Kerry Pianoforte, Editor
Demand for wood protection coatings and preservatives is expected to advance 4. 5 percent per year through 2018 to $4.8 billion, The Freedonia Group reported in
their study “Solvents.” Growth in the industry will primarily be
driven by a rebound in residential construction activity, which in
turn bene;ts the major applications in which wood coatings and
preservatives are used – namely furniture, decking and siding.
“Further advances will be restrained by the rising use
of non-wood materials in several key applications,” said
Freedonia analyst Katherine Brink. “Coatings and preserva-
tives will be limited in siding, where wood is forecast to account
for a shrinking share of demand and faces ;erce competition
from alternative materials.” In decking applications, although
wood still dominates, plastic composite decking continues to
erode wood’s share, which also puts a dent in wood protection
product sales.
Freedonia predicts that demand for coatings is projected to
rise 4. 7 percent annually through 2018. Maintenance end uses
account for a slightly higher share of coatings demand, driven
by the needs of the large existing base of wood items. Even
so, Freedonia analysts contend that demand for new coatings
in construction-related applications will be the primary impe-
tus for accelerating demand gains through 2018. Demand for
wood preservatives is expected to increase 2.7 percent annually
through 2018. Gains will be supported by the rising production
of pressure-treated lumber as construction activity rebounds.
Faster advances will be restrained by the maturity of a number
of applications, such as railroad products and utility poles.
Wood coatings manufacturers continue to
enjoy positive growth as a result of a robust
housing market.
Wood Coatings
Market
Photo courtesy of Rust-Oleum
