A façade decision is made where the building meets its climate. The same colour behaves differently on a seafront building and in a continental climate, so the choice looks first at the load the surface has to carry and only then at appearance.
Crack bridging and elasticity
On surfaces that expand with temperature swings, elastic façade coatings bridge hairline cracks and delay water reaching the structure. Where movement is high, this comes before appearance.
Dirt pick-up and self-cleaning
On façades facing heavy traffic, how little dirt the surface holds and how well rain washes it decides the look a few years later. Silicone-based façade paints lead on this side.
Texture and architecture
Grained and stone-based decorative façade coatings hide surface imperfections better than flat paint and give the building character. Staged arrangements, textured coating on the lower floors and flat paint above, balance both cost and maintenance.
Details finish the façade
A façade applied before the sills, parapets and junctions are resolved will not last. At those points waterproofing comes before façade paint.
