A few weeks ago we shared Tips for Painting Wood Trim and this week we’ll look at low maintenance products that look and feel like traditional wood, but are made from cellular PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Synthetic products are replacing traditional wood for both interior and exterior applications and one of the industry leaders in these products is from a company called AZEK®. These products are used primarily for exterior trim use, but also come in soffit materials, bead board, cove moldings, decking, etc.

Painting tips for man-made products:

• AZEK® products are impervious to moisture and do not require paint for protection, but will accept paint and hold paint very well.
• Some customers prefer to lightly hand sand the cut or moulded surfaces for a smoother finish or to remove very faint streaks of surface yellowing sometimes produced during moulding.
• The standard is white and if you have a color other than white in mind, or want a painted surface, use 100% acrylic latex paint, like Hirshfield’s Platinum Exterior, with a Light Reflective Value of 55 or higher. LRV values can be found on the back of the paint chips in Hirshfield’s COLOR IS fan deck.
• AZEK® surfaces must be clean, dry, and void of any foreign materials such as dirt, grease, or other contaminants that might come from normal handling, storage, and/or installation of the product prior to painting.
• Paints tend to last longer on Azek® products than it does on wood because there are no moisture issues.
• Since AZEK®products have no moisture absorption, paints may take longer to fully cure than they do on wood. Generally most paints will be dry to the touch fairly quickly (60 minutes or less) but may take up to 30 days or more to fully cure depending on temperatures and humidity.

Low maintenance products still get dirty and dingy. Dish detergent or Oxyclean can be used for cleaning AZEK® trim.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Since Frank and Elizabeth Hirshfield opened their first store in 1894, it has been our mission to do the best job possible meeting customer needs and solving customer problems. Hirshfield’s. People and products you can trust.