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Exterior Painting Pleasant Hill – How to Plan Your Home’s Color Scheme


Did you know that the exterior painting on your Pleasant Hill home can act as an extra layer of fire prevention? Adding one simple extra coat of intumescent paint could save you money and stress down the road. It might even someday make the difference in life and death.

Intumescent paint is a special type of clear paint that can be added over your regular exterior paint. Because it is clear, it doesn’t interfere with any decorating scheme, and can be applied to almost any surface, painted or unpainted. It is also simple to apply; it is rolled on just like regular paint. Anyone can do it. Keep in mind however, that if you need to prove building compliance to a governmental agency, or for the sake of an insurance policy, it would be best to have a licensed painting contractor in Pleasant Hill do the work.

Although intumescent paint is not exactly new technology and has been used on commercial buildings for years, over time it has been reformulated and updated to work better and better. It has also become more reasonably priced. Now it is a highly recommended addition to any building, even residential structures. Since it is clear, it can go over any other paint color or type. You could even apply it to most siding materials. You won’t have to sacrifice style for safety.

How exactly does it work? Intumescent paint is made up of a formula that when exposed to extreme heat, like a fire, basically swells. In fact, it can swell to 50 percent of its original volume, forming a layer of insulation between the heat source and whatever you have painted. When it swells, what it is actually doing is undergoing a chemical change that turns it into carbonaceous char, with is very fire resistant, and a poor heat conductor. Thus it protects whatever is underneath, for a time. It is not fireproof, and can’t be relied on to put out a fire, but it can buy precious time for other fire suppression methods to take effect, or for fire fighters to arrive. The more layers of the intumescent paint that you apply the more time you buy.

In a commercial building, this could mean saving inventory. More importantly, in your home, the extra time might be the precious time you need to make sure that your entire family is safely out of the house. Though intumescent paint is relatively inexpensive, it is priceless in that respect. It could also make the difference between cosmetic damage and structural damage. By slowing down the fire’s access to actual structure components, it allows extra time for the fire trucks to get there and apply water to extinguish the fire.

All of these factors should encourage you to consider adding protective intumescent paints when you next consider the exterior painting on your Pleasant Hill home.

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