Glossy coatings with good water vapor transmission, made possible by new cobinder technology

 
Exterior paints are the outer shell of the building. Although they play only a minor part in the total construction, they have a tough job: protect the building from the influence of weather and the environment. In many countries, this mainly means protection from the influence of water. Ideally, wall constructions should be dry and free of water or moisture. In reality, this is not usually the case. During the lifetime of a building, the walls will occasionally contain more water or moisture than is desirable, necessitating "smart" exterior coatings. This coating must protect the exterior wall from water, but it should also offer a smart management of moisture in the wall. Once moisture is in the wall, the exterior paint has to let it pass by evaporation. These two criteria - water protection and moisture management - can be described and tested by the measurement of capillary water absorption according to DIN EN 1062-3 (w-value) and the measurement of water vapor diffusion according to EN ISO 7783-2 (sd-value). These parameters must maintain a certain ratio in order to provide the best protection of the construction. In the best case, both values - the value for capillary water absorption (w-value) and the value for water vapor diffusion (sd-value) - are as low as possible.