[C320-list] Kiwigrip color tinting

[jpmesa at aol.com]

I got the instructions (doc file) from them on how to tint their (grey or white) nonskid paint.  JOHN


KIWIGRIP COLORING INSTRUCTIONS 



Color Matching
 
White KiwiGrip can be tinted to any light color using Universal water-based colorants such as those found at Ace Hardware or Home Depot.  
 
Dark colors require excessive colorant which erodes KiwiGrip’s thick consistency which is key to the excellent non-skid texture.  See limit on colorant below.
 
Many paint retailers can help you match a color chip.  They prefer a nice smooth chip.  If it is impractical to take your deck into the store,  you can usually find a stock color in their display area that’s suitable for your application.  This may require a few trips between your deck and the store.  The chip will reveal the required colorant mixture.
 
Note:  Like other acrylic latex coatings, KiwiGrip dries to a slightly darker shade than its wet color.  Color matching computers generally allow for this phenomenon. 
 
 
A little bit of Math for customers with 4-Ltr sized tin(s)*
 
Ask the retailer to print out the colorant formula, usually measured in fractions of an ounce.  For example,  a lovely tan color may require 
 
32/48ths of an ounce of Thalo Blue, 
17/48ths of an ounce of Medium Yellow, and 
15/48th of an ounce of Red Oxide.  
 
This amounts to 64/48ths = 1.35 ounces of colorant.
 
You’ll need to increase each component by 5% to account for the difference between a 4-liter tin and a gallon tin (5% more volume)
 
In our example, you’ll be adding 1.35oz * 1.05 = 1.42 oz of colorant to 4-liters of white KiwiGrip.
 
Do not exceed 2% colorant.  This means that you can add 80 milliliters (2.5 ounces)  of colorant to a 4L tin
 
* The 5% difference is VERY slight.  Unless you’re trying to get an exact color match, you can probably skip this step.  Of course none of this applies to you if you received US Gallon-sized tins. 
 
Mix and Shake
 
Ask the retailer to add the colorant, (per your calculations) to your white KiwiGrip. He’ll necessarily point out that your white is different from his white base product.  Don’t worry; our white is very close to his white.  You won’t notice the difference on your deck!
 
Ask the retailer to shake your full can of KiwiGrip on his commercial shaker. He may find that your 4-liter tin won’t fit in his gallon-sized shaker.  In this case, KiwiGrip can be carefully stirred at slow speed with a squirrel-cage mixer on a variable speed electric drill, or by hand with a broad paddle. Stirring rapidly or shaking a partial can will introduce small air bubbles which will become micro-craters in your finished surface. These small craters do no harm, but make the surface a bit harder to keep clean.
 
Give your retailer a beer for his trouble.   We’ve always found the paint guys very intrigued and helpful as long as you catch them at a slow time, like early in the morning or during dinner time.
 
A Final Note
 
Don’t be too fussed about an exact color match.  Because KiwiGrip is a textured finish, it will reflect light differently and therefore look like a different color than exactly the same color when applied smooth.   We’ve run test panels where we’ve smoothed one half of the panel with a foam brush and textured the other half.   When viewed from 3 or 4 feet away, the textured half looks darker.
 
Note to Retailer:
 
We understand that our white KiwiGrip will be a different shade and brilliance than your base white products.    No worries – our local paint shops have had very good success tinting by eye or by machine for our customers here in the Northwest.  Rest assured that if you give it your best shot and it doesn’t come out well for any reason,  Pachena will replace the customer’s product at no charge.