Applying Durable Exterior Paint Formulated for a Subtropical Climate

Clip Summary

Jim McLaughlin from Color Wheel Paints and Coatings is with Bob as the house is sprayed with its finish coat of the Flex Lox Masonry Coating System. McLaughlin explains how a subtropical climate like South Florida's degrades a paint surface with its heat, sun, and damaging UV rays, forcing it to crack and peel. Bob watches as the crew sprays on the terra cotta colored Flex Lox finish coat over a lighter primer. McLaughlin explains that using a lighter shade underneath helps the crew to avoid skips and maintain solid coverage across the surface. The crew uses a sprayer set at 2,000 psi (pounds per square inch) to apply a heavy finish coat that is wet rolled to push the paint into the nooks and crannies of the heavily textured surface. Flex Lox is a hybrid latex and elastomeric surface coating that stretches to cover surface cracks and voids. McLaughlin uses a water force test to show how the Flex Lox protects against water infiltration with wind-driven rain. McLaughlin uses a block of stucco with two rilem tubes protruding and a hairline crack running across its face. The left side is painted with a traditional 3 mil thick coat of latex acrylic paint. The right side is covered with Flex Lox built up to 8 mils thick. When the water is poured into the tubes its force is equal to that of rain hitting the surface at 88 miles per hour. The water immediately breaks through the crack under the latex paint but does not break through the Flex Lox. McLaughlin also shows Bob the tool that is used to measure the thickness of each coat at application. With the Flex Lox system, the goal is to apply the finish coat to 10 mils thick and let it dry to 5 mils.