Paints for exterior use: which should I choose? Discover the paints for exterior use by VALPAINT

800 trees, 4,500 shrubs and 15,000 plants.
No, we are not referring to a famous forest somewhere in the world. We are in Milan and these are the numbers that tell us about one of the greatest projects for the exterior façade of a building: the Bosco Verticale [Vertical Forest].

This building, designed by the architect Stefano Boeri, represents a true temple of “greenlife” in the heart of the most avant-garde district of the metropolis of Milan: here, the “skin” of the building is made of vegetation which “covers” the façades giving the impression of being a vertical forest. The equivalent of a 3-hectare forest which is capable of absorbing 30 tons of carbon dioxide each year.

The Bosco Verticale is just one example of the countless proposals that can be found in architecture when it comes to exterior wall coatings, but at the same time it demonstrates the continuous research and study of ever more attractive and innovative proposals, where the building envelope becomes a distinguishing feature of the building.

What are the best paints for exterior use? The importance of the right paint for exterior façades

The countless available design solutions are an expression of the architectural styles which have evolved over time, each one of them with their own features and peculiarities.

In contemporary architecture, in fact, the envelope is the building’s business card, whether we are talking about a modest-sized building or a large complex on an urban scale.

Façades, therefore:

• in addition to having a technical and construction aspect (insulation coatings, glass curtain walls, shielding walls and other technical solutions), represent the architectural element that identifies the essence of the building envelope, also through the finishes applied and their colours.

• determine, within the urban fabric of the city, the visually-appealing appearance of an urban block or, in some smaller contexts, the overall impact of the city, town or small village.

This is why the attention to outdoor wall paints has always been at the centre of the debate not only of architects and landscape architects, but also for psychologists and sociologists who focus their attention on the emotional impact that these buildings have on people.

How to paint the exterior walls of your house: 3 ideas by VALPAINT

As regards paints for exterior use, VALPAINT is the Italian leader in the production of paints and decorative coatings and offers a range of solutions capable of providing designers with the tools to design the “skin” of buildings according to their ideas and inspirations.

Among the many proposals of paints for exterior use, in this context, we would like to focus our attention on three significantly interesting paints with different characteristics that open the door to a wide range of design choices.

• KLONDIKE CORTEN
• ROCOCO’ TRAVERTINO
• METEORE 10 INTONACO

Let’s find out together their features and peculiarities.

KLONDIKE CORTEN: the paint for exterior use reminiscent of rusty iron

KLONDIKE CORTEN by VALPAINT is a paint for exterior use featuring an aesthetic appearance that is typical of Corten steel, with all the shades ranging from dark red to more brownish tones which highlight the metal finishes that are typical of rusty iron.

Even the tactile aspect of this paint is unequivocally reminiscent of rusty iron with a surface that is not perfectly smooth but slightly rough.
The product:

• consists of micro-ceramic spheres which, together with its siloxane features, make it a high-quality product for external use
• is capable of providing very high mechanical performance; in fact, with the Top version, the water that hits the surfaces slides off with the typical lotus effect, cleaning dust and small impurities away from the surfaces
• is designed for exterior use, but can also be used to decorate interior spaces (if you want to know more about the use of KLONDIKE CORTEN for interior coatings see also “Rusty metal-effect paint: even iron is cool with KLONDIKE”).

VALPAINT proposes two ways of applying this paint for exterior use that affect its final appearance:

1) Spatula-stroke Effect where the product has a more uniform and even distribution
2) Effect with streaks and trickles that create a design similar to weathered iron

In the world of architecture, the rusty iron effect is particularly appreciated for modern buildings to highlight architectural features and details. Due to its capability of transforming featureless industrial buildings into real works of architecture, the rusty iron effect has won (and continues to win) the favour of many designers.

Paint for exterior use with travertine effect: ROCOCÒ TRAVERTINO VALPAINT

ROCOCÒ TRAVERTINO is a decorative, natural-textured coating for exterior use which reproduces the effect of travertine, with regards to the typical texture of the blocks and the veins that characterise it.

In its composition, the product is a creamy mixture which can be applied by customising the final aesthetic effect. VALPAINT proposes a number of nuances in the catalogue which can be adapted in order to obtain all the colours defined by the project.

In its aesthetic expression (thanks to its design in blocks and the traditional veining and holes in the natural material), the ROCOCÒ TRAVERTINO paint for exterior use is capable of summarising features from classic architecture. However, if used in contexts with modern forms and shapes, the material acquires contemporary, modern features. The design of the blocks is absolutely customisable and can become the distinguishing element for surfaces in a contemporary context.

METEORE 10 INTONACO: the paint for exterior use with an infinite range of application opportunities

METEORE 10 INTONACO is a natural textured water-based coating which reproduces the effect of plaster.

Its fundamental feature, i.e. the naturalness of the product, ensures exceptional workability that, together with its chromatic solutions, allows you to create contemporary surfaces for a modern design.

VALPAINT offers this paint for exterior use in four versions, each one of which expresses different aesthetic features to meet different design ideas.

1) Spatula-stroke Plaster Effect: expresses the naturalness of the product to its maximum with uniform surfaces characterised by a plaster-like texture available in different nuances;
2) Spatula-stroke Plaster Effect with Chipping: the obtained aesthetic effect is a uniform surface with small fragments of light which enhance the various colour nuances, through the addition of a natural additive (mica chips);
3) Standard Plaster Effect: decorative surface created with a technique that allows you to apply more material on the decorated support in order to highlight its texture and create a very interesting light and dark effect;
4) Brushed Plaster Effect: here, unlike previous proposals, which involve the use of a trowel for the application, the brush becomes the protagonist of this variant. The surface is uniform with a tactility that allows you to appreciate the naturalness of the product.

Paints for exterior use and the “bonus facciate” [façade bonus]

The current situation led local authorities to pay special attention to this subject and to promote, through the 2020 Budget Law, the possibility of using a bonus called “Bonus Facciate” [Façade Bonus] which allows citizens to obtain a tax deduction of up to 90% for the renovation of façades and their elements.