Best Paint Offers The Best Return On Investment—Economics Favor The Highest Quality Paint

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Best Paint Offers The Best Return On Investment—Economics Favor the Highest Quality Paint

(HIT) - 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.

Image of a graph of a paint test showing the benefits of quality paint

Courtesy of The Paint Quality Institute

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.”



	Photo courtesy of The Paint Quality Institute

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.



	Photo courtesy of The Paint Quality Institute

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.

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 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 2009, Dow had annual sales of $45 billion and employed approximately 52,000 people worldwide. The Company's more than 5,000 products are manufactured at 214 sites in 37 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.

Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center

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