Life Span Prediction of Façade Paint Coatings in Public Residential Buildings in Transitional Climatic Zone of Nigeria

Abstract

The lifespan of building components plays an essential role in maintenance planning and any other sustainability evaluation including an assessment of overall building performance. The use of paint as a coating on the exterior wall of both private and public buildings in Nigeria, however, remains wide and acceptable. The facades which are susceptible to deterioration ultimately affect the outlook of the buildings and the vistas of the city. The state of the painted facades of 84 buildings in Mandate 3 Estate in Ilorin which falls under the transitional climatic zone for Architectural design in Nigeria was determined through survey data generated through a structured questionnaire. The most relevant factors affecting the life span of paint and their effect on durability is studied, the relationship between the sub-factors and their influence on lifespan is assessed using multiple regressions. The model which enabled degradation patterns to be identified yielded an average (reference) service life of paint coatings of 2 years and maximum reference life of 3 years. An analysis was then performed that suggested maintenance strategies at an interval of 3 years and terminates at a period of 15 years. The suggested estimation based on a simple method that balances cost and speed, enabling its practical application to any structure that can be used by all the stakeholders in the building industry. The output from the study has confirmed that maintenance strategy built on service-life prediction data can be more efficient and reliable.