Challenges in the Adoption of Recycled Paints

Facility managers are increasingly turning to recycled paints and coatings for their building maintenance projects, recognizing the cost and environmental benefits of using these eco-friendly alternatives to ordinary paints. The performance of recycled paint is at par with standard paint but brings huge benefits in zero waste disposal, lower environmental hazards and lower transportation costs.

Despite this change in mindset for facility managers and building owners, however, the adoption rate of recycled paints and coatings is still very slow relative to the increasing urgency to prevent further environmental harm. There exists a huge gap in linking recycled paint manufacturers and the target users.

To bridge this marketing gap, government organizations work closely with recycled paint suppliers to harness the capabilities of the Internet as a powerful marketing medium. Through Internet campaigns, recyclers and users have established linkages together. One best example is Michigan’s sponsoring of an online directory listing for recycled materials suppliers and manufacturers, where Internet users can browse the list and link up with suppliers listed in the directory.

To market recycled paints and coatings further, the EPA joined with environmental agencies and conducted a performance comparison of recycled paints and ordinary paints. The results for recycled paint were generally positive, such as its good performance in metal surface applications, user satisfaction and willingness to reuse, strength and resistance to various environment conditions, and cost benefits. There were minor constraints such as wood surface non-adherence and color match problems encountered during the comparative tests. The constraints were later addressed by recycled paint manufacturers, proving that in general, recycled paints can be as marketable as standard paints in terms of performance.

Green Benefits of Recycled Paints

Facility managers are becoming more and more aware that using green products like recycled paints and coatings to their building and maintenance projects lessen the harmful impact of such projects to the environment while gaining significant cost reductions. Recycled paints and coatings are also known to offer high quality performance and can compete for product quality when compared with ordinary paints.

What makes recycled paints and coatings environment-friendly? One important factor is that the uses of recycled paints lessen waste emissions. That lessens the danger and complexity of waste disposal activities, which in turn decreases the chances of leaving environmental hazards during the process of disposal.

Another very important benefit in using recycled paints and coatings is the significant amount of savings that can be realized from building projects involving recycled paints. The cost-savings come mostly from lower expenses, zero waste disposal costs and, because recycled paints are produced locally, significant decrease in transportation costs.

The factors mentioned are substantiated by a recent performance and price comparison conducted to compare recycled and non-recycled paints. The comparison confirmed what is more or less obvious, that recycled paints are economically and environmentally viable.

The case of the Portland Water Bureau is a good example of the benefits of recycled paint. When the Water Bureau needed to re-paint their water tanks, they used recycled paint completely for the project. Doing so resulted to 75% lesser project expenditures. The project realized nearly $3,500 savings because of the use of recycled paints.

Going Green with Recycled Paint

One of the environment-friendly options that facility managers can adopt for building projects is the use of recycled paint as an alternative to ordinary paints. Recycled paint is a more viable choice because it offers significant cost reductions and decreases the harm done to the environment. Recycled paint also provides the same level of quality finish to buildings as ordinary paints.

Not all paints can be recycled, however. Oil-based paints are not recyclable, but any water-based and latex paint are. Recyclable paints and coatings are either recycled through re-blending or reprocessing methods.

Re-blending is the process of re-mixing the paint and carefully screening the mixture for any hard materials or fragments. If any solid materials exist, these are removed to improve smoothness and consistency of the recycled paint. Because re-blending is a straightforward process of re-combining paints, only neutral-colored paints and coatings undergo re-blending. Because of this limitation, only projects like graffiti removal, exterior painting, or undercoating can use re-blended paints, where the limited colors and aesthetics are not an issue.

Reprocessing, on the other hand, is the process of combining the paint with new additional components. The recycled paint that results through reprocessing is available in a wider choice of tints and therefore can be used for a wider range of applications.

Facility managers often turn to paints and coatings suppliers that have passed certification standards for recycled paints and coatings, such as the certification and testing program offered by the Master Painters Institute for recycled paint manufacturers.

Going Green with Painting & Coatings

Facility managers, commercial painting contractors, paint manufacturers and raw material suppliers are joining the efforts of government organizations to alleviate environmental damage by searching for better ways to adopt green products, methods and technology used on buildings and properties. They are aware that going green helps lessen negative impact to the environment and brings cost savings to building projects.

At present, there are several best practices and advancements in painting technologies that not only consider the welfare of the environment but also maintain the same high quality paint performance as that of non-green paints and coatings.

One of these noteworthy green methodologies is the application of a second coating in building projects. This practice is eco-friendly because it not only requires very little surface preparation and materials, it also guarantees a longer life to the building and provide stronger protection against daily wear-and-tear.

Another green practice is the proper storage and disposal of paints and coatings. Proper storage extends the usefulness of any paint for future projects, and proper disposal ensures lesser waste contaminants are released to the environment. It is also a viable practice to buy only the right amount of paint or coatings for a particular project to eliminate the cost of extra or unused paint.

Another environment-friendly option is to use recycled paint as an alternative to ordinary paints. Recycled paint offers the same degree of performance as standard paints while at the same time lessening the harm to the environment.

Epoxy Coating Application

All types and shapes of steel surfaces that are subjected to fusion-bonded epoxy (FBE) coating follows three important steps such as surface preparation through blast cleaning, heating the steel material to recommended temperatures, and epoxy application and material curing/drying.

After being thoroughly blast-cleaned, the steel materials are subjected to a heating process that increases their temperature to the recommended level for FBE. Dry epoxy powder is then ejected from spray nozzles and aimed towards the steel materials. As the dry epoxy powder is released, the powder particles acquire electrical charges that are attracted to the grounded steel bars. The dry powder melts upon contact with the heated surface, liquefying and flowing into the steel's surface. As it flows it seeps through the ribs and deformations in the rough surface. The heat further induces a chemical reaction that turns the epoxy powder molecules into complex cross-linked polymers, fusion-bonding the steel material with its epoxy coating permanently.

The epoxy-coated material is then allowed to dry for around 30 seconds before being doused with either air or water to reduce temperature quickly for easy handling.

The process of manufacturing epoxy coating and the coating process itself produce little waste and release zero contaminants to the environment. Epoxy coating is considered an efficient and environment-friendly alternative to protective coatings.

Surface Preparation for Epoxy Coating

The fusion-bonded epoxy (FBE) coating method follows three important steps during its application. These are surface cleaning and preparation, heating of the steel material at the correct temperature, and the application and curing stage.

Epoxy coating plants commonly coat steel materials that are pre-cut in straight lengths of around 40 to 60 feet. The steel bars are then cut and bent to meet project specifications before being carried through a conveyor system and subjected to the epoxy coating process. The pre-cut shapes of these pipes and bars pass through the blast cleaner room, the dry powder application booth, the drying section, until the process of epoxy coating is completed for each part.

To prepare steel surfaces for the epoxy coating process, the first stage which is blast cleaning is done on each steel part. Blast cleaning releases compressed air unto the steel surface, launching steel abrasives such as grit, garnet, or coal slag that strikes against the steel surface. The abrasives effectively remove rust, scales and dirt from the steel surface. The abrasives also create minute indentations or pock marks in the surface of the steel material, resulting to a rough surface finish called the profile. The profile provides better anchorage for epoxy coating when it is later applied to the steel bar.

Proper blast cleaning of the steel materials ensure that the surfaces of these materials are fully prepared for the succeeding processes in epoxy coating which are heating the materials to proper temperature, fusion-bonding the epoxy to the materials, and curing and drying them in the final stages.

Fusion-Bonded Epoxy (FBE) Coating

Epoxy coatings are a very viable and green alternative to protective coating. Facility managers intending to comply with federal and local regulations on environment protection and conservation should consider using epoxy coatings in their protective coating and maintenance projects.

One method of epoxy coating is fusion-bonded epoxy (FBE) coating, which is often used in industries requiring corrosion-free steel pipes and fittings. Fusion-bonded epoxy coating involves the application of epoxy coating to steel pipes, rebars (reinforcement bars), pipes and valves to protect the structures from corrosion for a long time.

The FBE process starts with dry epoxy powder melted at prescribed temperatures of around 180 to 250°C (360 to 480 °F). At the correct temperature, the epoxy powder turns into liquid form and adheres into the steel surface. Once the liquefied epoxy powder dries, it cross-links or "fusion-bonds" to every square-inch of the steel surface permanently. This means the epoxy coating applied to the steel material is impervious to any external changes from then on, thereby protecting the steel structure effectively and permanently.

Because epoxy coating is made from eco-friendly organic resin, surfaces applied with epoxy coatings are guaranteed free from environmentally-hazardous solvents or substances often found in ordinary paint. Such dangerous substances often come off the surface when subjected to natural elements like air and water, potentially causing health and safety risks to users and the environment.

Why Epoxy Coatings are Eco-Friendly

Facility managers searching for eco-friendly ways to manage and maintain their building properties turn to epoxy coating when it comes to protective coating projects. Epoxy coating is one of the most environmentally-friendly methods of protective coating because it comes from organic plant sources, it is manufactured in a way that releases no bio-hazards to the environment, and when applied as protective coating, it has no contaminants that could endanger the safety of humans and the environment.

Epoxy coating is a product of natural and organic resin, which comes from coniferous trees and plants abundant in the environment. Resin is valuable because of its unique ability to combine with varied compounds and produce useful products like varnish, adhesives, perfumes, and, of course, epoxy coating, among others.

Epoxy resin is carefully manufactured through the process of polymerization, wherein resin is combined with the right amount of catalyzing agents, fillers, and pigments to turn into dry epoxy powder. The dry powder, when heated at the right temperature, has the ability to melt and react with surface substrates like steel bars, forming complex cross-linked polymers. After a proper amount of time spent on curing and drying, epoxy coating provides strong, UV-resistant, and permanent protection to any steel material it was applied to.

Encapsulation Lead Abatement Contractors

Encapsulation is a safe, effective and less expensive option for facility managers to take when they are faced with the need to conduct lead abatement activities. As opposed to standard lead removal solutions, encapsulation drastically cuts down the cost of the lead abatement project because it requires less time and manpower to implement. Encapsulation also eliminates the need to cleanup any removed lead paint after the project, hence no additional cost for contaminated waste disposal is incurred.

Encapsulation is a fairly simple and straightforward process. It involves applying a multiple coating of encapsulating solvent to bind lead paint back to the building surface, and seal the lead paint tightly, thereby effectively removing the danger of lead exposure and poisoning.

Although the process is straightforward, encapsulation still requires the expertise of a properly-trained encapsulation worker. In fact, any lead abatement work should always be done by certified lead abatement contractors to comply with safety regulations. Furthermore, lead abatement through encapsulation need to use approved encapsulant solvents only, due to the high degree of risk when working with lead.

In the event that the facility manager hire a professional painting contractor that has no certifications for lead abatement, the painting contractor should contract out the lead abatement activity to a certified lead abatement contractor.

Is Your Building a Candidate for Encapsulation?

For lead abatement projects, the encapsulation technique is a safe and cost-effective alternative to standard lead removal solutions that not only take a lot of time and materials to implement, but also has to add post-project contaminated waste disposal to the total lead abatement cost.

Facility managers need to be aware, however, that encapsulation will work only for certain building conditions. The overall condition of the painted surface and the building environment will be the key factors to consider on whether to encapsulate or not.

For example, upon examination of the painted surface, it is found out that the lead-based paint chips off in large and loose chunks. Then the encapsulation procedure has a high chance of becoming unsuccessful in completely re-attaching the loose material to the building surface. Only smaller chips of paint can undergo the encapsulation process -- being softened and re-bound to the surface using multiple application of encapsulating solvent. In cases of large and thick chips of lead-based paint, the building will have to undergo lead removal by a certified lead abatement worker.

Another factor to consider on whether or not the building is qualified for encapsulation is the expected environment conditions of the facility. If the building is most likely to have a high-friction or high-impact environment, then the building is not a candidate for encapsulation. Constant friction will eventually wear out the encapsulation coating and leave the original lead paint exposed once again. Severe and continuous impacts can also crack the paint and produce chips of dangerous lead paint.

Encapsulation can provide lead abatement solutions at a much lower cost than standard lead removal techniques. It is up to the facility manager to decide whether the building is suited for encapsulation or not.

How Lead Abatement through Encapsulation Works

Lead-painted facilities must undergo lead abatement activities to lessen the safety and health risks to building users. Safety regulations stringently require facility owners to comply with lead-poisoning prevention programs and maintain the building's lead-safety level. But the cost involved in lead removal is often painfully high for building owners. The encapsulation technique of lead abatement offers a more affordable alternative.

How does encapsulation work? Health hazards from lead-based paints often come from the possible ingestion by humans of the heavy metal lead. Lead is chipped off the building surface as loose fragments of paint or contaminated dust, waiting dangerously for building users to inhale or absorb the fragments.

Encapsulation is a simple process of applying a coating to the lead-painted surface of the building to enclose the lead paint within. Encapsulation will re-bind loose fragments of lead paint back to the existing substrate or surface of the building.

Encapsulation initially involves a solvent being applied to the existing paint, softening the coating. A properly trained worker then smooth the old paint layers down, effectively gluing back the lead paint in place. Finally, a tough outer coating is applied to the building surface, successfully encapsulating the lead paint within.

Encapsulation offers a less costly alternative to standard lead abatement removal techniques that require a large amount of time and materials to implement. Unlike standard lead removal, encapsulation will not remove the lead paint but instead seal it, eliminating the added cost of contaminated waste disposal.

Lower Lead Abatement Costs through Encapsulation

Facilities painted using lead paint are required to conduct lead abatement procedures to mitigate the risk to building users. Lead-based paints are known to contain the heavy metal lead, which gives the benefit of speeding up the drying of paint, make the painted facility look constantly fresh, and allow the property to resist corrosion and increase its durability. However, recent studies and reports have revealed that lead is a dangerous substance that can cause health risks to people, especially children.

Because of the health risks involved, lead abatement activities must be conducted in facilities with lead paint. However, the cleanup of lead hazards in buildings often cost a staggering amount of money. This is because lead abatement often involves a lot of time and material, as well as considerable effort in paint removal and waste disposal. One way to ease the financial burden of lead abatement activities is to implement a technique called encapsulation.

With encapsulation, facility owners could realize substantial savings in lead abatement costs. In 2001, for example, the Fort Ord Reuse Authority conducted an extensive renovation of the military base. Some buildings and facilities in the base where found to contain lead in their paints, necessitating lead removal. Some of the buildings were subjected to standard lead removal techniques, while other buildings were encapsulated. When the costs of both techniques were compared, there was a 25% savings in encapsulation.

If the facility needs to undergo lead abatement, and upon evaluation, it is found to qualify for encapsulation instead of standard lead removal techniques, it is more advisable to use encapsulation because of the significant cost-savings.

Facilities Maintenance – Factors for Consideration

Professional coatings contractors have the proven experience to do facilities maintenance efficiently and effectively. The added benefit that building owners get when they decide to hire the right industrial coatings contractor is the guarantee for the work done. This work guarantee provides the facility manager with assurance that in case the job was not properly done or the finished product has a defect or problem, the industrial coatings contractor will shoulder the cost of re-doing the job, not the building owners.

Another important consideration why building owners often hire the right industrial coatings contractor is the complexity of the requirements for the maintenance project. The factors that make the project complex or not are the following:

• Type of coating
• Strength, durability
• Drying and/or curing time
• Cost of equipment needed
• Cost of labor based on time
• Downtime for facility
• Condition of surface

If the combined factors, when assessed in light of the project requirements, result to a complexity that, when evaluated against the skills of the in-house maintenance crew, turns out to be beyond their capability to deliver, then the decision to hire an industrial coatings contractor will be a better and safer choice.

In the hands of the right industrial coatings contractors, the combination of these factors will assure that the facility maintenance job will be successful. For example, choosing the most appropriate coating product, and having the right equipment and technology will ensure that the building surface will be protected from damages. Building walls and facades can be protected from microorganism damage and pollution when the correct product is applied, because the type of building surface has been carefully considered.

Facility maintenance is an indispensable activity to keep a building in good condition. It is up to the facility manager to weigh the requirements of any maintenance project and decide on a case-to-case basis, while taking careful consideration of the environmental regulations and technical factors for the project, on whether to hire the right industrial coatings contractor or leave the project to the in-house maintenance team.

Facility Maintenance - Keeping Maintenance In-House

There are facility maintenance projects that can be done by the in-house maintenance crew rather than the industrial coatings contractor. These are often small jobs that are better performed by the facility’s resident crew for the reason of keeping the cost of the said jobs to a minimum.

It is up to the building owner to make the decision of who will do the job – the in-house maintenance crew or an industrial coatings contractor. The main basis for the decision, however, must always depend on the expertise of the maintenance engineering staff who will do the maintenance project.

Why? The skills, or lack of it, of the in-house maintenance crew is a big factor to the cost that the project will incur, as well as to the quality of the finished work. When the maintenance staff has the proven expertise to complete the job on time, in good quality, and at the same time meeting regulatory standards for the project, then the job can be done in-house.

Small jobs like floor resealing in a small warehouse will require only a small maintenance crew and a weekend to complete. Safety standards will still be met as there are no hazardous materials to be applied in the project. In this case, the in-house maintenance team can capably handle this job with little risk and significant savings.

One disadvantage of in-house maintenance, however, is the lack of a guarantee as to the quality of the finished product. Unlike with industrial coatings contractors, if the job does not meet quality standards, it falls to the building owner to shoulder the cost of re-doing the job. But this problem can be prevented if the facility manager has determined even before the project started that the in-house workers have the necessary skills and tools to do the job.

Facility Maintenance - When to Hire an Industrial Coatings Contractor

Facility maintenance projects that involve industrial coatings are often subject to strict environmental regulations for human protection and safety. In addition to environmental regulations, there are other factors in a maintenance project that require the expertise of an industrial painting contractor. These factors are performance of the coating product, product strength and durability, and coating product life cycle.

The industrial coating contractor can provide the most accurate specifications for the maintenance project. The contractor can also arrive at the necessary warranties for the products and services to be rendered.

Most often in facility maintenance projects, surface repairs need to be done on the property before the coating can be applied. An experienced coating contractor can provide surface repairs and add it to the total cost of the project. As to project cost, the coating contractor can draw up a cost breakdown of time, materials and labors required by the project, based on cost factors like the type of building surface and its current condition, the preparation time, and the type of application or product to be used.

There are cases, however when an in-house maintenance crew is best suited for a particular maintenance project. Many coating jobs need to be conducted in a series of time schedules, and an in-house crew can work around the facility’s schedule to reduce downtime. Building owners must always consider tenants and clients before implementing any maintenance project, and downtime scheduling adds to the challenge of implementing the project. Hence a flexible in-house crew can serve this purpose better.

Facility Maintenance – Hire an Industrial Coatings Contractor or Keep it In-House?

The maintenance of a building or facility is a necessary process that has to be conducted in order to keep the building in good condition. It is an essential activity done regularly to increase the life span and livability of the facility. Facility managers and building owners consider building maintenance as an unavoidable cost of ownership, and a necessary overhead expense in operating the facility.

In addition, industrial coatings are usually subject to environmental regulations covering issues on air, water and waste that aim to protect users or residents of the building from environmental hazards. One specific regulation is the EPA’s Solvent Emissions Directive (SED) PG6/23 2007 Compliance regulation that aims to reduce solvent emissions in industrial coatings.

Because of the cost involved and the need to comply with environmental regulations, it is often more advisable to obtain the help of the right industrial coatings contractor before beginning any kind of maintenance project. The industrial coatings contractor can provide accurate cost estimates and ensure project compliance to environment regulations.

On the other hand, there are certain jobs that are more cost-efficient when done in-house. Small jobs like floor re-sealing require only a small maintenance crew and a span of two days or so to complete. As long as the in-house crew has the appropriate skill-set, in-house maintenance can sometimes be more cost-beneficial.

It is the responsibility of the facility manager or building owner to weigh carefully the pros and cons of hiring an industrial coatings contractor versus keeping the job in-house. Factors such as cost, downtime, performance, safety and quality standards will be the yardstick from which to base the final decision of who to hire to ensure the success of the building maintenance project.