For the purposes of larger construction projects, such as multi-residential, commercial, mixed-use and industrial projects, exterior paint mock-ups can be done to ensure the architect’s or designer’s vision of the exterior of the building matches with reality. It can be difficult to pinpoint exact paint finishes in real life, on various substrates and materials, and how they will look in relation to the surroundings.
For instance, many specifications and drawings packages for projects like this require what is known as an exterior paint mock-up. In this scenario, the painter will apply, through standard practice, a portion of paint to the building exterior, a mocked-up piece of finished substrate or product, and showcase the final dried/cured product to a consultant or architect for inspection. Because exterior painting is so extensive, and can be quite labor intensive, getting the color right the first time is essential to a successful project completion.
This process of exterior paint mock-up can be informal or formal, whereby a submittal or shop-drawing process specific to the project requirements will outline the process. Formal paper work or transmittal are always a good idea with exterior mock-ups on larger projects because of the volume of paint application. It is imperative that all project stakeholders are happy with the results of the paint application in the exterior mock-up!
Example #1 of exterior paint mockup: A piece of plywood is prepped and stucco’d in the product to be applied for the project. Subsequently, the painter finishes the plywood stucco’d portion with their spray application for stucco.
Photo Above: Painting stucco takes allot of attention to detail and has higher labor requirements than typical painting due to the non-uniformity of the surface of stucco.
Example #2 of exterior paint mockup: A window detail that calls for various finishes in and around trim and battens is provided as a finish, for a mockup, on a framed portion of wall.
Example #3 of exterior paint mockup: A small portion of an exposed steel column is provided primer and final spray installation for review by a consultation for appropriateness of the finish, and durability of the primer for adherence of the paint product to the steel.
Other considerations than can be taken into account are actually how an exterior paint might fade over time. For instance, if a designer was really interested on the exterior suitability of a color to match their design, they might look at existing projects or even mock-up at project start the portion of a project where they intend to paint in the future to help ensure they are making the right decision.
If you have a large construction project to be painting, maybe ask the designer or consultant if they would like to see an exterior mock-up. Whilst not always completely necessary, provisions of the specifications or drawing requirements may actually dictate you need to do one. This can cover you (painter) from future complaints or issues arising from fade, or even surfaces getting dirty, and circumstances out of your control.
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Brilliant Colours Professional Painters are a team of professional Winnipeg painting contractors located in Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
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