“We see momentum building for both residential and commercial exterior projects, not just for repainting, but also for
new construction projects,” Jaffe added.
“Yes, certainly improvements in the housing market are hav-
ing a positive impact,” agreed Karl Schmitt, vice president of
marketing research and design at Sherwin-Williams. “There are
more housing starts and we are seeing a positive impact on the
exterior architectural coatings market. In addition, to housing
starts, we are also seeing a positive trend with existing homes.
As more people stay in their home longer they are using more
exterior architectural coatings.”
“We anticipate that the improvements we are seeing will
have a positive impact on the exterior architec-
tural coatings market, although paint-
ing typically lags the Housing Starts
Index by 6 to 12 months,” added Laurie
Forbush, brand manager at PPG. “We
do expect a recovery in the U.S. as we
are seeing the key economic indicators
moving in a more positive direction. We
believe the recovery pace will be relative-
ly slow, but steady, over the next one to
five years.”
Sherwin-Williams, through its
Product Finishes Division, provides coat-
ings for exterior siding and windows to
both the new build and remodeling mar-
kets. “Typically known as machine
finishes, they are in demand for the
building and remodeling market
due to their ability to offer consis-
tent quality,” said Chuck Susnis,
market development director, wood and composite building
products, Sherwin-Williams Product Finishes. “They are cost
effective versus on-site painting or finishing, and weather condi-
tions become a non-factor. They also allow customers to obtain
custom colors on demand; builders and lumber yards do not
need to carry a large color palette on hand, reducing inventory
and costs. The coatings can be supplied to finishers on a just-
in-time basis, typically within 10 days or less for delivery. The
remodeling market has remained strong over the past year, and
new build is gaining steam.”
Green Building Fuels Growth
As this issue goes to press the U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC) will be launching v4, the newest version of LEED.
First introduced in 2000, LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) is a green building tool that addresses
the entire building lifecycle recognizing best-in-class building
strategies. As LEED and the green building movement continue
to gain momentum, exterior coatings manufacturers are devoting considerable time to developing coatings to meet these industry standards.
While there are several elements of green building, according
to Jaffe, the three that have an impact on the coatings industry
are energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality and efficient
use of materials and resources. As such, specific features, such
as biodegradability, water solubility and product durability –
resulting in less material used– are in demand.
To meet growing industry standards, Behr’s R&D labs work
closely with raw materials suppliers to determine how to help
meet customers’ project requirements while delivering prod-
ucts that adhere to recognized certifications. “For example, the
wetting and dispersing agents we use are being converted to
emission-free, ammonia-free, VOC-free versions and the pre-
servatives in Behr products are formaldehyde- and heavy met-
al-free,” said Jaffe. “Additionally, the zero-VOC products and
durable stain-resistant interior paints we offer improve in-
door environmental quality by eliminating exposure
to chemicals, reducing the amount of coats required
and extending product life.”
In recent years, Behr has
worked to meet and support
green building requirements.
In addition to releasing a
zero-VOC version of widely-used self-priming paint, Behr
Premium Plus, 77 percent of
all Behr Process Corporation
products sold in 2012 were
certified by MPI GreenGuard
and/or GreenSeal. Also earlier
this year the company added
another zero-VOC product
line under the Kilz Pro-X
300-Series label.
“By engineering our products to
last longer and reducing the number of coats required during
the painting process, we’ve made a gallon stretch much farther
than it used to,” added Jaffe. “To this end, coatings that demon-
strate extreme durability and excellent coverage Behr Marquee
Exterior Paint and Primer and Behr Premium Plus Ultra Exterior
Paint and Primer In One optimize material efficiency and offer a
‘do more with less’ solution to customers.”
PPG has a wide variety of low- and no-VOC products that
meet or exceed environmental standards, such as Greenguard
or the Collaborative for High Performing Schools (CHPS). “In
addition, our architectural representatives are LEED Accredited
professionals and can assist with LEED specifications, waste
management and compliance regarding VOC emissions at the
local level,” said Forbush. “We were also the first national paint
supplier to introduce a container recovery program allowing
customers to return any five-gallon plastic paint buckets used
for water-based products to most of our store locations. The
pails are then consolidated and sent to distribution centers for
shredding and recycling. In addition to its environmental ben-
efits, this program reduces customer costs by eliminating the
need to pay for empty-pail disposal”
Dunn-Edwards’ Greener by Design mission is to provide
the best performing paint and related suppliers by preserving
Emerald Exterior paint meets
the most stringent VOC
regulations.
