Quality and durability

Exterior paints essentially have two tasks – to provide a colourful building, and to protect it from outside influences such as rain, UV radiation, heat, cold, harmful substances, or micro-organisms. It is therefore no great surprise that some paint coatings cannot withstand these constant stresses for long, which then means repainting. Or you can choose durable ecofriendly mineral materials from the outset – that’s silicate paints by KEIM.

When you build or renovate a house, you think in the long term and calculate in decades. This also includes the exterior walls of a house, with their important role as a weather shell with an aesthetic appeal when it comes to value preservation. Exterior paint is important because it protects against the effects of weather and damage due to moisture. This only applies if it remains permanently intact. Exterior surfaces are anything but a superficial topic – it is worth taking a closer look and choosing the right materials.

Facade soiling depends on static charging, binder "stickiness" and surface condensation. Conventional emulsion paints are plastic-based and actually attract dirt. Warm temperatures make the organic binder sticky and dirt particles become embedded. The so-called "lotus phenomenon” of facades is frequently discussed. But in the end, the tendency of silicone resin paints for example to let water "pearl off" has proven to be more of a drawback in practice. Many facades with such "hydrophobic" (water-repellent) coatings are seen to be heavily soiled. Although the drops of water containing dirt particles pearl off to start with, in the end they become trapped by grains of render and settle on the surface.

1. KEIM paints offer no suitable surfaces for dirt to settle. The potassium silicate binder is antistatic and is non-thermoplastic, which means it does not become sticky in warm temperatures.

2. Silicate-coated facades or exteriors are open to diffusion, in other words, vapour permeable. Although they absorb water, they dry out again very quickly and in doing so, they release far more water than they absorbed. There is therefore far less chance for dirt particles to settle. As a result, the risk of algae infestation is far smaller. In addition, the enormous vapour permeability prevents annoying moisture congestion and possible frost damage behind coatings that are too thick. In other words: KEIM paints are ideal when it comes to building physics.

KEIM ecofriendly sustainable mineral paints are also absolutely safe. They are non-flammable, fire resistant paint. This ensures maximum safety in the event of a fire, and no toxic gases are released. Fire tests in Germany and the United Kingdom confirm this. Just one reason why silicate paints are used in public areas such as underground stations, tunnels, schools, or cinemas. Health and safety first! And a coat of KEIM fire resistant silicate paint pays off in more than one respect due to its durability, breathability and colour stability.