Jump to content
RemedySpot.com

Coating helps shield home from hurricane-force winds

Rate this topic


Guest guest

Recommended Posts

Coating helps shield home from hurricane-force winds

http://www.canadaeast.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?

AID=/20041211/GUIDES67/41210071

By Bradley

For The Associated Press

Homeowners don't normally associate paints or other exterior wall

coverings as offering protection from hurricane force winds and rain.

But the same industrial-strength coatings used to protect airport

control towers, bridges and schools holds promise for homeowners

looking for the upper hand against strong winds.

The key is tensile strength. According to a Florida company, its

house coatings bond to exterior surfaces to create a thicker, far

stronger surface than paint could ever hope to provide.

" What the coatings do is add rigidity to exterior surfaces, " says

Jay Haines of Textured Coatings of America. " It's similar to what

would happen if you put epoxy on wood or paper. The thickness and

hardening of the epoxy make the surface tougher and harder. "

The coatings look no different from paint once applied, but that's

where the difference ends. Haines says the coatings contain heavy

concentrations of high-strength resins. Once the resins dry, the

surface is all but impregnable to water and wind. Hence the

improvement in surface tensile strength.

The upshot for consumers, says Haines, is " the exterior walls will

be in better shape to handle wind-driven rain. " His case in point is

the common use of stucco to cover exterior walls in Florida and

other Southern states. The stucco tends to " soak up water like a

sponge " says Haines. Once exterior walls allow moisture to penetrate

the surface, the door is opened to toxic moulds. The coatings

contain anti-mildew inhabitants to deter mildew growth. Yet the

coatings breathe, allowing humidity to pass through rather than

collect on interior walls and materials.

The effect of the heavy and dense coating product is like coating a

house in breathable plastic, according to the manufacturer. The

coatings are rated to withstand winds up to 98 miles per hour.

Textured Coatings is a residential coating supplier to The Home

Service Store, which says the density product and its commercial

applications mean it is not a do-it-yourself project for homeowners.

Specialized sprayers and coating techniques are required.

The coatings come in dozens of colour options. " The coatings look

like paint, it's just that they outperform paint, " says Haines. He

says the same coating used on homes now also covers airport control

towers in Orlando, Atlanta and Miami as well as seven of the 10

largest bridges in Florida.

The coatings cost somewhat more than paint to apply, but Haines says

a lifetime warranty and the ability to withstand chipping, peeling

and flaking offset the higher initial cost.

The coatings also do a better job of reflecting solar rays and thus

the surfaces are cooler. This can reduce air-conditioning costs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...