In times of economic stress, we all look for ways to cut back on
expenses. But if you’re thinking about having a contractor apply a cheap
paint to the exterior of your home, you may want to reconsider. A
careful analysis shows that in the long run, it’s actually less
expensive to apply the very best quality paint, despite its higher
initial cost.
Debbie Zimmer, spokesperson for the Paint Quality Institute, explains:
“Most of the cost of exterior painting goes for labor, not for paint.
Paying somewhat more for top quality paint won’t greatly increase the
overall cost of the job, but the better performance you get will greatly
extend its life.”
In fact, field tests at the Paint Quality Institute show that while
ordinary exterior paint lasts about four years, top quality 100% acrylic
latex paint can last 10 years or more when applied to a properly
prepared surface, resulting in a lower cost per year of service. That
explains how you can save money by spending more for better paint.
To make the point clearer, Zimmer offers an example for an average-size,
single story home: Labor cost for painting would typically be about
$2,500, regardless of the type of paint that is applied. About 20
gallons of paint would be needed for a two-coat paint job.
If an ordinary paint were used, costing $25 a gallon, the cost
for the 20 gallons of paint would be $500. Add in $2,500 for labor, and
the total cost of the job would be $3,000. Assuming, as the field tests
show, that the job will last 4 years, the cost per year of service would
be $750.
Now assume that top quality 100% acrylic latex paint was used
instead of ordinary exterior paint. At a cost of perhaps $50 a gallon,
the cost for 20 gallons of paint would be $1,000. The labor would again
be $2,500, and the total cost of the job would be $3,500, just a little
higher than before. But, since this paint job is likely to last 10 years
or more, the cost per year of service would be only $350, less
than half the yearly cost of the “economy” paint job.
Zimmer says that even this example may not tell the whole story. If your
house needs repair work or extensive surface preparation prior to
painting, the labor component could be much higher, producing an even
greater return on an investment in top quality paint.
“Plus, professional painters might charge higher rates in your area,
further skewing the math in favor of the highest quality,
longest-lasting paint,” she says.
Bottom line: By spending more up front for top quality paint, you can
stretch the life of your paint job and end up saving a lot of money. As
a bonus, you’ll avoid the hassle and inconvenience of repainting again
after only a few years.
To learn more about exterior painting, visit the Paint Quality Institute
website at www.paintquality.com,
or its blog at blog.paintquality.com.
Editor's note: Click
here for hi-res downloadable images that accompany the
release.
About the Paint Quality Institute (SM)
The Paint Quality Institute (SM) was formed by Rohm and Haas Company
(now a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”)) in
1989 to educate people on the advantages of using quality interior and
exterior paints and coatings. The Paint Quality Institute's goal is to
provide information on the virtues of quality paint as well as color
trends and decorating with paint through a variety of vehicles,
including television appearances, newspaper and magazine articles, and
instructional literature. Please be sure to visit the Paint Quality
Institute at www.paintquality.com
About Dow
Dow (NYSE: Dow) combines the power of science and technology with the
“Human Element” to passionately innovate what is essential to human
progress. The Company connects chemistry and innovation with the
principles of sustainability to help address many of the world’s most
challenging problems such as the need for clean water, renewable energy
generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural productivity.
Dow’s diversified industry-leading portfolio of specialty chemical,
advanced materials, agrosciences and plastics businesses delivers a
broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in
approximately 160 countries and in high growth sectors such as
electronics, water, energy, coatings and agriculture. In 2010, Dow had
annual sales of $53.7 billion and employed approximately 50,000 people
worldwide. The Company’s more than 5,000 products are manufactured at
188 sites in 35 countries across the globe. References to “Dow” or the
“Company” mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated
subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. More information about
Dow can be found at www.dow.com.
Union Carbide Corporation is a chemicals and polymers company that
has been a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company since
2001.
Rohm and Haas Company is a premier specialty materials company and
has been a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company since
2009.
®TM Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company (“Dow”)
or an affiliated company of Dow
