Cork Paint on Brick Veneer
john_fassler
| Posted in Green Products and Materials on
I’m an energy auditor in Northern Colorado, 5000′ elevation, CZ5, 6000 HDD.
I have a customer who wants to paint the brick veneer on her wood framed house with cork paint, specifically Vipeq as approved by Mike Holmes. https://makeitright.ca/approved-products/vipeq/ It seems like a bad idea for a few reasons. It will likely trap moisture in the brick for one. I’m also skeptical of the thermal insulation claims.
Does anyone have experience and/or opinions on the use of this paint?
It seems like snake oil to me.
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Trying to download the datasheet results in a web error.
http://vipeq.net/canada/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/technical-information.pdf
Good sign?
Oh this is a fun one! From their website: "One of the properties of cork is that it will never go below 0° C nor above 30° C."
Usually claims about violating the laws of physics aren't made so directly.
The paint is R1.6 per inch, so unless you are spraying on 2" to 3" it will not add much R value.
Since it is mostly an acrylic paint, it is vapor permeable and won't trap moisture.
If you actually want to insulate brick form the outside, look at EIFS over a thicker layer of rigid (or siding over a thick layer of rigid). Otherwise leave brick be brick, it is a shame to paint over nice brick and is impossible to undo.
Thanks to all. GBA is such a great resource. The homeowner would not believe me because, "Mike Holmes endorses this paint"
It helps to have some support of my statements to the homeowner.
If she wants to paint the brick, you might suggest a mineral paint. It's likely to bond better and be more vapor open then whatever is in the Vipeq product.