One city; two conditions: exigent parameters for paint performance in Lagos, Nigeria

Tropical buildings are subjected to many militating elements of climate, prominent amongst which are sunlight and rainfall. However, the geographic area in which the study was conducted has an additional influence from the Atlantic Ocean, which is just a few meters away from the buildings. The sea breeze is laden with high salt content that has adverse effects upon and reactions with the materials used for building finishes. In most cases, the outer skin/external surface of a building does not have any protection, due to its function as the protective layer. However, the influence of prevailing saline air in the present case differs from one part of the study location to another due to distance. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The study considered two areas of the city, referred to as zones A and B, using a survey approach to obtain data for empirical analysis. Various correlations were evaluated and regression analysis was carried out on the survey findings. The mean behaviour of each zone was determined using the F-value of the results to qualify the performance of paint in service at each location. Data obtained during the study were evaluated using SPSS version 15.0 software. Data were also obtained from architects practicing in Lagos using a structured interview.

The results demonstrated that degradation of paint set in faster and repainting was required earlier in Zone A than was the case in Zone B, due to more aggressive impact of the saline air. The established research findings that stipulate five to seven years for maintenance of paint were found not to hold good in areas subjected to saline air.

The research was geared towards establishing the appropriate use of paint in saline-laden environments as compared to its use in other parts of a tropical region. Specifiers/architects, developers and property owners may understand better the implications of their choice. Manufacturers should endeavour to develop paint that will retard the deleterious effects of saline air.

This study is the first attempt to investigate analytically the impact of saline air on the maintenance requirements of painted structures in the tropical regions.