The first thing you might think about JCB Paint is that it would be yellow, but this is not a paint for painting JCBs – it is an all-purpose paint licensed under the JCB brand.
It isn’t made by JCB, but by a Gloucestershire company called JCB Paint. The company hopes, with some justification, that the heft of the brand will give it the kind of kick start that an unknown paint company could never realistically achieve.
As an all-purpose paint, it goes on everything, including plastic, render, tiles, metal and timber. The technology isn’t new, and regular readers of Professional Builder will remember that we have reviewed other water-based paints that work on all surfaces.
Using a water-based paint on ferrous metals does have its challenges, because the water will start to rust, but if the metal already has a primer coat, as with radiators, it is an ideal paint for such applications.
I tried this paint on an old PVCu window frame that is soon to be removed and the next day when I tried to scratch it off I found it almost impossible. Quite how this key is achieved I don’t know, but it works, so it is ideal for painting plastic soil stacks and waste pipes.
Application
The application of this paint is very easy and, although it is thick, and almost gel-like, it brushes very easily. It can also be rolled or sprayed, it dries quickly and the coverage is excellent. Unlike some exterior water-based paints this formulation contains mould inhibitors. The other surprising quality is that it is fire retardant, which means it is intumescent, and won’t promote the spread of flames.
There are 12 colours in the range and, it is fair to say, none of them would get Laurence Llewellyn Bowen hot under his foppish collar – there is no elephant’s breath or jasmine. You get Red, Brown, Green and, of course, White, and not even soft or apple white, just Plain White. For someone like me, who goes faint at the sight of a colour chart, this pared down choice is a welcome thing.
The thing you really want to know is how this paint stands up to the weather, and I have the ideal challenging surface to test it on. I have some timber frames which face the sun and, so far, I have yet to find a paint that will last longer than a year. I will buy a tub of White and give it a go.
Watch this space as they say; I will get back to you. If it stays on those window frames I will not only buy the paint, I will make a bid for the company.