Over the years, I have strived to provide quality paint jobs with top quality paints that give protection, beauty and durability. A few years back, I switched, at the urguing of my former* paint supplier, from the old oil based urathane roof paints, to the new 100% acrylic based paints. Benjamin Moore in Staunton, run by Leslie Merit touted the advantages, Better adheasion , less peeling, better gloss retention, better fade resistance, faster dry time, self priming paints, better rust prevention.
Needless to say, I switched to the top of the line Benjamin Moore Iron Clad, 100% acrylic, metal & wood enamel. At over $50.00 per gallon.
Now, a few years later, I am looking at roof jobs, that were properly washed, scraped, and had two coats of that product applied, and what I see is massive failure of the paint. It peeled in sheets, faded way beyond normal fade, it allowed rust to form in massive amounts through the paint, and the gloss is just plain gone.
I began my research and found this link , http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/print/0,,212675,00.html which has a direct comment from many sources including a top Benjamin Moore technical advisor. I encourage you to read it for yourself. In summery, his directive is to NOT use an acrylic over top of old oil based paints. Due to the nature of old finishes VS new acrylics, they just dont mix and are a sure fire guarantee for paint peeling within the first year.
Dispit my extensive research, conclusive proof that I was sold the wrong product, Benjamin Moore of Staunton would not compensate my customers with anything. They reniged on ever aspect of their warrenty, failing to even offer new paint to get the jobs redone.
I have, at my own expence, worked with many clients to repaint their roof, providing free, or low cost repaints. To me, my customers satisfaction is paramount. I reckon, this summer/fall, i have lost over $40,000.00 doing upwards of 20 roof paints at zero profit. Again, there has been no offer of compensation from Benjamin Moore even though they are fully aware of the issue, the online info, and the great loss that my customers and my company have incurred.
The Benjamin Moore representative visited many of these jobs, and passed blame on everything from painting surface temprature, & old paint failure, too " Shit just happens". It was clear to me from the start, when on a clear morning, with temps at 70 degrees, he used a hand held thermal meter and , after pointing it at his car, exclaimed that at a surface temprature of 89 degrees, his car was " TOO HOT TO PAINT".
Symptoms that point to this failure, aside from color loss, and rust, include peeling in massive areas, directly down to bare metal where the top acrylic coats, litteraly pull up the older less flexable oil base coats, and in a sence, break the weakest bond, the oldest paint to the metal.
Aside from the repainting after powerwashing, there is very little we can do at this point.
