Review of XIM Peel Bond for uneven exterior paintwork
XIM Peel Bond is a popular product for exterior house painters in North America. Ron Taylor, Traditional Painter in Warwickshire has been trialling it in the inhospitable UK.
Once you start scraping off loose paint, it’s very difficult to blend the scraped areas in with sound paint by sanding alone. Time-consuming fine filling is prone to premature failure, and completely removing all the paint is often not a financial option.
After watching a few YouTube videos by Chris Berry (Idaho Painters) I became intrigued by a product called Peel Bond. A product that can be brushed, rolled or airless sprayed onto uneven (but sound) surfaces to blend in or hide imperfections. A product such as this would be a real winner in North America where many of the houses are wood clad and the removal of most of the paint would become a logistical and financial nightmare.
To my surprise I found a supplier of this Canadian product in the UK, BDS Paints Ltd, and bought a couple of quarts to try.
What is XIM Peel Bond like?
XIM Peel Bond looks like thick PVA, dip in your brush and it stays on the bristles. But brush it on the surface and it spreads very easily.
At first I was brushing it out too far and doing no good. But after taking a look at www.peelbond.com I saw this product needs to be layed on bad areas very thick. Put it on reasonably neatly but don’t mess with it. It won’t run unless you really over apply it. Don’t be concerned too much about brushmarks.
As the product dries the whiteness disappears and it becomes a hazy clear. It also tightens back to itself and the surface, losing many of the brushmarks. Have a look and you will see it has started to feather in sanded edges, and smaller imperfections will be almost gone.
Give this area another coat or two, when subsequent coats are dry, and you will be absolutely amazed at the transformation. After a light sand and two topcoats you will find a very presentable finish. This product is a sealer and primer, so you don’t need to prime it before topcoating with acrylic paints.
Is Peel Bond cost effective?
Peel Bond is not economical to use compared to standard primers due to the thickness that the product needs to be applied at. I would definitely buy this product in US gallons as opposed to quarts when I am ordering again.
Limitations of Peel Bond>
1 – This is not a primer that will penetrate flaking, checking (alligatoring) paint and bond it down like Zinsser’s Peel Stop. You need to put in the effort to get back to sound, adhered paint before you start to use it.
2 – It’s not the sort of product you could paint on a badly weathered front door and expect it to look like the one at No 10. This is a primer specifically designed for weathered North American fascias, soffits and siding to cut down on the removal of sound paints. But what it will do is greatly improve the overall look of old, tired boards and trim without the need for extensive preparation.
3 – It is not compatible to use under oil based topcoats, though it can be used over prepared existing oil paints. I used it this way and found it stuck rock hard to the surface. I tried to scrape it off after 24 hours and couldn’t budge it. Couldn’t get it off my hands very easily when it dried either.
Conclusion
XIM Peel Bond isn’t going to be for everyone or for every occasion.
If you use oil undercoat and gloss or eggshell it’s incompatible. And even if you use acrylic, a lot of people will be very sceptical about such a product.
Personally, I want anything that will make an exterior look good, the easiest way possible. I’ve used this product on one job and I’m hooked. I definitely wouldn’t contemplate doing another exterior without it.
If you have any questions about Peel Bond, please leave a comment or ask on the Traditional Painter forum
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6 comments to “Review of XIM Peel Bond for uneven exterior paintwork”
Would you use peel bond under sadolin superdec?
Would you need to use a preservative with peelbond?
Peel Bond would be fine overcoated with Sadolin Superdec. Its just oil coatings it’s not compatible with. As regards a preservative I don’t really know is the honest answer. The can makes no mention of it but I would only use a water based one as you may have adhesion problems with new oil preservative.
Peel Bond may be extremely difficult to source in the UK now if you don’t have any though. BDS Paints no longer stock it and I haven’t found anyone else who imports it.
We have recently moved into our new home. We want to paint the window casings/trim on the outside of the house which are white PVC, a brown colour. Seems to me XIM product would work, but there are four different types. Which one would be best for these new PVC windows?
Where can I buy this product
USA only, I believe.