Nice Paint Job

It's been 3 seasons now since the Eco Centre got its creamy-yellow exterior pain coat, energetically and cheerfully applied by a gaggle of Ontario Rangers (see our "Yay And Hooray" post). Emerging from this winter, we were curious to see how this experiment had held up with 3 harsh seasons under its belt.

Because a bit of an experiment it was; the paint we used wasn't just any exterior paint: it was a milkpaint, arguably he most environmentally friendly paint in existence. Made entirely out of milk components, with berry and plant extracts added to provide a wide range of gorgeous colours. Non-toxic, non stinky, easy to work with. It comes as a powder, just add water.

Still looking good, after 3 rough seasons

Just 2 caveats: it can only be applied to porous surfaces (e.g. drywall, wood, concrete, etc), and it isn't specifically designed for oudoor use. So our decision to paint the entire Eco Centre's exterior with it was a bit of a calculated risk.

We had already applied milkpaint on our Red Pine ceilings, used as a stain to tone down the prominent knots and provide a protective coat at the same time. On the washroom ceilings we sealed the stain with 2 coats of linseed oil, because of the higher humidity there.

First impressions: the exterior paint has held up pretty good. There are some spots where rain or melt water had been streaming lots, showing in somewhat paler colours.
Also, a few small spots had begun to peel a bit here and there. But generally speaking, about 90% looked just fine.

We happen to like the paler areas, it gives the house an elegantly weathered look (some designers  call it a "distressed look", I believe). As for the limited amount of peeling, we figure this is the result of the paint having been applied a bit too dry last year. It had been a hot day, and the the freshly mixed paint was beginning to thicken as some of its water content was beginning to evaporate. Oh well, live and learn. On the upside, any touch-ups are quick and easy to apply, we'll do those once the weather gets nicer.

A warm thank-you to the friendly folks of Homestead House Paint Co. in Toronto for taking their time to be as helpful as they could be and for making us this lovely colour - and a great product in general.