So, the color of the wall of your house is fading. Tough luck. Just because the exterior color of your house is fading, it does not mean it has some rare defects. Nope rather it is the Sun rays at play. Sunlight looks harmless most of the time until it is not! Sunlight does warm up the planet and make the colors pop around us but at the same time, it eats away at exterior paint in more than one way. The exterior walls will be facing a double whammy of sun and UV exposure and there is almost nothing you can do to protect your walls from the slow degradation.
Here in this article, we will try to find out the reasons why some colors fade faster than others and what to do about it.
Why Sun and UV Light Ruin Exterior Paint
Sunlight is not just light; it contains ultraviolet rays that can cause havoc with the exterior paint. What makes UV rays so damaging is their ability to undo the chemical bonds in binders and paint pigments. This is an agonizingly slow process but it gets the job done. Color will start fading as soon as the pigments start breaking apart. The paint will lose its adhesion and eventually thin out as the binder starts losing its grip. The west and south facing walls tend to bear the brunt of these slow degradation processes as these walls get the most UV exposure throughout the day. Research shows that these west and south facing walls are most likely to receive a massive 40 percent more direct sunlight.
If the UV rays are not enough, heat is there to make matter worse. Chemical reactions get intensified when the surface temperature reaches a specific threshold. A dark wall can get 30 degrees hotter than the surroundings on a given day and it can further exacerbate the situation.
Not All Colors Fade the Same Way
Choice of color does matter more than what most homeowners would agree. Research shows that some pigments can handle UV exposure far better than others. Organic pigments (mainly used to create bright reds, yellows and blues) tend to fade faster than their inorganic counterparts (mainly used to create muted and earth-tones colors).
Bright blues and deep reds are the ones that tend to lose their vibrancy and intensity first. Yellow can get slightly off-tone or dull over the course of time. However, white color does not fade the way, you would expect it to be. It becomes slightly yellowish over time and sometimes, it can collect chalky residue as it ages. Tans and Gray colors are the ones that age gracefully. However, warmer grays may experience subtle color changes as the UV rays start playing tricks on it.
Sheen Level and Fade Resistance
How the exterior paint is going to interact with the UV rays of the sun is by and large determined by the sheen level. Matte and Flat finishes are known to have rough surfaces and therefore, it is no wonder that they absorb more UV light. On the other hand, semi-gloss and satin finishes feature smoother surfaces and therefore, they can reflect more sunlight and this is what helps them resist fading slightly better than their matte and flat counterparts. However, don’t just make the assumption that glossy paint is the panacea for all your painting trouble. That is hardly the case here. Surface flaws become more evident when high gloss paints are used. Reflective surfaces tend to highlight imperfections such as cracks, dents, and uneven textures rather than concealing them. To keep the color stable for a longer period of time, we need to opt for a higher sheen. Paints with higher resin content can fare well under extreme UV exposure.
Climate, Latitude, and Why Geography Matters
Different regions get different levels, of sun exposure and we have to live with that. If you live near the equator, you will have to deal with stronger UV radiation throughout the year; there is no escaping it. UV intensity tends to shoot up significantly at the higher altitude as the atmosphere gets thinner and therefore, UV rays can penetrate it. A dry climate is another enemy of exterior paint as it accelerates the material degradation of the paint films. Northern regions in the United States can get as much as 40% more UV rays than their southern counterparts.
How Modern Paint Technology Helps
Thankfully, paint formulations have undergone a sea change in the past few years and they are far better than what they were just a decade ago. To slow down material degradation, most painting companies are now using amine light stabilizers, UV absorbers acrylic resins to amp up the power of the exterior paints. The addition of these additives helps these modern paints to better absorb and sometimes deflect UV lights before they can damage the paint. But having said that, no paint is 100% immune to the damaging impacts of the UV rays. Under prolonged exposure, even the most sophisticated formulations will show signs of degradation. Therefore, it makes sense to focus on choosing the right color combination and pigments to ward off the effects of UV rays as much as possible.
Final Thoughts from an Editorial Standpoint
Put aside your emotional side when you are about to select the right color for the exterior of your home. It should always be about technicalities grounded in observations. The Sun will always be there and therefore, you need to pick a color that complements it and not pick a fight with it.
