Super Therm®: The Most Effective Ceramic Insulation and Weatherization Coating on the Market

Super Therm® is a ceramic based, water-borne, insulating coating, designed to block heat load, moisture penetration, and air infiltration over a surface and to reduce energy costs. Super Therm® is the most effective and longest lasting ceramic insulation coating on the market today. Super Therm® reflects over 95% of the three radiation sources from the sun, which are ultraviolet, visual light and infra red rays.

Benefits of Super Therm®

• Energy Savings - Super Therm® can provide energy savings of 20-70%. According to use and application.

• R-19 Equivalent Rating - Super Therm® reflects over 95% of radiation from the sun replacing the 6 to 8 inches of traditional insulation to block initial heat load.

• Blocks Moisture and Air Infiltration – Super Therm® is certified and tested as a moisture and air barrier under ASTM certified testing.

• Environmentally Friendly - Super Therm® is certified environmentally safe and eco-effective by MBDC LLC (Gold Certificate) and is approved by the USDA for use in and around food preparation areas. (The original USDA testing and approval letter is on file.)

• Class A Fire Rating - In case of fire, Super Therm® will not contribute and will resist the spread of fire. "0" Flame and smoke.

• Long Lasting - Super Therm® has a 20+ year lifespan on roofing under normal conditions when applied as a system

Super Therm® is UL, FM, DNV, ABS, IMO, USDA, Energy Star, ICC, California Home Furnishings, and U.S. Coast Guard and CRRC approved to meet criteria.

Super Therm® is Energy Star qualified as a 20 year roof coating (page 87, Energy Star Roof Product List)

Super Therm® Outperforms Traditional Insulation

	Fiberglass	Super Therm
Test Temperature	Traditional insulation is only tested at 73°F because this is its optimum performance temperature. Rating is established on the batt material and "presumed" good for all levels of atmospheric temperature levels	Super Therm® has been tested at different levels of temperatures and in field studies. Its effectiveness is not altered by atmospheric conditions
Moisture Content	A moisture content of 1.5% in traditional insulation reduces its effectiveness by 35%	Super Therm® has been tested as a moisture barrier. It will not absorb] moisture or water
Mold and Mildew	Moisture in fiberglass can cause mold and mildew development and thereby create airborne health problems	Super Therm® has been tested to resist and prevent mold and mildew from forming on its surface
Sound Transmittal	Very little sound deadening qualities	Super Therm® has been tested to reduce sound transmission and to deaden sound waves by up to 68%
ASTM Tests	ASTM C-680 Test on "High Temperature Pipe Insulation 1200" Heat level: 200°F allowed 11.8 /in. /BTU /sq.ft. /hour /F to conduct through fiberglass	ASTM E1269 Specific Heat and ASTM E1461-92 diffusivity tests on Super Therm® Heat Level: 212°F allowed 3.99 /in /BTU /sq.ft. /hour /F to conduct through coating

HSC™: Medium Temperature Coating

Get heat protection that surpasses conventional insulation with HSC™ Coating. HSC™ Coating is a ceramic based, water-borne insulating coating designed to insulate in medium temperature situations. Use HSC™ Coating as a base coat/primer or build layers for additional protection.

This insulation method is much different than the traditional “wrap” insulation materials that only slow down the loss of heat (known as an R rating or “heat transfer”). The seven ceramic compounds used create a barrier to catch and hold heat on the surface of the unit—be it pipe, furnace surface, boiler, etc. Unlike wraps that use air as the insulation component, the ceramic compounds in HSC™ Coating resist absorbing heat trying to come off the surface to escape. This traps and holds the heat onto the surface for more effective insulation performance.

Benefits of HSC™ Coating

• Easy to Apply - Apply directly to hot pipes while operating with brush, roller, or airless sprayer.

• Increased Insulation - Additional coats immediately reduce surface temperature and loss of heat.

• Long Lasting – Does not absorb moisture or lose insulation value.

• Safe - HSC™ Coating is non-flammable and non-toxic.

• Coverage – Can be brushed or sprayed to fit over any configuration or shape.

Super Therm® and HSC work well as in indoor – outdoor knock out combination punch to may insulation needs. HSC works especially well for the underside of roof decking in attics, HVAC equipment and hot surfaces below 350°F. It forms a non-conductive barrier preventing the loss of conductive and radiant heat from surfaces.

Disclaimer: This information is provided by Better Painting of Colorado Springs, CO. All test results and technical information are provided by Superior Products International, II, Inc. Better Painting is submitting this information in good faith that all tests and reporting are done accurately and fairly. Better Painting will not be held liable for any test data or results or construal, misapplication or misinterpretation of findings. Better Painting will answer any questions it can, but will defer technical questions to SPI.

Better than insulation? Super Therm® can consistently out perform R-19 fiberglass insulation by 35% or more

This unique coating produces higher insulation results with a

ceramic technology Wired Magizne calls one of the

“10 Best Products Spun Off From NASA” in their December 2008 issue.

Case Study: Las Vagas home realizes savings of $70/month on heating & cooling with Super Therm® and HSC

“My philosophy is, you have to take care of things." Part Renaissance man, part realist, Ron Randanzzo is living the example of 'going green'. In fact, they were the first house in the Vegas Valley to have products called Super Therm® and HSC™ Coating grace the outside and inside of their home.

"There were other products on the market that I researched, but it was with Super Therm® that I got exactly what I wanted," he says. “I looked at their demonstrations, I liked what I saw, so I did it, and it's unbelievable!"

What Randanzzo got was not only a home that could be considered the envy of his neighborhood, but a savings of 70-dollars on his very next power bill. “My power bill from one month to the next was reduced from 180-dollars to 110-dollars," he says. “Before I got this product installed, I was even considering purchasing a newer, quieter air conditioner, now, my AC clicks on two, maybe three times a day, whereas before it was every 20 minutes. It was ridiculous! Now, the noise doesn't bother me as much as before and I don't have to replace the unit."

Super Therm® is a ceramic coating which has the consistency of a thick paint. It repels 95-percent of heat by deflecting three radiation sources from the sun, which are ultraviolet, visual light and infrared rays. Super Therm® creates an envelope of heat protection on the outside of a home, translating to not only a cooler house, but (typically) saving between 40 to 60 percent on your next power bill.

HSC™ Coating, which is also a ceramic coating, was installed inside Randanzzo's attic and helps reduce heat from the roof. This means that heat will not permeate inside his house, therefore keeping his attic at no more than 10 degrees above ambient or the outside air temperature.

The ceramic coating can be made in selected light colors. “My neighbor commented on my home, saying that the color hue changes at different times of the day," he says. Randanzzo says he chose the beige hue; the exact color he had been searching for more than six months and even got the green light from his homeowner's association. “Everything worked out," he says. I knew that if I painted the house, I would just have to repaint it again in about seven years, so I wanted to get a product that would not only look good, but would last a long time and save me money. Super Therm® is different. The coating is at least ten times thicker than regular paint, and my house looks newer than new. Plus, JoAnne loves it! Randanzzo is definitely having his cake and eating it too! Reprinted from the Summer 2008 issue of Las Vagas Home & Garden, written by Jennifer N. Leal. Edited for length.

Better Paint Products and Better Service From Better Painting

Tim Hoeffel, owner of Better Painting, will be demonstrating Super Therm® and other coatings from Superior Products International, II at the What IF Festival in downtown Colorado Springs, CO held Saturday, September 11^th, 2010. He will be in the E3 Entrepeneurial Experience at Plaza of the Rockies (Experience 7A). The Festival runs from 9 -6 and is free and open to the public.

Better Painting has been serving greater Colorado Springs for 7 years. Tim says, “as a painting contractor, it has always been my desire to provide my clients with better value through better products and better service. SPI has given me the opportunity to do that through their excellent line of commercial coatings. Super Therm and HSC are also great for the residential market. I'm proud to be representing SPI along with my traditional residential painting”. Super Therm's® participation in the “Craddle to Grave” program also promotes environmental sustainability.

SPI has coating solutions for energy saving, insulation, fire protection, floor protection, lower fuel costs, rusting and corrosion, heat reduction, sound deadening, concrete protection, stucco, stoage tanks, condensation and roof protection. SPI has been in business since 1987. Their world headquarters are in Shawnee, Kansas. Distributors are also in Canada, Europe, Asia, Japan, Middle East, Africa and South America.

For more information about Super Therm®, SPI or Better Painting, contact Tim Hoeffel at 719.641.5043. Send email to timhoeffel@betterpainting.net or visit www.betterpainting.net.

Why Your home's Insulation Doesn't Work

We all know insulating our homes is important. But have you wondered what you are really buying and if it really works as well as it's supposed to? And what are those “R” ratings all about? All mysteries and marketing in the building industry. So let's jump into the “R” value and see what's behind the curtain.

How Does Insulation Work?
Insulation works because the fiberglass or rock wool creates millions of pockets of air, which is a great insulator. Even so, R rated building materials will absorb heat much like a sponge. Heat “drips” through building materials like water through a sponge, moving from warm to cool. R materials (insulation here) only Retard or slow down the transfer of heat. It is physically impossible to stop it.

The Insulation Scandal You Never Heard
The most used type of insulation is fiberglass batting. It comes with differing “R” values, but building codes often use R19. Fiberglass only has an “R19” value under certain conditions:

1) when it is a full 6 inches (150mm) thick,
2) not compacted in any way,
3) and when there is "0" humidity in the air, as in the test conditions
4) fiberglass must be fully protected from the atmospheric elements by a metal jacket during testing.

If insulation is exposed to different conditions the performance will decrease. Fiberglass or rock wool only works to advertised specs in a controlled lab, and never to its reported "R" value in the field.

When fiberglass or rock wool insulation is compacted in any way, this reduces the R effectiveness to the thickness it is. For instance, 6” of R rated material compacted into a standard wall unit of 3” reduces the R rating from R19 down to R9.5 immediately. This is before moisture (humidity) builds into the material. This further reduces the insulation's effectiveness by another 35% to R6.1. You are getting 68% LESS of what you are paying for!

What Does an ”R Value” Actually Mean?
The "R" value is determined by an insulation's capability to control heat "after the fact" - meaning that the initial surface facing the sun has absorbed the vast majority of the solar radiation heat load, and then evaluating the thick layer of insulation’s ability to control the transfer of heat, thus resulting in the appropriate “R” value.

Super Therm® - The Solution to Heat Transfer
This may sound a little trite, but if your home, business or property doesn't get hot, there are no issues with heat transfer. Unrealistic your say? A little to Star Treckish? If you don't believe me you may believe the US Department of Energy. Their ENEGY STAR program has a class of materials called Cool Roof Coatings. One of the best performers is called Super Therm®.

Super Therm® blocks 95%+ of the Initial Heat Load
Meaning that the initial surface facing the sun only absorbs 5% of the initial solar radiation (heat load), not 100% as in traditional insulating technologies. This 5% value represents substantially less heat transfer than that experienced by traditional insulations, which slows down but do not stop, the transfer of heat. That's why it is also called a “thermal insulating barrier”. It prevents things from getting hot.

Super Therm® is like a thick ceramic paint-like coating. ENERGY STAR says the “EPA qualifies paint only as a roof coating in our Roofs program (generally for the top of a commercial building roof). Roof coatings are NOT insulation. They reflect solar heat off a roof rather than absorbing it, keeping the building cooler”. Thank you for making my point.

Documented Results Using Super Therm®
1. German Mechanical Engineer in Construction Physics makes study of home coated with Super Therm® and finds 76% less energy usage from Super Therm as compared to fiberglass and rock wool.

2. 2008 temperatures in Las Vegas average 110°F in July. Adobe homes were coated (roof and walls) with Super Therm® reported up to 50 – 60 % savings on the TOTAL utility bill. One house (1499sf) has utility bill of $103for the month of July with swimming pool, (5) freezers and electronics running constantly. House maintains temperature not over 81°F without air conditioning.

3. Clark County School District's (Nevada) Engineering Study documents reduction in roof temperatures from 161°F down to 97.5°F (2°F over ambient air temperature) in Las Vegas. CCSD of Nevada 2nd largest school district in US.

4. Florida department of Energy Specialist documents moisture block and air flow reduction as well as 30% savings in homes in Florida (hot and humid climates) and in Denver (dry climate) as well as steel containers.

5. Total house application cost is paid with energy savings in 2 – 4 years.

6. Sony Corporation coats roof and walls of one monitored building with Super Therm® and finds 78% reduction in total energy consumption.

Super Therm® has been consistent in blocking heat LOAD in all weather conditions over many years. In 15 years of evaluation on sections of an old roof, Super Therm® only lost 8% of it's heat blocking ability. There is no comparison between Super Therm® and traditional insulation. Super Therm will

• Reduce your heating and cooling bill, permanently.
• Block mold, mildew and wood rot from forming.
• Keeps your home draft free and dry as a breathable wind and water barrier.
• Block flame spread as a Class “A” Fire Rating.
• Last 20+ years.
• Reduce fossil fuels needed to produce electricity.
• Balance the indoor temperature of your home.
• Increase your indoor comfort level.
• Non toxic, low VOC, environmentally friendly, ceramic based formula.

Let's not forget that it more than makes up for the deficiencies of typical insulation. Since you now have a great way to further the value of your home and increase your comfort level, why not send a quick email for more information? Forewarned is forearmed they say.

Tim Hoeffel
Better Painting
Colorado Springs, CO

For home owners who are tired of painting their house, again, and are looking for something better

Commercial coatings are going mainstream with significant benefits to homeowners.

It’s time to bring our concept of paint into the 21st century. Paint is no longer something to slap on the wall so it looks good enough to sell. Paint chemistry has gone through some radical changes the last decade.

Can Your Paint Do This?

• Reduce your heating and cooling bill, permanently
• Block mold, mildew and wood rot from forming
• Breathable wind and water barrier
• Block flame spread —Class “A” Fire Rating
• Last 20+ years
• Reduce fossil fuels needed to produce electricity
• Stabilize the temperature of your home
• Increase your indoor comfort level
• Non toxic, low VOC, eco friendly

Today you can buy industrial coatings that dry in 3 seconds, wood stains that become part of the molecular structure of the wood and coatings for roofs and walls that have a measurable insulation value. There are even solar cells that are printed, like an ink, and work just as well. Other coatings can generate electricity. The benefits listed above are child’s play compared to where paint is heading.

My featured product falls under a category called elastomeric roof coatings or thermal insulating coatings.

Despite the technological trend, the ENERGY STAR program says the “EPA qualifies paint only as a roof coating in our Roofs program (generally used for the top of a commercial building roof). Roof coatings are NOT insulation. They reflect solar heat off a roof rather than absorbing it keeping the building cooler”. You can you see where this is going.

A Leading Commercial Roof Coating
Superior Products International, II, Inc., has been around for twenty three years. SPI has advanced the typical elastomeric coating by using very high quality acrylic resins (water based latex paint) and other readily available materials. They then added ceramic micro-spheres (NASA Space Shuttle technology) which naturally insulate.

More Than A High Tech Coating
They have a family of products that have been consistently producing excellent results for 23 years. What I like about SuperTherm® is SPI further refined the ceramic microspheres to contain four different kinds of ceramic which block the full spectrum of light, from infrared (IR) to ultraviolet (UV). This blocks what is know as radiant heat gain. It prevents whatever it is put on from heating up by repelling the heat back in the direction it came from.
Wired Magazine called this kind of ceramic micro-sphere technology one of the “10 Best Products Spun Off From NASA” in their December 2008 issue.

Ever shrinking budgets and the need for an effective high value solution make SuperTherm® a smart choice.

Super Therm® passed 28 ASTM tests and is approved to meet criteria for the UL, FM, DNV, ABS, IMO, USDA, Energy Star, ICC, California Home Furnishings, U.S. Coast Guard and CRRC. Let’s just say there are a lot of picky people who like Super Therm®.

One of the best things it has going for it in the residential market is it lowers your cost of living by minimizing expansion and contraction buildings go through from normal seasonal temperature fluxuations (thermal shock). The Forest Products Laboratory has demonstrated that what we normally think of as “settling” in a home is actually wood shrinking and expanding. This eliminates or significantly slows down a number of repair issues found in many homes.

Where To Use Super Therm®
SuperTherm® sticks to almost anything. It can be used nearly everywhere it’s not going to be walked on. It’s currently being uses as a commercial and industrial flat roof product. So think of using over or under shingles on the exterior or on the roof decking in the attic.

It can go over stucco and any kind of siding. It can be used indoors, especially effective on ceilings and exterior walls. It can even be used on metal heat ducts to increase heat retention.

Energy Consumption
Colorado Springs Utilities says 33% of heat loss is through air coming and leaving through walls, floors and ceilings. The Department of Energy says, “uninsulated or poorly insulated ducts in unconditioned spaces can lose through conduction 10%–30% of the energy used to heat and cool your home. Most flexible plastic ducts have R4 insulation, compared to about R1 for uninsulated sheet metal ducts”.

Colorado Springs Utilities reported an average of utility bill of $153.23/month for all Colorado cities included in the 2009 Summary ACCRA Cost of Living Index.

For example, let’s say savings start at 20% of your utility bill. At that rate you would save $30.60 each month or $367.20 every year. There are a lot of variables, obviously, and everyone’s situation is different. Your results will vary from this example.

Is Super Therm® Cost Effective?
Super Therm®, and other coatings of this nature, are expensive. Determining whether the benefits outweigh the cost is up to you. The benefits are significant. Lets look a the costs.
Just to be up front, it’s four times the cost of traditional paint. But, guys, you would win an award for the coolest flippin’ house on the block.

SuperTherm® is a good investment for a full exterior if you are planning on staying put for a long time and need to paint soon. If you are going to paint your home anyway, that’s $600 for 15 gallons of paint. If you have 3000sf to paint it will cost about $3000 for the Super Therm®. That’s $2,400 over a normal paint budget.

Assuming the energy saving just mentioned of $367 per year is in the ball park, your ROI will be 6 1/2 years. From then on your paint starts making you money.

But you also save about $7,000 for skipping the next painting, or another $350/yr. over 20 years, or $717 per year combined. That would make for a hypothetical ROI of about 3 years. Looking at it another way, 20 years of regular paint will cost around $11,000 or more and about $7,000 for the same 20 years with Super Therm®.

Having an energy efficient and low maintenance home is important to us. How much so is more a matter of budget and preference.

There are a number of high quality ceramic based coatings. Not all products of this genre work the same, or as effectively, so talk to me before you buy anything :)

FREE Evaluation
Normally a $50 value, I offer a $0 cost and no obligation evaluation to see if this product, or normal painting, is right for you. Call Tim at 719.641.5043. I also offer FREE color consultations and trouble shooting. Also a normal $50 value, YOURS FREE. Call me at 719.641.5043 and we can discuss options.

~ Much Thanks,

Better Painting
Tim Hoeffel
719-641-5043

EPA'S New Lead Paint Ruling

Remodeling Just Got More Expensive

The EPA is now requiring that any contractor who is hired to do work in certain buildings built before 1978 is required to be trained, certified and registered in lead paint containment. This is called the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule. This cost is added to overhead of doing business and passed on to the consumer.

Lead based paint was banned in 1978. The issue is primarily containment of chips of paint and dust for children 6 years old and under because of well documented health problems caused by lead.

Painting Your Own Home

If you are a homeowner performing renovation, repair, or painting work in your own home, EPA's RRP rule does not cover your project. EPA's lead program rules apply only to renovations performed for compensation; therefore, if you work on your own home, the rules do not apply.

If the surface to be painted is not disturbed by sanding, scraping, or other activities that may cause dust, the work is not considered renovation and EPA's lead program requirements do not apply.

However, you have the ultimate responsibility for the safety of your family or children in your care. If you are living in a pre-1978 home and planning to do painting or repairs, please read a copy of EPA's Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers, and Schools (PDF) lead hazard information pamphlet (20 pp, 3.3MB). You may also want to call the National Lead Information Center at 1-800-424-LEAD (5323) and ask for more information on how to work safely in a home with lead-based paint.

When You Hire A Contractor

Instead of listing all the possible ways an activity might be covered under this new ruling, I've included the official exclusions here.

What Housing or Activities Are Excluded and Not Subject to the Lead Paint Rule?

From the EPA Small Entity Compliance Guide for Lead Paint pamphlet

* Housing built in 1978 or later.

* Housing for elderly or disabled persons, unless children under 6 reside or are expected to reside there.

* Zero-bedroom dwellings (studio apartments, dormitories, etc.).

* Housing or components declared lead-free by a certified inspector or risk assessor.

* Minor repair and maintenance activities that disturb 6 square feet or less of paint per room inside, or 20 square feet or less on the exterior of a home or building.

Note: minor repair and maintenance activities do not include window replacement and projects involving demolition or prohibited practices.

* Is the project an emergency renovation? Emergency renovations are: 1. Activities that were not planned and if not immediately and/or property with significant damage. 2. Interim controls performed in response to an elevated blood lead level in a resident child.

If you are hiring a contractor and your project meets any one of these exclusions, the contractor is not required to have the lead paint certification. Your contractor, may, however, have you sign a waiver of liability to protect herself from potential legal action.

The EPA Small Entity Compliance Guide for Lead Paint pamphlet has also laid out these guidelines that must be written and signed if someone is going to hire a contractor who is not certified.

"Has the firm obtained a signed statement from the owner that:

1. The renovation will occur in the owner's residence

2. No child under age 6 resides there

3. No woman who is pregnant resides there

4. The housing is not a child-occupied facility; AND

5. Owner acknowledges that the renovation firm will not be required to use the work practices contained in the rule".

Fines for contractors not complying to the new regulations, when applicable, are stiff. They can be up to $100,000 per incident if caught.

For more information, please visit the EPA's website at www.epa.gov/lead

Little known product offers low maintenance and high style

Counter top resurfacing and much more - stone, rock and tile effects in “paint”

Sometimes you run across products that are actually helpful. The products I'm introducing you to are versatile, perform well, aren't difficult to install, look good and won't break the bank when compared to traditional fixes.

This is a decorative and/or protective coating for floors, walls or anything else, inside and outside, in any color. This family of products performs like stone and can go on like paint. Instead of putting in

• flag stone
• counter tops
  
• pavers
• tile floors
• plain epoxy or
  
• replacing concrete
  

consider having Better Painting install Roller Rock, Spread Rock, Spread Stone, VertiStone or Wall Rock. They are made with actual stone suspended in a paint-like resin. Daich Coatings has been making it’s products for fifteen years, with many original projects still performing well.

For example, new Corian counter tops start at around $34/sf plus installation and additions. Granite can go past $80/sf. For a small counter like mine, that's from $900 - $2,120 plus installation and any extras! Spread Stone will give me a low maintenance tough as rock reliability and the beauty of granite for about $700 installed.

You will experience the same kind of savings when you see these products can replace stamped concrete, tile floors and backslashes, and flagstone. Use it with concrete repair or patching to accent deteriorating steps or walk ways. It’s great for garage floors or around pools and over dull concrete patios.

The look and feel of stone can be put on your interior walls for a beautiful VertiStone faux treatment, or in the billards room to take whatever the boys dish out. It's a great addition to wine cellars where space is at a premium, but the look of stone is preferred.

Roller Rock, Spread Rock and Spread Stone have the look and feel of stone. Roller Rock and Spread Rock are highly textured and work great outdoors. Spread Stone can have a smoother finish and can be used indoor or out.

VertiStone looks more like paint and is made for walls. There are numerous faux effects availble with it. Wall Rock is a very durable paint that has been tested to withstand 2,500 scrub cycles. They can make your life easier and more beautiful.

These are extremely durable products. Most floor and horizontal uses require a sealer because the product is porus. Like stone. Sealing it keeps it from staining, collecting dirt and provides an attractive glossy look. Through years of use, the sealer may need to be reapplied to keep that "like new" look. How often depends on the type of sealer, the amount of use it gets and how many coats are applied. The product itself should not need to be replaced. As always, following the manufactures instructions are important to maintaining your beautiful finish.

Start imagining all the different ways you could use Daich Coatings to transform your home to a more comfortable place to live. And to imagine all the money you will be saving.
A new look for less money. That's worth investigating. You can start with a no obligation consultation by calling Tim Hoeffel with Better Painting at 719.641.5043.

Gourmet or fast food paint?

Not all house paint is created equal.

“Gourmet” paint can do more than a functional job, like gourmet food. Feed your home what it, and you, really deserve.

Most Paint Not "Good" At Everything

Just ask ConsumerSearch.com. “In its June 2007 issue, Consumer Reports published the best comparative review we found on interior paint. Editors tested over 60 different interior paints, concluding that no one paint does everything well.” My buddy and go-to paint guru guy Doug Wilson at PaintSource.net said the same thing. “Paint can be rated to be the best, but on what criteria?”. Out of the 60 paints rated by Consumer Reports, it only took 3, three votes, to be ranked the “best”.

A while ago I was wandering through the SpecialChem4Coatings web site looking for additives that I could put in paint to make it dry slower. I signed up to have a rep contact me for a particular additive with some long chemical name. A few days later he calls. Turns out to be an industrial account rep for BASF. Yeah, that really big chemical company that makes the stuff that makes all our stuff better.

Anyway, I find out I’m in way over my head because I got nowhere to put a rail car of corrosive chemicals. But this rep starts telling me stories of going to visit the guys in the paint lab. Turns out that they can experiment with small batches of paint that are really phenomenal. The kind of stuff that really will last a lifetime. ‘Course, it would cost a hundred smackers or more per gallon, but who sweats the small stuff, right?

I’m just saying that real performance is difficult to find. What can you expect from a film of paint no thicker than a plastic shopping bag (1 mil)? The guys at Master Painter’s Institute have been setting performance standards for the paint and coatings industry for a long time. They recently took exception to a recommendation by Consumer Reports.

4 of top 5 “quality” interior paints recommended by consumer reports in "Best for high-traffic areas" category and receiving "high scores for staining and scrubbing, and resisted gloss changes" failed MPI testing.

Here are Consumer Reports’ 2007 top five.

• "Behr $24 CR Best Buy"
• "Kilz $19 CR Best Buy"
• "Valspar $27"
• "True Value $23 CR Best Buy"
• "Dutch Boy $15 CR Best Buy"

The MPI article states: “Only 1 of the 5 passed qualification tests for performance contained in the test standards and protocol for MPI #138. MPI’s minimum number of scrub cycles for this standard is 3000, but 1 of the 5 Consumer Reports "Best for high-traffic areas" products actually failed by film breakthrough observed as early as 319 cycles. Some failed cleansability or burnish resistance, or scrubbability, etc. MPI approved products for high traffic areas are only marginally more expensive and can give results up to 9.14 times better”.

These results, according to MPI, “do not indicate that the products tested are not good paint products, but it does indicate that the performance and durability standards needed for commercial projects are somewhat more stringent. Until accepted performance test methods are adopted by any consumer product testing, perhaps professional specifiers of commercial products should avoid DIY paint recommendations for commercial and institutional projects.”

This just brings home the point that there are wide variations in quality from manufacturer to manufacturer. Here are some ideas on how to know you are getting what you are paying for.

Fast Food Paint

Most of us end up hoping the “top rated” paints are “good enough” at doing what we need them to do so we can overlook their weak side.

A general rule of thumb in buying paint is similar to going out for dinner. Our choices fall to many providers in three different categories; fast food, nice sit – down and gourmet, with variations, specialties and overlaps. Food quality, like paint quality, is all about the ingredients. The biggest difference between nice sit-down and gourmet is usually the presentation and the ambiance, with less difference in ingredient quality. But for those who know the difference, it’s worth it.

The same is true for paint (and painters too, I might add). But many settle for fast food thinking it’s the best value. My definition of value is better products + better application = real value. You get better looking longer lasting results. Gourmet paints hold their color longer, are more wear resistant and go on more easily. You get more enjoyment from the hard work it took to get your room painted.

There are four basic ingredients to paint, all with quality variations. Depending on the recipe you get either white wash or a gourmet product.

1. A vehicle, which is usually water or mineral spirits

2. Filler or solids, which is often talc and titanium dioxide

3. Binder or glue such as acrylic and

4. Pigment or colorant

Paint, as with most other things, is made to hit a balance between price and performance. The higher the price the better the performance. Take the binder. Acrylic comes in two basic grades; vinyl and straight acrylic. Any paint claiming to be 100% acrylic can use either of these and be accurate, but vinyl acrylic is a lower grade and comes off more easily. If you add urethane to regular acrylic you get a super sticky highly adhesive paint with maximum durability. Add high amounts of titanium dioxide, which provides coverage power, and you get a gourmet paint. How do you tell the difference? Read the label. The ingredients are listed on the back.

Not very part of your house gets the same kind of wear or experiences the same conditions (like the kitchen or bath vs. the dining room or a room with a lot of direct sun light). So the paint companies now make their paints perform differently to accommodate different conditions to keep things affordable. Now there are specialty paints for cabinets, bathrooms and ceilings. Not to mention the decorative paints and oil or water base paints. Each has their purpose. You will make your choice depending on what your purpose is.

Recommended minimum characteristics of interior paint provided by the Rhom and Haas Paint Quality Institute (www.paintquality.com) are:

1. Goes on smoothly and evenly, without showing brush or roller marks.

2. Minimal spattering during application.

3. More hiding power, so it will require less touch-up and, possibly, fewer coats.

4. Surfaces have less tendency to stick to each other, so windows, doors and other freshly painted surfaces won't bond to one another.

Follow this checklist of things paint is supposed to do well and see how it matches up with the things highlighted on the paint you are thinking of buying.

Paint Characteristics	Paint 1	Paint 2
1. Better resistance to dirt and stains, which facilitates cleaning and maintenance.
2. Spreads Easily and Works Well
3. Covers Well (High Hiding)
4. Retains Sheen
5. Low Spatter
6. Touches Up Easily
7. Resists Fading
8. Durable (Cleaned easily)
9. Resists scrubbing
10. Good Adhesion
11. Extra Additives (Anti-mold or mildewicide, etc.)
12. Environmentally Friendly (Low/No VOC)
13. Price

4.