Weathering of white walls in the sunny south

[faraway]

The white walls of the modern buildings in Vernon look like fresh painted. I understand the area is quite new but there must be lots of white walls that have been painted at least 5 to 10 years ago. It looks to me as if there is no black dust in the air in the LA area. There is no coal or steel industry and the ground is more or less light colored sand and rock. No black soil. I understood also that the LA area has some severe air pollution problems but that does not materialize in dark colored particles in the air that could cause the "usual" weathering of white painted walls.
I am close to the conclusion not to weather the white walls of my buildings at all to look like the prototype. May be very selected a dark spot from a local incident (e.g. at the side of a loading dock) but no all over weathering to tone the white color down to a light gray with stain from rain etc.. The walls are simply white.

[FCIN]

Well I sure don't live in the Vernon, CA, area, but wondering around the streets there in Google Street view, I sure see what you mean about the white buildings being WHITE. I guess about all I'd do, were I modeling buildings like that would be to give them a light spray of Lance Mindheim's india ink/alcohol spray, just to knock off the shine a little. Don't have the book close by, but seems like he mixes a drop or two of india ink in a quart size bottle of 90% alcohol and lightly sprays that over most everything, just to give an overall toned down effect.

[Harry]

Hi Reinhard,

I think the ED shall have the right to look at you ever Google Street view.

For example:
South side > always dry, moist in the north side?
Street > always clean, rail side > dirty
That's my opinion.

[P5se Camelback]

... I understood also that the LA area has some severe air pollution problems but that does not materialize in dark colored particles in the air that could cause the "usual" weathering of white painted walls. ...

When I lived out there, in Redondo Beach, the air to the east of us had a medium brown tint to it. When the Santa Anna winds blew from the east, they blew the brown air to the west out to the horizon over the Pacific and then you could see that there are actually mountains in the distance as a backdrop in the east for the LA city skyline. Seriously!

[tetters]

When I lived out there, in Redondo Beach, the air to the east of us had a medium brown tint to it. When the Santa Anna winds blew from the east, they blew the brown air to the west out to the horizon over the Pacific and then you could see that there are actually mountains in the distance as a backdrop in the east for the LA city skyline. Seriously!

Okay. That's just gross! In Toronto during the summer months you can see gray smog covering the downtown core air. Makes my lungs hurt both figuratively and literally.

[P5se Camelback]

When I lived out there, in Redondo Beach, the air to the east of us had a medium brown tint to it. When the Santa Anna winds blew from the east, they blew the brown air to the west out to the horizon over the Pacific and then you could see that there are actually mountains in the distance as a backdrop in the east for the LA city skyline. Seriously!

Okay. That's just gross! In Toronto during the summer months you can see gray smog covering the downtown core air. Makes my lungs hurt both figuratively and literally.

It was living in the LA basin where I had my first "Gasping for air - I can't breathe" episode and had to have my terrified wife of two months rush me to the hospital! That was 1984 ... I should have seen the writing on the wall and stopped smoking back then, but ...

... I didn't.

[Paulman]

The white walls of the modern buildings in Vernon look like fresh painted. I understand the area is quite new but there must be lots of white walls that have been painted at least 5 to 10 years ago. It looks to me as if there is no black dust in the air in the LA area. There is no coal or steel industry and the ground is more or less light colored sand and rock. No black soil. I understood also that the LA area has some severe air pollution problems but that does not materialize in dark colored particles in the air that could cause the "usual" weathering of white painted walls.
I am close to the conclusion not to weather the white walls of my buildings at all to look like the prototype. May be very selected a dark spot from a local incident (e.g. at the side of a loading dock) but no all over weathering to tone the white color down to a light gray with stain from rain etc.. The walls are simply white.

Reinhard, you do at least have the option of taking rain splatter into effect (although this is less an issue in CA than FL). Here are two photos I snapped this morning with your post in mind (sorry for the shadow):



The soil in central Florida is former seabed (light-colored sand), which is the same as CA, I imagine. However, even that can stain a white wall, especially in areas where landscapers have added other soils.

[SP1]

Reinhard,

I am not sure if you should apply a weathering to your white walls, except detail weathering of course. But I recommend painting them with slightly different shades of white. How do you paint them? Spray can or airbrush?

[faraway]

Hi all and thanks for the many replies.
The structures are far to large to be individually painted via airbrush in the home office. They all get their paint from spray can on the balcony. First layer is a special plastic primer followed by 2-3 layers of white primer and 1-2 layers of light gray primer for the roof. The consumption of spray cans is considerable high! I would be broke using PollyScale etc. with the airbrush and as said there is no environment to spray that large structures in the home office.
The white primer I am using produces a very dull white tone without any brilliance. It is very close to the paint used on walls.

But my key question is directed to the angelinos if the walls are really as white as they appear in Google street view?
It is hard to see shades of white on the screen. It is furthermore not only a question of color but also if light. Even a not so perfect white wall will look much more white in the bright California sun than on a rainy day in the German fall. I think "clear (but not shiny) white" is the right "impression" for that buildings in southern California. That is the reason why I hesitate to apply a (very light) black wash. The same building in Gary,IND would get a wash for sure!

[fast car]

I would think that India ink and alcohol should be sufficient on white. Water runoff from the roof would leave a trail. I tried to capture that look on my structures. White should looked just muted.

[faraway]

Looking at endless series of photos a very light wash might be ok. But black is not correct. The "white" walls in Vernon have a tendency to an extreme light and soft tone of brown color if they become older. May be I should experiment with "brown wash". If I would not spray with the rattle can but with an airbrush I would put a drop of brown in the white paint.