Best paint in Costa Rica

[rogerchopper]

Now the rainy season is over I need some recommendations on which is the best paint brand to use for outside concrete walls. I understand that Sur goltex anti-hongos paint no longer produces standard colours and it is now mixed at the store,and my experience with sur mixed paint was intense colour fading.
Appreciate any help members may have.Tks

[crhomebuilder]

I have built condos and homes and remodeled existing housing in Costa Rica since 1992. In the course of conducting my construction business I have purchased and installed hundreds of gallons of paint manufactured by SUR, Protecto, Glidden, Lanco and GreColor. When considering the quality and price of paint you also need to calculate the labor to prepare the surfaces and apply the paint. If you use a quality product and have experienced painters you should be able to finish the work and not have to re-paint for a good many years. If you use inferior products and have problems with the paint or the surface was not properly prepared prior to applying the paint the work will need to be re-done. Keep in mind that when working with a improperly prepared surface or poor quality paint you will need to scrape and sand off the first application then re-prep the surface properly before you can expect a good finished product. So if your job needs to be done a second time you are looking at the initial labor, then the labor to remove the initial application and then the labor to re-prep and paint the second time. With painting it is advisable to buy the best quality materials and use experienced labor with references. If I were painting my own house I would purchase the best quality of SUR and have the colors mixed all at the same time by a reputable retailer like El Lagar who will stand behind their products. Always order at least a gallon extra because most jobs run short and you will need extra for touch up after you move in.
COATS OF PAINT = “MANOS DE PINTURA”
I will offer some cultural insights pertaining to Latino construction standards that will be helpful for you to understand.
1. A common Latino standard is that paint is a concentrate and should be diluted to create more paint. Wrong. The dilutants, “diluyentes” including a product known as “agua res”, which consists of nasty chemicals that turn white paint yellow as well as dilute the quality of the paint, should be avoided.
2. Another typical standard is that if you will not see a primer product then why purchase the more expensive, higher quality product. Therefore the primer, “sellador” should be the cheapest product available. Wrong. The cheaper paint is manufactured to lower standards, is not as thick and will not adhere as well or last as long.

The paint manufacturers here offer interior and exterior grade paints. The same 2 or 3 coat application process works for both. The primer paint, “sellador” they sell is an inferior quality of paint. I use the same high quality SUR paint for the 1st, prime coat and the 2nd, finish coat and if needed a 3rd coat. On the exterior walls of concrete or exterior siding I apply SUR GOLTEX (100% acrylic with fungus protection) and on the interior drywall on stud walls I apply SUR ACRILATEX (100% acrylic latex with fungus protection). Interior concrete walls I treat the same as exterior walls and apply the SUR GOLTEX. On the wood or masonite type doors and trim I apply SUR ESMALTE (oil base) UNIVERSAL. If I have potential humidity issues then I apply the more expensive waterproofing “Impermeabilizante”, SUR, FASTYL which is designed for metal, clay and fiber roofing as well as concrete roofs and exterior walls. They also sell SUR PEGA PATCH crack filler for use with the SUR products. You apply the elastic crack filler product into the cracks with a putty knife, then wait 24 hours for the curing process and then lightly sand the material prior to painting. LANCO offers a wide range of crack filler “siliconizer” “products that are available in small containers to be applied with a putty knife or in tubes to be applied with a caulk gun. The LANCO paints are acceptable but have not been manufactured here in Costa Rica for as long as SUR. The building supply company, El Lagar stands behind both products equally. Remember the SUR products have been made in Costa Rica for many years and are guaranteed by the largest manufacturer of paint in the country.

[rogerchopper]

Many tks your very informative reply Tom-I should have called you in the first place.
Roger

[drushton]

I have a pool that needs partial repainting. Two problems.

Someone dropped a piece of iron rod into the pool and there is a long rust spot. Can I sand just that area and then apply a coat or two coats without sanding the entuire pool?

My caretaker has been dilegently cleaning the pool – too diligently – and taken some paint off the bottom with a heavy handed broom swipe. Can I sand just this area and cover with one coat.

I’ve looked at EPA and found protecto pool paint. The paint department says I need two coats. Since most of the paint is still intact can I sand and repaint over the bad spots and then give the whole thing an additional coat?

Thanks for all the above info.

[crhomebuilder]

As in most re-painting projects, the prep work is the most important aspect. Once your pool has been drained and dried out, I would not hesitate to sand the entire pool. I personally would use a belt sander but if I was working with an inexpensive, semi-experienced caretaker, I would have him hand sand the surface so possible damage to or from the power tool would not be a factor. Without seeing your pools surface I cannot recommend the proper sand paper but if the concrete surface is course, you will need at least a #80 Aluminum Oxide sand paper and if the surface is smooth, #220 could be used. Following the completion of the sanding and cleaning of the surface, I would apply at least two coats of SUR AQUARIUM Epoxy paint. It comes in blue or white in gallons for 37,548 colones or 5 gal buckets at 216,000.00 colones with 150m2 of coverage. Do not cut corners; you get what you pay for. If you complete the painting properly, you should not have to revisit this work for years. On your caretaker’s salary, you will be able to sand the entire pool, clean and repaint within a week at a fraction of what it would cost elsewhere. It is always easier and less expensive in the end to use quality paint materials in order to get the job done properly the first time.

[DavidCMurray]

CR, please fill in a couple of missing details.

What protective gear should the person doing this sanding be wearing? And once the sanding is finished, just how should the areas to be painted be cleaned up?

I’m guessing that the old paint and concrete surface that are sanded off are not healthy for lung and eye tissue, and that one wouldn’t want to mix them with the new paint when it’s applied.

[drushton]

In my original request for info I neglected to mention that the original paint is only six months old. The pool has been filled with chlorinated water all this time. The only problems are where the rust stain is and the small areas of no more than two inches long where my man brushed far too hard and wore a place out down to the concrete. So do you really think I should sand the whole pool? Surely a cleaning with some type of detergent and a double coat over those place and single coat all over should be enough.

I’m not making a statement here. I’m asking your expert advice. I really appreciate the long and full answer you gave earlier and I will save that valuable information for later.

If a detergent is indicated, what should that be?

Thanks

[crhomebuilder]

Swimming pool maintenance questions should be directed to one of the many pool companies here in the Central Valley. Try these companies:
Tecno Piscinas – 270-4527- http://www.tecnopiscinas.net
Piscinas Genesis 288-4146
Piscinas Modernas 249-2711
Piscinas Oasis 219-8950
Piscinas y Accesorios 297-3731
Piscinas y Equipos Greojara 451-0356

Tratagua 224-1197

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