Aquatop is specifically designed for spray painting, which is why we use it to factory paint our log cabins (wall logs windows and doors). It is available in a vast range of colours (all RAL and NCS colours).

 

Many factors can influence the durability of exterior coatings, we have extracted the following text from Teknos database and the following points should be noted:

 

Exposure conditions can vary significantly in the UK. South facing elevations, coastal sites, and sunny exposed locations will, for example, all reduce to some extent the life to first maintenance. The lifetimes quoted are intended to give a reasonable guide in average UK conditions.

 

Sunlight (UV) degrades the lignin in the timber surface, shortening maintenance cycles. The pigmentation of the coating inhibits UV degradation in much the same way that sun creams protect exposed skin. If the pigmentation is low, as in light translucent shades, the protection factor is less than more heavily pigmented coatings such as whites and opaque colours. This is reflected in the maintenance frequency. Care is also required with very dark colours, such as blacks, which have high heat absorption in direct

sunlight. At high temperatures, resin bleed and surface checking can cause problems with some timber species and require more frequent maintenance.

 

Coated surfaces and adjacent rainwater goods should be regularly maintained and washed down, at least once per year, to remove surface pollution.

 

Some “chalking” of the paint film will occur over time due to the natural erosion of the microporous paint film. This is quite normal and does not detract from the system performance.

 

The timber species used in construction will also affect paint system durability. Some timbers naturally exude tannin from knots, which stains the topcoat or liquid resin which seeps through the coating leaving a sticky residue on the surface. These problems are normally seen after installation and though aesthetically unappealing often do not detract from coating performance. If this occurs, minor repairs can be carried out to restore the appearance and integrity of the coating by following Teknos’ maintenance guidelines.

 

In summary, for the opaque colours that we use to paint our cabins, a typical maintenance cycle would be in the range 6 to 10 years depending on exposure to sunlight and weather conditions.