
keep having problems with touch up of new work. One
thing that happens all the time with tinted wall
paints is that I get a different color, usually a little
bit darker, when I fix a skip or a mark, even with
the very same paint that I used before. I see this
all the time when I’m doing new drywall. What
causes this? Can I avoid it?
A: What often happens is
that a difference in sheen level causes a difference
in apparent color. If the
wall paint is applied to an absorbent surface like
new drywall, it will not develop its maximum sheen.
Then, when paint is applied to the original paint
for touch-up, it develops slightly higher sheen. This
in
turn makes the color appear darker by enough to make
it noticeable. This effect may be greatly reduced,
depending on the nature of the paint, by applying
a suitable primer before the first coat of paint. Also,
if the initial painting is done in a heavier coat,
touch-up will be less problematic, because the sheen
will tend to be very slightly higher.
The Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute
P.O. Box 1348
Philadelphia, PA 19109
215.592.3000
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