Aug 4 2010
James Hardie Building Products Inc. (NYSE: JHX) studied climatic conditions in Houston and found that there was a limited number of days – less than one-third of the year – that were considered good days to paint a home's exterior.
As defined by paint manufacturers' application recommendations, a good paint day is one with favorable conditions that allow the paint to be applied in even, consistent layers and cure correctly to achieve optimum performance. Climatic factors such as temperature, wind, humidity, ozone activity and the pollen count are crucial determinants. Painting a house in less-than-ideal weather can produce lackluster results and can result in a house needing to be repainted more frequently, which can cost a homeowner upwards of $5,000 to professionally paint a 3,000 square foot house. Rain, wind and high temperatures can all compromise the integrity of just-applied paint and result in aesthetic or long-term performance issues. To combat Houston's weather obstacles, James Hardie fiber cement products now include ColorPlus® Technology, a baked-on, factory-applied color.
"We have removed the weather and labor variables of the painting process by applying a premium, specially-designed paint in factory-controlled conditions before it arrives onsite," explains John Dybsky, James Hardie Product Manager. "The result is a superior product designed to endure the high humidity and high UV conditions of South Texas."
When the weather conditions are taken into account, finding days with ideal paint conditions can pose a big challenge. Because of the extreme heat, July and August are the least ideal months to paint. Additionally, days when the weather is agreeable are often spread out, meaning that a house could sit half painted for weeks or even months.
ColorPlus® Technology is a feature of the new HardieZone® System, which ensures that James Hardie fiber cement products are engineered for specific climates. The HZ10® product line is designed to resist cracking, splitting, rotting and swelling in regions that experience hurricane force winds and the brutal, humid heat of the south. James Hardie is the only fiber cement siding manufacturer to offer ColorPlus® Technology. The low-maintenance finish maintains its beauty up to two times longer, has superior fade resistance and resists high-moisture conditions better than any other painted finish available. James Hardie offers the ColorPlus®Technology finish with a 15-year warranty that covers both paint and labor. There are 20 colors available in the Houston area.
Source: http://www.jameshardie.com/