Flexible paint for walls and ceilings

Abstract

Wall and ceiling acrylic latex coating compositions having properties that prevent joints between adjacent wallboard panels from cracking during settling of new homes and during transportation of manufactured buildings, and otherwise prevents joint cracking from flexing, such as caused by extreme weather conditions or building settling. In another embodiment, the coating compositions can be applied directly over joints between adjacent square-edged wallboard panels to conceal the joint without using tape, wallboard “mud”, or other joint filling compositions.

1 . A wall or ceiling panel comprising a plurality of planar gypsum wallboard panels disposed adjacent to each other, each panel secured to support structure on rear surfaces thereof and having front surfaces aligned in a common plane without a joint filling composition between said wallboard panels, wherein a joint between said plurality of panels is coated with a continuous flexible latex coating composition having a viscosity of about 55,000 to 70,000 cps. so that flexing of said adjacent panels does not crack said coating composition after said coating composition has dried, said coating composition comprising: 
       
         
           
                 
                 
                 
               
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   Wet Latex Coating 
                     
                 
                     
                   Composition Component 
                   Wt. % 
                 
                     
                     
                 
                     
                   water 
                    10-50 
                 
                     
                   humectant 
                    1-10 
                 
                     
                   surfactant 
                   0.01-1.0 
                 
                     
                   dispersant 
                   0.05-1.0 
                 
                     
                   acrylic polymer or copolymer having 
                   about 16-25 
                 
                     
                   a particle size in the range of about 
                 
                     
                   0.05 μm to about 0.3 μm 
                 
                     
                     
                 
             
                
                
                
                
               
               
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
               
            
           
         
         wherein the acrylic polymer or copolymer is selected from the group consisting of polymers of acrylic acid, the alkali metal and ammonium salts of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, the alkali metal and ammonium salts of methacrylic acid, acrylamide, methacrylamide, the N-alkyl substituted amides, the N-aminoalkylamides, and the corresponding N-alkylaminoalkyl substituted amides of acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid; the aminoalkyl acrylates, and the aminoalkyl methacrylamides. 
       
     
     
         2 . The wall or ceiling panel of  claim 1 , further including a solid filler having a particle size in the range of about 5 μm to about 100 μm to provide a textured surface to said coating composition after said coating composition is dry. 
     
     
         3 . The wall or ceiling panel of  claim 2 , wherein the solid filler has a particle size in the range of about 5 μm to about 20 μm. 
     
     
         4 . The wall or ceiling panel of  claim 3 , wherein the solid filler has a particle size in the range of about 10 μm to about 15 μm. 
     
     
         5 . The wall or ceiling panel of  claim 1 , wherein the coating composition further includes a thickener in an amount sufficient to provide the composition with a viscosity of 55,000 to 60,000 cps as measured by a Brookfield viscometer. 
     
     
         6 . The wall or ceiling panel of  claim 5 , wherein the thickener is selected from the group consisting of a cellulose thickener, a clay thickener, a polymeric thickener, and a combination thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The wall or ceiling panel of  claim 1 , wherein the wall or ceiling panel forms a portion of manufactured housing. 
     
     
         8 .- 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The wall or ceiling panel of  claim 1 , wherein the humectant is ethylene glycol or propylene glycol. 
     
     
         22 . The wall or ceiling panel of  claim 1 , wherein the particle size of the acrylic polymer or copolymer is in the range of about 0.2 μm to about 0.3 μm.