Selecting black paint for an exterior door may seem like a durable, hard-wearing colour choice, but actually many industry experts advise against using it.<\/p>\n
In this blog, we\u2019ll explore why and how to overcome potential heat issues that arise when using black paint:<\/p>\n
Reasons why black exterior doors are often advised against<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Causes damage to the door <\/strong><\/p>\n Black paint absorbs more UV rays than lighter colours, by absorbing heat each day, the door will become hotter than it should, causing the exterior door to shrink and swell. The timber may crack, split or warp until it no longer fits in the frame properly.<\/p>\n Low Light Reflective Value (LRV)<\/strong><\/p>\n Black paint has a Light Reflective Value (LRV) of 0%, it does not reflect, it absorbs light. Most paint manufacturers include this number on the tin, or on their website, it is often advised for an external door you should aim for 55% LRV or higher. The higher the paint is on the LRV index the more light it will reflect and the less likely it is to cause the door to crack or warp.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Voids the warranty<\/strong><\/p>\n The door frame may even warp in reaction to the swelling door and will unfortunately void the warranty on your door.<\/p>\n Deteriorates faster<\/strong><\/p>\n Black paint, especially with a high gloss finish makes small imperfections highly visible and fades over time when exposed to sunlight. A light coloured timber door would endure years of wear, but once a dark paint or stain is applied it deteriorates faster. It will be worse if your door faces South and has no protection or cover from the sun.<\/p>\n Unsafe for use<\/strong><\/p>\n If the black paint absorbs too much sun, it will split and damage your front door, making it unsafe for use.<\/p>\n Use an Anti-Heat Additive to overcome heat issues<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n Although black exterior doors are often advised against as the build up of heat can damage the door and surrounding frame, using a solution that reduces the build up of heat overcomes this issue and gives users clear benefits over standard black paint.<\/p>\n Zobel Anti-Heat can reduce the temperature up to 20\u2103 when applied to wooden components, for substrates with Zobel\u2019s ZowoTec coating systems for doors and DecoTec coating systems for garden houses and log cabins.<\/p>\n