Brick tint and stain applications
WHY WE OFFERED THIS SERVICE
We decided to develop this product line after hearing about the difficulties our customers had fixing bricks that became damaged . While on site we noticed many chipped and damaged bricks that needed replacing or staining. There were many bricks laid with minimal face color and occasionally some without any face colour. We were often asked if we could tint end bricks on window sills and the exposed bricks under lintels. The building Supervisors all complained about the cost and delay to get this type of service, so we saw an opportunity to provide builders with an easy quick service to tint bricks when we are on site brick cleaning. This technology lead to being able to offer a full brick colour match service as well.
We researched the technology available in Europe & North America where changing and matching colours of bricks had been a trade for many years. We learned about the chemistry and art of brick tinting and are now ready to commence operations in Australia using the original "Water Glass" potassium Silicate chemistry developed in Germany in 1860. We use silicate-based masonry stains to lighten, darken or completely change the colour of brick, concrete, stone and mortar joints. Our tinting is undertaken on an individual job-by-job basis, as no two site requirements are the same. As suitable materials do not always guarantee a successful result, the skill of the technician applying the materials is of prime importance. We have access to trained tinters with the ability to create virtually unlimited colours and we have every confidence that we can resolve any brick or masonry colour problem you may encounter.
Development History & Durability
Durability was the underlying motivation for the invention of mineral based stains/paints in the mid-late 1800s. After viewing the beautiful lime frescoes of Northern Italy, King Ludwig I. of Bavaria began applying similar paints to the buildings of his kingdom. With a much harsher winter season in Bavaria (Northern Alps) the paints quickly failed and he ordered his team of scientists to develop a product that would last in their climate. Mineral stains/paints were invented and their durability is proven by buildings in Europe that were coated in the 1890s and have never required any maintenance (The city hall in Schwyz, Switzerland and Gasthaus Weiber Adler in Stein am Rhein, Switzerland as well as others in Oslo and Germany). Since their invention, mineral based stains/paints have been used widely across Europe and are understood to be the superior coating for exterior building surfaces. This knowledge has now transferred to North America, but in Australia builders/architects are largely unaware of their benefits.
Chemistry is at the heart of the incredible durability possessed by mineral based stains/paints – while standard acrylic/latex paints rely on organic binders which decay over time, mineral paints bond through crystallization of the inorganic mineral potassium silicate. Rather than being a film on the surface that slowly dries out/cracks and peels, mineral paints soak into the surface and petrify within it – they can never peel. Simply put, organic coatings (latex/acrylic) begin to decay as soon as they are applied while mineral based stains/paints never decay.
Of further importance, is the high resistance to UV light – mineral stains/paints do not rely on organic resins (as standard paints do) that dry out over prolonged exposure to UV light causing failure. The potassium silicate binder in mineral stains/paints is exceptionally resistant to UV light and remains stable through decades of exposure as mineral stains/paints are colored only with inorganic mineral pigments which do not fade in UV light.
The result is a product that is incredibly durable and will never fade .