This blog deals with the difficluties of executing a perfect contract for Painting job at Societies, especially external painting.
1. General Issues in External Painting:
External painting in Indian housing societies typically suffers from weather-related damage, poor surface preparation, inferior materials, and coordination/governance issues within the society. These lead to peeling, cracks, damp patches, colour fading, disputes over cost and colour choice, and frequent rework.
(a) Technical paint problems : Common technical failures on external walls include:
- Peeling, flaking and cracking of paint films due to poor surface preparation, application on damp walls, or painting over old, unsound coatings.
- Blistering, efflorescence and damp patches arising from moisture ingress, leakages, and lack of proper waterproofing before painting.[6][10]
- Chalking and fading of colours caused by strong sun, rain, pollution, and the use of low‑quality or unsuitable exterior paints, especially on south/west-facing elevations.
(b) Site and climate issues
-Indian conditions make external painting more challenging than in many temperate countries.
- High heat, strong UV radiation, heavy monsoon rains, and high humidity in many regions accelerate paint weathering and reduce life if timing and product selection are wrong.[4][8][10]
- Dust, pollution and algae/mould growth on façades (especially in coastal and high‑rainfall areas) require thorough cleaning and biocidal treatments, which are often skipped to save time and money.
(c) Execution and contractor issues
-Many problems come from how the job is executed rather than the paint itself.
- Contractors may rush work, skip proper surface preparation (scraping, crack filling, primer, curing time), or apply fewer coats than specified, leading to early failure and patchy appearance.[4][6][8]
- Use of untrained labour, wrong tools (poor rollers/brushes, no mechanised washing), and ignoring manufacturer guidelines for dilution, mixing, and drying times are frequent in large housing complexes.
(d) Material selection and cost-cutting
-Society budgets and tendering practices often push toward the cheapest options.
- Lowest‑bid tenders can lead to substandard paints, inadequate primers, and weak waterproofing systems, reducing the repainting cycle and increasing long‑term cost.[4][10]
- Inappropriate product selection (interior paints used outside, wrong finish for coastal or high‑rainfall zones, or incompatible systems over old coats) creates adhesion and durability issues.
(e) Society governance and coordination issues
-Even if technical aspects are known, society-level processes create additional challenges.
- Disagreements between committee members, residents, and contractors over colour schemes, brands, timelines, and scope (waterproofing vs just painting) delay decisions and sometimes result in compromise solutions that ignore technical needs.[4][10]
- Poor planning of work around monsoon and festivals, inadequate supervision, and lack of clear maintenance policies mean defects are detected late and rectification is difficult once scaffolding is removed.
2.Practical Suggestions for Societies.
-Housing societies can reduce these issues by strengthening planning and supervision.
- Commission a condition survey (including damp and leakage mapping), specify proper surface preparation, waterproofing, and paint systems, and avoid purely lowest‑price selection; instead, use technical evaluation plus price.
- Fix painting cycles (for example every 5–7 years for good systems), maintain annual façade cleaning and minor touch‑ups, insist on manufacturer-backed warranties, and appoint a small technical subcommittee or consultant to oversee work and sign off stages.
-Contracting should be made directly with top five companies or with the OEM company at matching rates, as under:
(a) All the material is supplied by the company with a GST Bill, directly in the name of RWA Society. RWA gets the benefit of this ITC for the GST paid. In a typical painting contract the material to labour ratio is 70:30. This way atleast 70% contract is fool proof as the material is delivered directly.
(b) Labor is provided by the executing company, who is giving a five year warrantee for the painting job. The company deploys the approved vendor from their listed vendors. Company do supervise the project and ensures that it is executed well.
Peekay
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