"How Much Wear and Roughness is the Right Amount" Topic

As I was working on my Post Apocalyptic Law Stronghold I started wondering just how much rust and worn affect should be evident on a Post Apocalyptic building or complex. As I was working away I kept thinking that part looks just too clean for the after event or that should have a little more rust, and then started to question why.

I then kept considering my back story, and took the assumption that resources were scant and dwindling, sort of a Mad Max approach, therefore buildings, and barrier walls, etc. might not get the repair they do in today's environment. But still questioned just how much was the right amount of disintegration was the right amount?

Would be interested in others thoughts on this.

Terry

Man, I totally imagined the topic being about something else. :)

Dan

How long after the "event" are you scenarios based?

Depends more on your theme and backstory.

Atomic bomb, acid rain, bio weapon…
Desert sands or winter fallout

Then again, its your effort so you should make it as you like.
For myself….I like a faded blasted paint, spots of bare metal, and minimal rust

Unless your building was painted with one of the new 21st century high tech paint systems, you should expect paint to start peeling after about 3 years in a temperate, non-marine environment. If you juice up the UV exposure, severe low or high temperatures, increased humidity, or marine environments this substantially accelerates. For the portions of your building that were not painted on site, but coated in a factory environment (things like gutters, metal window frames, metal doors, etc.) the point of degradation will occur much later. You should also expect substantial paint fading due to UV exposure over the long run. Of course, if your secret lair has vinyl siding you can expect minimal wear and color-fastness for a generation or more. You should also expect substantial mold and algae to grow on your building in a humid environments where the sun does not regularly shine (northern exposures in the northern hemisphere). Last, if the power has been off for more than a month, in an area with a high water table failure of the sump pumps will lead to substantial internal decay due to the spread of black mold starting in the crawl-space and crawling up the walls. So, 10 years out a typical building will look shabby, 20 years out it will look derelict, and 30 years out parts of it will start to fall into ruin.

Google some images of Chernobyl. It might give you some idea of appropriate wear.

Thanks for the replies. I am asking this as more of a general question rather than how to paint my stuff. You all do point out a very key component – how long after and what was the cause. The first paragraph of the back story I've written for my approach answers that for me, which is I can allow plenty of rot and decay, not to mention plenty of rust!

Just for grins, here's that opening paragraph, and then you can look at my Law and my Road Warrior Strongholds to see how I have approached it.

The Wasteland

The apocalypse, yes there was an apocalypse. How long ago had it been now, but more importantly exactly what was it. Was it radiation from the bombs, or viruses from chemical weapons, or some other overwhelming agent of catastrophe. Those who remained weren't sure they could remember any more, they just knew there had been an apocalypse. In fact, they couldn't forget that because for far too long now the world was no longer as it had been before this time. Perhaps as new generations who didn't know of the world before grew up in these post apocalyptic times – a new and more wholesome environment might evolve. But only maybe and only time would tell.

But back to my question, I guess there is no real answer. The Chernobyl pictures are a big help in my opinion and I'd not thought of them. Anyway, was just wondering how you all approached it.

Terry

as long as it isn't too shiny a good dull coat and some rust highlights

I love how PA movies always show so many fighters wearing tailored leather "weekend biker" outfits into the fight. So ridiculous, specially the shiny leather pants.

Dan