Coatings World - February 2017

rapid infrastructure development, this area has become a “ global sourcing hub for key companies owing to the region’s rapidly increasing demand for wood coating resins.” Additional growth factors include changing consumer preferences, improvement in the standards of living, and increased spending on infrastructure throughout Asia-Pacific.

Housing is back on the rise

Throughout 2016, many companies reported that the wood
coatings market saw steady growth. Chris Bradford, marketing
director, wood coatings, AkzoNobel Coatings, said that the mar-
ket grew overall around 2-3 percent “with bright spots in high
growth markets as well the mature market of the U.S. Growth
was evident in specific countries in Europe. The housing market
remained active for 2016.”
Looking specifically at the North American region, it is easy
to see that a healthier housing market has been a tremendous
market force. According to Jacquelyn Ferrara, director of mar-
keting at Minwax, “homeowners are investing in their homes
from molding to floors in the hopes of increasing their worth,
while buyers have become more keen to these details and are
willing to bid higher to have them.”
Changes in the demographics of the housing market are
also responsible for growth. Jason Olson, marketing director at
Rust-Oleum, pointed out that America’s Baby Boomer genera-
tion is “downsizing from traditional five-bedroom family hous-
es to updated three-bedroom homes or condos and finding their
heirloom furniture and décor is no longer scaled to fit the new,
sleekly designed contemporary environments.”
Millennials, he added, are driving their own trends as well.
Data points to millennials favoring environmentally-friendly
and repurposed furniture.

Joe Kujawski, global director of marketing, wood finishes, Sherwin-Williams, said that as first-time homebuyers enter the market, their goal is to make their house their own.

“As Millennials enter the housing market, they seek to make their homes and condos uniquely their own – a reflection of their individual style and taste,” Kujawski said. “To meet that demand, woodworkers not only need the right finishes that help them in terms of efficiency, durability and sustainability, but the right application systems as well. And it’s more than just finding the right finishes and equipment. It’s about finding a finishing supplier that has the right technical team and support to be there when help is needed, or advice is required to get the finish just right.”

Key drivers and performance specifications Because outdoor furniture and structures, such as decks, rely heavily on weatherproof coatings, changing climates are cause for adaptation in this market. Vanessa Manz, senior marketing manager, PPG Stains & Wood Care, said that wood care is a complex category with many factors affecting brand choice and project completion.

“Weather plays a huge role in this category and with no end
in sight for the trend of extreme weather, consumers are go-
ing to look to brands for products that give them more climate
flexibility and durability even in the most extreme weather,”
Manz said.
Durability goes hand in hand with longevity, which Mike
Kozlowski, director of marketing, Thompson’s WaterSeal, said
is a concern for consumers. “Our customers look for wood coat-
ing products that are able to handle the exterior elements year
over year (water, sun, snow, etc.) and also deliver long-lasting
beauty for their outdoor wood projects.”
In addition to outdoor furniture, indoor furniture, cabinetry
and flooring all need to withstand years of wear and tear. And
competition in the housing market is forcing manufacturers to
create “everything-proof” products at a faster pace than ever.
Sherwin-Williams’ Kujawski said that manufacturers “a beau-
tiful, class-A finish in as few steps as possible. They’re looking to
save labor, save materials, and increase throughput as much as
possible. They want to dial in their finishing process, take advan-
tage of new technologies, and get it right the first time.”
Kujawski added that waterborne coatings are vital to this
market as demand has increased, but VOC regulations have
likely increased.
“As a result,” he said, “waterborne as a category is growing, even
for manufacturers with more intricate goods. Today’s waterborne
finishes look, feel, apply and dry more to the aesthetics manufactur-
ers are used to from solvent-based finishes; they deliver a beauti-
ful, durable appearance; contain zero or low levels of VOCs; help
shops get greater productivity from their staffs as there is no need
for respirators and no solvent odors; and they reduce costs as there
is no need to buy cleaning solvents (hazard and fire insurance can be
reduced with fewer chemicals onsite), and increased throughput.”
In addition to durability and longevity, robust application is
a major focus in this market. AkzoNobel’s Woods said that there
is also a desire for waterborne with solventborne performance
(application is key), and a need for longer-term warranties for
exteriors. The latter is driven in part by growth in multi-story
wooden buildings in Europe, Woods said.
“We see opportunities here for added value products which
reduce the downstream service cost,” he said.

Additionally, there is a focus on increased surface durability in applications such as cabinets and flooring. Woods said scratch and stain resistance – with additional surface function-ality such as antimicrobial – are also considerations.