The sun is brutal, here. Anything outdoors fades in short order.
For things like the house, it's no big deal -- the colors chosen "fade well" (unlike some stronger color choices) and the whole building fades at the same time (no "shadow lines").
But, smaller things with more vibrant colors really wash out quickly. E.g., all of the knobs (is that the right word?) on our hose bibbs have virtually no color left to them. If they'd HAD none to start with, it wouldn't be noticeable. But, as it is, they just have ghostly suggestions of past glory!
Are certain (types of) paints better at holding their color?
For small stuff, acrylic paints come in spray cans. Reputable companies test their products for outdoor weather-ability. I've seem devices like a Weather-Ometer for accelerated testing and have also seen test panels exposed to weather for years.
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Lots of products, like your hose bibs are probably not tested for weather-ability and plastics can fail more rapidly than the pigment they contain. These things are not painted but the pigment is dispersed in the plastic but weathered surface may frost over from the polymer degrading and hid the color.
| I'd have to aerosol-ize it, but I can do that (paint sprayer). | What;s the problem with "spray enamel"? |
Spray paint in general is junk. It needs a lot of fillers to make it spray well. But pigments can also vary. Some reds and blues seem to be worse than other colors. But even if you can research all that, you might not be able to find out what specific pigments are in a given paint.
I don't know what a hose bib is, but if it were me I'd try getting some good quality oil paints, like the "safety" or "international" commercial paints, then perhaps combine those with patterns: white with polka dots of orange, white with orange stripes, orange with polka dots of white, etc. That way you need less colors and can make them more distinctive. You can also reduce uncertainty: If you have blue with red stripes but not blue with orange stripes then you don't have to see the colors as clearly to identify them.
I think this is a die-cast "knob" that is enameled prior to sale. It certainly doesn't *feel* plastic (I can try a flame test on one)
Again, I'm pretty sure this is a chunk of metal underneath a thin coat of paint/enamel. I can also test that -- chip away at it to expose the underlying material (if any).
I suspect it is related to the actual color. E.g., neighbor's house was "chocolate brown" -- and perpetually faded! Another neighbor has a rich teal -- similar problem.
OTOH, folks with more muted colors don't seem to have as dramatic a difference, over time. (faded beige?)
Could be painted metal. If so, I would look for an acrylic paint for outdoor use. Fading of color depends on light stability of the color. Pigments from metal oxides or salts generally hold up better than colors from dyes but cans would probably not tell you what is in it. You could probably look up stability for different colors. Black that comes from carbon and white from titanium dioxide should hold up best. Iron oxide reds probably so too.
Or just topcoat with a UV resistant clear. It's usually the UV that fades paint. Automotive clear coat is generally UV resistant, and is the reason newer vehicles with 2 stage paint don't fade nearly as fast as older single stage paints.
Gien my explained use, I obviously want vivid, bright colors. You don't want to have to differentiate between beige and brown from across the yard. Or, blue and green and teal, etc.
Sure you do! You just didn't know what it was REALLY called (bibb -- three B's):
You'd not be able to resolve that level of detail at any distance. Recall, it's not a large, flat surface that you are "marking"!
Blue, Red, Yellow, Green -- assuming all are VIBRANT colors and REMAIN vibrant -- would be sufficient. Don't need the big box of Crayola's, here!
(Black would be unambiguous -- as wold white -- but may not stand out being that small at a distance)
There are 4 hose bibs scattered around the yard -- in addition to the three that are part of the house.
The four that are scattered around the yard are *individually* controlled by solenoids -- fed from the irrigation water supply.
The ones on the house are fed from the DOMESTIC water supply. i.e., DON'T want to use that water for "non-domestic" uses... like watering the plants, washing the windows, etc. (it's "softened water" so bad for the plants, more expensive than "irrigation water")
Because of the way the bibbs are controled by solenoids, you can attach a hose to one, run it across the yard to a particular place (e.g., a new planting), set the "knob" to the desired flow rate (i.e., ON!) and leave it there indefinitely... without using ANY water!
You can then tell the irrigation system to treat that "bibb" as a particular "water load" and activate it based on whatever criteria is appropriate (e.g., if it hasn't rained in a week, let it run for 15 minutes AT THE CURRENT MANUAL BIBBB SETTING!)
You can similarly run a hose to a bibb, then carry the end across the yard to start filling a hot tub. Instead of having the water running while you drag it across the yard (we live in the desert), you'd undoubtedly drag the hose across the yard. Then, walk BACK to the hose bibb to turn it on -- hoping you'd got the flow rate set properly (cuz the end of the hose is now ~30-50 feet away, tucked into a barrel/jacuzzi/etc.)
In *my* case, you can command the water "on" and the system will note your position in the yard and assume you mean "the hose bibb that I am standing next to, at the present time".
The solenoid valve is then engaged and you can now set the flow rate by MANUALLY adjusting the "knob" on the hose bibb while observing the rate water exits the hose (in your hand!). Then, without altering the setting of that "valve", you can command the water
*off* (solenoid). Now, you can drag the hose across the yard (not wasting a drop) and drop it into the barrel, etc.
Some time later, you can look across the yard, see that the hose bibb you used (evident by tracing the hose back to its source -- in case you've already forgotten!) and identify the COLOR of the knob/handle.
"Water On" is likely ambiguous -- or, even WRONG (e.g., you might be standing next to some OTHER bibb that you actually DON'T want to turn on!). So, "Red Water On" gets you the desired action (assuming the knob on the hose bibb off in the distance was, in fact, red!)
Or, you could remember that the bibbs are roughly NE, NW, SE and SW. Of course, that wouldn't help someone who didn't already have that knowledge in their head!
Or, I could paint big digits on the walls nearby each bibb so you can identify them numerically (NOT!)
Again, neighbor's home was chocolate brown; another a rich teal. Each fades *quickly*.
(Yesterday, chatting with the teal neighbor and he volunteered that he will be repainting the south side of the house -- he just painted it LAST YEAR -- because of how aggressively the sun attacks it)
"Quality of workmanship". It's not a nice *flat* surface but, rather, has all sorts of countours, "insides", "outsides", etc. I think a brushed job would show lots of brushmarks and pooled paint/drip marks.
Spraying would allow a more uniform application: hang it from a coat hanger and hit it *lightly* from all sides. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Part of "automating the home". The goal being so folks with various "disabilities" (vision, hearing, mobility, etc.) can "operate" their home and remain independant (longer).
If you had to schlep your (wheelchair bound) butt across the yard just to turn the water on for that hose, you'd appreciate being able to just "command" it on! (or off)
[Of course, there are benefits for "non disabled" folks, too. So, let THEM "finance" the needs of the disabled! :> ]
(sigh) And I was *at* The Paint Store just yesterday! Crap. Too many "issues" to keep track of with too little grey matter...
"Knobs" in question *were* red. But, who knows what the pigment source was (when you buy a bibb, they're probably assuming you're not interested in where the color originated!)
OTOH, there really aren't many color choices available. Hence the desire to learn what to look for in a *chosen* paint...
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