Pliolite façade paint: what do you need to know before taking the plunge?

Today, we’re turning our attention to facade renovation, and more specifically to pliolite paint using an airless pump.

Highly appreciated by painters for its resistance and rendering, we’ll see in this article when this material is the best alternative.

What is pliolite paint?

It’s a facade paint made from pliolite resin – a material derived from rubber – which offers excellent UV and weather resistance, as well as aesthetic appeal.

Pliolite paint is a solvent-based paint, which makes it a very tenacious material, but not really environmentally friendly.

Its successor, hydro pliolite, is a water-based, solvent-free paint that meets the ever-increasing demand for eco-friendliness. We’ll come back to this later.

Pliolite highlights

Adhesion

Pliolite paint is therefore a solvent-based paint which, thanks to its micro-porosity, offers excellent adhesion to substrates.

It can be applied to all types of facades, including concrete, plaster, brick or even previously painted walls – provided the paint doesn’t flake off.

Durability

Pliolite-based paint lasts an average of 10 to 15 years. It is weather-resistant and can be applied in any season (down to – 5 degrees), as it resists cold, heat, humidity and impurities in the air.

As it dries, pliolite creates a protective covering film that gives the paint excellent durability.

This is also accompanied by a very strong odor, during application and until complete drying.

That’s why it’s essential to protect yourself properly and wear a mask throughout the spraying process.

Video by Decorators Forum UK

Ease of use and maintenance

This highly resistant material is easy to apply in any weather, and requires no special maintenance.

It adheres to all types of facade, provided it is clean, dry and smooth.

Pliolite paint is very fluid, which means it adheres well, but must be applied to a smooth surface.

It is therefore essential to carefully prepare the substrate, as any imperfections will be accentuated.

So take care of any irregularities on your facade before spraying pliolite paint: fill in cracks, mask crazing and even out the surface.

Hydro pliolite

Pliolite paint has many essential advantages for façade painting, and it’s easy to understand why professionals are so keen on this material, which is both resistant and durable, with aesthetically pleasing results.

But the environmental and health impact of this product can – quite rightly – turn many people off.

That’s why we’ve come up with hydro-pliolite, a solvent-free pliolite resin-based, water-based dispersion paint that’s just as resistant and waterproof.

This material combines the aforementioned advantages of pliolite paint, namely its adhesion, weather resistance and longevity, while leaving aside the negative environmental consequences.

Hydro-pliolite paint is odorless and less harmful.

It’s also worth noting that, unlike solvent-based pliolite paint, which can be applied at outdoor temperatures as low as -5°C, waterborne paint must be applied in favorable conditions.

Preparing surfaces

Pliolite paint, whether in aqueous form or its solvent-based predecessor, is a very fluid material which does not cover imperfections but, on the contrary, will exacerbate them.

It is therefore important to prepare the façade thoroughly before spraying.

The facade must be flat and, if necessary, an undercoat must be applied to ensure that the substrate is even.

Any holes or cracks should also be filled. If the facade is very dirty, we opt for high-pressure cleaning, to ensure the best application conditions and optimal longevity.

Now that we’ve clarified what pliolite paint is, it’s time to turn our attention to spraying this material with airless pumps.

As you can see in the video below, they renovated a facade using an airless pump, and spraying paint on a facade is more efficient and economical in terms of material consumption and time than manual application.

Video by Oisin Butler Ltd

Our customers regularly ask us about the versatility of airless pumps.

In fact, there is no universal pump model suitable for all materials.

The most important thing to bear in mind is the pump’s performance when spraying façade paint.

These materials are generally heavier and therefore require a powerful pump (Preferably with a flow rate of 3 litres/min or more).

Which airless pump is right for renovating facades with pliolite paint?

• FARBMAX M10 Plus airless pump
  

Buy FARBMAX M10 Plus pump

The Farbmax M10 Plus is a diaphragm pump for spraying facade paint, with a flow rate of 8.5 liters / minute.

This model is both economical and powerful enough to spray heavier materials (with the exception of plasters and bitumens).

Do pliolite and airless mix?

With a pump capacity adapted to the material being sprayed, the airless remains an economical solution for covering facades with pliolite paint.

As always, please refer to the paint manufacturer’s instructions for use for the following information:

• Nozzles and filters
• Dilution
• Spray pressure

Safety / protection

As mentioned above, it’s important to protect yourself properly when spraying paint, especially paint containing solvents.

In addition to wearing a suitable mask, it’s also essential to protect your whole body to minimize skin contact.

Full protection is therefore necessary to avoid the risk of splashing. And because caution is the better part of valour, make sure you have the right protection for airless paint application!

The environmental impact is not negligible, and it’s all the more important to cover floors well to limit the material’s contact with the ground.

You can also use a self-powered airless roller to spray pliolite paint without risk to the environment.

 

Find out more in this article.

Cleaning / maintenance

If you opt for solvent-based pliolite paint, you’ll need a special cleaning solution, commonly known as remover like White Spirit.

If in doubt, please contact us to ensure compatibility between your pump and industrial cleaning products.

After each use, it is very important to clean your pump properly. Impurities will damage your parts more quickly.

Hydro pliolite paint can be cleaned in the same way as other water-based materials: just rinse your pump thoroughly with water.

In a nutshell

Pliolite paint is the ideal solution if the exterior façade is smooth and free of roughness.

If the conditions are right, pliolite – and especially its solvent-free successor – is ideal for painting your facade, thanks to its high-quality finish and excellent resistance to the elements.
And let’s not forget the financial aspect.

You’ll need to reckon with an average of €5 to €10 per litre for classic pliolite paint, and around double that for its successor, hydro pliolite.

It’s quite an investment, but the sustainable and ecological aspects, as well as your own health, are not insignificant either.

Make sure you follow the instructions for use and, above all, for safety, and opt for the full set of gloves, masks and overalls.

If you still have any questions about pliolite paint or airless facade spraying, don’t hesitate to contact us!

To find out more about this subject :

• Airless pumps guide #3 – Frequent painting + facades and roofs
• Renovating Your Home with an Airless Paint Sprayer
• Spray Painting Mask – How to Choose the Correct One?
• How to paint a facade with an airless sprayer ?
• Renovation of a house facade in less than an hour?