Coatings World - February 2011

The
Market

Fueled by an increased interest in the DIY segment, as well as the development of higher performance waterborne formulations, the wood coatings market has shown some tentative signs of recovery.

by Kerry Pianoforte, Associate Editor

After weathering a number of challenging years, wood coat- ings manufacturers are reporting some signs of improve- ment. As the economy and housing market continue to struggle, more people are foregoing costly renovation projects and are instead focusing on smaller do-it-yourself (DIY) projects.

“People are engaging in more DIY projects,” said Jacquelyn Ferrara, director of marketing, Minwax, Sherwin-Williams wood care products. “They are focusing on repair projects as well as smaller projects that improve their home’s aesthetic appeal in an economical fashion. The current economy, and the very tentative recovery, is causing consumers to adjust to a new normal in which they are not able to move into a newer or bigger home.” This trend is turning many consumers into DIYers who are focusing on smaller home improvements projects that increase the enjoyment of their home, even if it does not increase the value. “The bottom line is we see more people entering the DIY market, some because they want to, many because they have to,” said Ferrara.

2010 was a difficult year for the paint industry as a whole and
the stain market was no exception, according to Jeff Spillane, sen-
ior product manager at Benjamin Moore. “However, Benjamin
Moore still recorded a strong year with nice growth that was due,
in large part, to the exterior stain market,” he said. “With a slight im-
provement in the housing market we expect a strong year in 2011.”
For Thompson’s Water Seal, a brand specifically geared to-
ward cleaning and waterproofing exterior wood, the economic
downturn did not hit as hard as in other categories, according to
Mike Kozlowski, director of marketing, Thompson’s Water Seal.
“Consumers may not be building elaborate outdoor kitchens,
but they can spend under $100 to restore the deck that they
have,” he said. “We did see positive sales in 2009 and 2010, and
we expect positive sales again for 2011.”

Key Markets Driving Growth

Although there are a number of alternative substrates available, wood still remains a top choice for both residential and commercial structures.

The availability of wood, its flexibility in fabrication and decorative beauty causes it to be present everywhere, which also requires maintenance to maintain it’s beauty and usefulness, said Timothy O’Reilly, director of marketing wood care, Rustoleum Corp. “Commercial maintenance is constant whether on the wa-