Outdoors black widow dilemma

[Fritz]

Hi everyone....long,long time avs "lurker" here. Decided to crawl out from under the rock and sign up here once i read your forum rules......looks like you guys are serious about keeping the "riff-raff" away!
Anyway i was wondering if anyone (Mech?) could help/give me some suggestions on what base i should use for BW outside? Right now I've got the designer white laminate out there but it's not cutting it with ambient lights on. I'm a HUGE hockey fan so BW sounds perfect and I know any clear top coat will defeat it's purpose so I'm wondering what base i might use and get away with rain getting on it? Thanks.
PS-I'm using a Epson 810 so lumens aren't a problem

[Harpmaker]

Hi Fritz,

Welcome to the Shack!

I'm sure you will get an official welcome as soon as one of the mods sees your post.

A dedicated outdoor screen? That could be a tough nut to crack. I'm not positive, but I think the only exterior paint mech tested with BW is the Behr 4850 and it didn't work well because it was off-color.

A bit more info on the existing screen would help.
How large is it?
How exposed to rain is it?
How exposed to sunlight is it?

While enough rain might affect the BW, the largest potential for screen degradation comes from direct sunlight. That applies to ANY screen and not just BW.

[mechman]

Let's go Red Wings! . . ...

Welcome to the Shack Fritz!

The only paint I cannot recommend is Behr 4850. It did not do well when mixed with AAA and came out with a red push. If I were to try one I'd find a Valspar Exterior and use that. I have a hunch it would turn out right!

And Harp raises some interesting questions as well! Another option would be a gray laminate.

[Fritz]

Hi Harpmaker,
My wilsonart is 5 by 9........it's on an angle at one corner of the deck.....it's always in the shade.
I've got roofing drip edge on the top of it already but that hardly protects it when there's wind/rain. But that's the point......i don't want to "protect" it with some ugly cover......if i've got to "gun" BW on it once a year no big deal. Maybe one of you guys could sprinkle some water on one of your samples and report back? Thanks-Fritz

[Fritz]

Hi Mech,
Ya i was thinking of going with the gray laminate.....but the BW seems to be real nice at getting that ice white! Gray ice doesn't cut it. And ya...Go Wings! They're going to do circles around that over hyped Crosby&company!

[mechman]

The Wings have defense! And they match up player for player offensively with Pittsburgh!

Well if you're not too worried about having to repaint it every year give it a shot and give us some pics! As I've said, I'd try a Valspar Exterior over Behr.

[cynical2]

mechman wrote:

The Wings have defense! And they match up player for player offensively with Pittsburgh!

Mech, do you mind keeping this thread on topic, please.

At least take it off topic with a subject other than...hockey!

In all seriousness, welcome to the Shack, Fritz!

[wbassett]

Another hearty welcome Fritz!

If lumens aren't a problem then you'll get decent whites with a gray screen and not just BW. It's when a white reference screen is thrown up as a comparison when they don't look as white, but people don't normally have a 'split screen' that's half white and half gray. Once the white reference is removed, the whites will once again look white.

Where the big problem comes in is if the gray isn't neutral or near neutral. Then a color push starts to happen and whites can take on a bluish, reddish, or green hue, depending which direction the gray pushes.

Platinum is a very nice balance, better than Fashion Grey. Paints will wear and show the stress of being exposed to the elements, especially flat paints. I'm not sure if you read the laminate thread here or at AVS but I put them through a torture test that no other screen DIY or commercial would survive. I soaked some Wilsonart laminate in water for 24 hours and there was no water damage whatsoever. I then took the sample while it was still wet and put it in the freezer, no cracks or any sign of damage. It will crack if enough pressure and stress is put on it, but again, the amount of force needed would have destroyed other screens long before the laminate would be destroyed. The only thing that will really damage it quickly is extreme heat or flames.

Over time being exposed to direct sunlight it will fade some, but everything does to some extent and you'd probably have to leave it outside in direct sunlight for at least a year before you noticed any fading.

I know a couple of people that used laminates for outdoor screens and they were very happy with them. One person made a pool side screen out of laminate because he knew it would be getting some water on it from time to time.

Size is really your only restriction. Max screensize is a 120" diagonal 16x9 screen. If you made a 2.35:1 screen you could get a bit larger diagonal image.

[Fritz]

Thanks guys for the input. Sorry about the quick hockey rant but it's "that time of the year" for us fans! Mech-I'll give the exterior valspar a shot first and if it flunks I'll move on to the gray or platinum laminates. wbasset-Your right about the wilsonart being weather proof....I've had my designer white outside for more than a year(michigan)with no ill effects and it's a full sheet (well almost=5ft by 9ft) I'm pretty picky about my whites and i know what you mean when there's no side by side to compare. Lets just say i'm kind of spoiled having a 133' Da-lite HP in the house!
I'll report back once i get going......and i'm almost scared to start......i've painted for over 30+ years and painting around the house comes last!.....but once i get going you can be sure i've got all the tools/sprayers/paint shakers/experience etc to hopefully make a contribution back to "the cause" Thanks again-Fritz

[wbassett]

Fritz wrote:

I'm pretty picky about my whites and i know what you mean when there's no side by side to compare. Lets just say i'm kind of spoiled having a 133' Da-lite HP in the house!
I'll report back once i get going......and i'm almost scared to start......i've painted for over 30+ years and painting around the house comes last!.....but once i get going you can be sure i've got all the tools/sprayers/paint shakers/experience etc to hopefully make a contribution back to "the cause" Thanks again-Fritz

Like everything in life, we all have differernt personal preferences and tastes. Some people want deep dark blacks, others are white level afficianatos. Neither is right or wrong, what matters is what you like.

So far there is no magic screen, either in DIY or commercial, one that has the deepest darkest blacks of the best gray screen while having the whitest and brightest whites of the best white screen.

You sound like you prefer white levels over blacks. Unless you're combating light issues that is washing the screen image out, I am not sure if you would like a gray screen no matter how good it is.

The beauty of DIY and especially using paint is that a person can quickly and inexpensively run a test on a gray screen and see if they like it without being out a significant amount of money.

As far as painting a screen, it really isn't as difficult as it has been made out to be. If you've been painting as long as you said, then you will have no trouble painting a screen. If a person can paint a room in their house they can paint a screen.

[Fritz]

wbassett-I hear ya about "no magic screen".......and no i'm not just a "white" freak. I just can't stand gray/dull ice while watching hockey. I'm hoping the BW's aluminum will bring those whites out along with the gray helping the blacks with some ambient light. When i said "i'm almost scared" to start down the painting route it's because i might catch the "bug" you guys have!!!
Looks like i've got the sniffle's already!