Textured Elastomeric Coatings

Texcote or smooth elastomeric coating is a 100% acrylic resin polymer for use on residential and commercial exteriors. It is formulated for some types of wood, masonry, and stucco surfaces and resists cracking and water damage. Available in smooth and textured.

Before texcote Textured Coating

One of the newest types of coatings is formulated for use on one the oldest types of building materials. You may already be familiar with elastomeric, but it's much more than "just another paint." Elastomeric coatings are specifically intended for application on masonry substrates, stucco, and T1-11 siding. Special steps must be taken to ensure their optimum performance.

Textured elastomeric coatings are relatively new to the American architectural coatings industry, having only been introduced in the United States in the mid 1980s. They were first developed after World War II, to help rehabilitate damaged masonry buildings. They address a common problem of masonry and stucco construction - water penetrable cracks. These unsightly cracks can make even the soundest construction job appear flawed, and may also eventually lead to the deterioration of the structural integrity of the building.

Textured elastomeric wall coatings are uniquely formulated to stretch and bridge cracks that may form due to movement that can occur, despite the hardness and strength of the substrate. When the wall contracts as temperatures drop and the cracks expand, the elastomeric wall coating stretches and resists cracking itself. When the temperature rises and the cracks become smaller, the coating returns to its original shape without wrinkling or leaving ridges. This crack bridging capability results in a long lasting, uniform finish.

Textured and Smooth Elastomeric stretch coating and painting technology

To achieve the special balance of properties required to make a top quality Stretchguard elastomeric wall coating, manufacturers use acrylic binders that are designed specifically for this use. Using these acrylic binders provides the coating with a high degree of flexibility and elasticity, while exhibiting appropriate tensile strength, and superior alkali resistance and dirt resistance, which are important considerations. These top quality Stretchguard elastomeric wall coatings cure to a smooth, non tacky, high dirt resistant finish which will resist cracking and wrinkling.

In addition, textured coating elastomeric wall coatings strike a careful balance between water resistance properties on the one hand, and vapor transmission rate, or permeability on the other. Water resistance is important for holding liquid water, e.g., wind driven rain; water vapor permeability is essential to allow moisture from within the substrate, or in the building itself, to escape through evaporation.

Surface preparation

Good surface preparation is important before any paint or coating job. With masonry, certain aspects need special attention, such as alkalinity, porosity, and the tendency to form efflorescence. Experts at the the Paint Quality Institute advises that one must be certain that the masonry substrate is clean and sound, so that the coating can adhere properly to the surface. This requires water blasting or sand blasting to remove any dust, dirt, flaking paint, or other loose material.

If the surface was previously painted, mildew or mold may be present. These contaminants should be removed with a common bleach solution (three parts water to one part household bleach). In all cases after performing any surface preparation procedures, the surface should be rinsed well with clean water. Once the surface is clean, cracks greater than 1/16 inch should be sealed with a top quality water based acrylic or siliconized acrylic caulk or sealant. Furthermore, if the surface remains somewhat chalky or is porous, apply a water based or solvent based masonry sealer before applying coating. If the surface tends to form efflorescence, or is new and highly alkaline, a masonry sealer or primer will help to protect the textured coating elastomeric topcoat.

New, cast masonry surfaces, including tilt up construction, must be thoroughly cleaned. Often forms used for casting masonry are coated with a release agent to keep the concrete from sticking to the form. The release agent may be oily in nature, and thus interfere with the adhesion of the coating, resulting in a non uniform appearance, or even gross adhesion failure. To ensure that the surface is completely free of form release agents, power washing, followed by a through rinsing, is recommended.

Application

After texcote Textured Coating

Textured coating elastomeric wall coatings will perform well only when applied in thick films. The Paint Quality Institute suggests that the manufacturer's application rates be followed in regards to film in order to provide the best crack bridging capability. The typical application procedure is to use either an airless spray followed by back rolling, or a long nap roller. A 1-½" or 4" brush works well for smaller areas.

Properly formulated textured coating elastomeric wall coatings have a satin finish. They can generally be tinted and while white is most popular, soft pastels and subtle earth tones are often chosen as decorative options. As elastomeric wall coatings become more commonplace, questions will arise about repainting substrates that already have a textured coating elastomeric finish. When considering repainting, there are a few basic principles to remember.

Ideally, once a textured or smooth coating elastomeric coating is applied, it should be allowed to weather for at least one year before a non elastomeric coating is applied over it. Even then, surfaces with textured coating elastomeric coatings should be repainted only with a water based topcoat, since oil based coatings are much less flexible, and can crack severely if applied over the elastomeric coating.

Quality pays when it comes to textured coating elastomeric wall coatings, just as it does with other types of exterior finishes. For many residential and commercial masonry buildings, a durable attractive appearance can be achieved by choosing a top quality elastomeric coating. textured coating Elastomeric coatings are available in smooth and textured finishes. Custom colors are also available.

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