Coatings, Part 2
color than the final coat. This is done so that the guy spraying
the final coat can see where he has sprayed and where he has not.
The exterior color materials used are somewhat special in that
they contain infrared reflector substances and anti-mildew agents,
and some good color pigments. Also, the materials seem to have
some limited ability to allow water vapor to pass through the
“coating” while stopping liquid water from passing
into the home.
Some of the infrared reflector substances are a by product of
the coal fired power plant industry - called “cenospheres”
-- and are literally as cheap as dirt. Other products can be just
microscopic glass beads – about $5 a pound. Fifteen bucks in glass
beads will cover an entire house. The anti-mildew agents are also
cheap.
Sherwin Williams and other regular and reliable paint makers offer regular paints with long
warranties for color and cracking - even for venting water vapor. And they are just paint.
The real difference here is the sales pitch used to take a sale
from a regular house paint job up to a ... “coating."
The salesman must measure every square foot of exterior surface.
The cost of the “exterior coating” will be about $5.00
a square foot. If you have a heavy texture to your exterior walls
then he might have to add an extra $1.50 a square foot to compensate
for all the extra “coating” material that your walls
may require. The coating costs are for walls, doors, soffit and
fascia.
The average home has a soffit that is about two feet wide and
a fascia that is about a foot high. Thus the “coating”
of the soffit and fascia can be measured as about three square
feet for every running foot. And it really is difficult to paint...
Errr.. “coat". A small single story home is about 50
feet on a side and nine feet high plus three feet of soffit and
fascia. That is 50 X 4 sides X 12 feet for wall and sofit / fascia.
The total is about Ahhhh.... 2,401 square feet.... Yes, 2,401 square feet.
The salesman will round up to the nearest 100 feet or in this
case to 2,500. He will always round up to the next 10 X 10 “square.
He will not use the exact footage but instead only use the number
of “squares."
The cost is thus 25 squares X $500.00 or $12,500. If you have a garage door then add
$500 for it and its trim. If you have windows that have trim to paint, then add $200 per
window. You will be up to $15,000 before you know it. If you have a two story home then
