ABSTRACT

Cave paintings are evidence that man has wanted to decorate his environment since earliest times. With modern organic materials, surface coatings can be applied to concrete to achieve more than just decorative effect. Protection can be provided against the ingress of injurious substances which, cause reinforced concrete to deteriorate. There are a large number of exterior paints now available which are aggressively marketed in terms as glowing as the hues available but giving little factual information on which to base a

choice. The Construction Industry Research and Information Association has produced guidance on this Subject(1,2). This paper does not try to provide a ‘Which’ for these materials but seeks to give the basis on which to make an informed choice.