Green Survival Guide – Innovative Materials

For the painting company aiming to comply with the green requirements of a building, having a deep commitment to be a part of the facility’s core environment team means bringing in the needed knowledge and expertise to deliver painting services that are eco-friendly and cost-effective at the same time.

Painting companies know that although low- to zero-VOC painting formulations maybe more expensive than regular paints, the long-term benefits far outweigh the initial investments. And in the hands of skilled painting company personnel, the ecologically-friendly painting products and materials applied will contribute greatly to improvements in the indoor and even outdoor air quality of the building.

With the help of qualified painting company contractors, facility managers can choose the right painting products to protect and repair their facilities. Veering away from solvent-based paint, for instance, may have added cost, but are less damaging to the environment than regular solvents, as most painting companies know. This also applies to primers, enamels, finishes, top coats, and glosses. Chemicals and other toxic substances that are used in the manufacture of coating products should be avoided, and potentially harmful processes such as surface preparation, blasting, and even waste disposal should be properly executed by the painting company to limit damages.

With human health and environmental safety as the main goals, painting company contractors implement repair and maintenance work using the most ecologically-friendly paint products, materials and application techniques to complete the green building initiative.

Green Facilities Need not be Costly

With building tenants demanding to stay in more eco-friendly facilities, building owners are keen in implementing a green environmental policy to keep tenants satisfied. Painting companies who provide coating services to these facilities need to adhere to the green requirements, as a result.

Facility managers need the help of a key group of people who can manage the green initiatives, composed of service and maintenance groups, a LEED expert, representatives from the tenant, and inputs from external service contractors like the painting company who provides coating maintenance to the facility.

One of the common impressions about green initiatives is that it could be costly to the facility. In the case of coating products to use for repair and maintenance works, painting companies that use alternatives to harmful solvents and paints may accrue higher cost on low- and zero-VOC paints, but with manufacturers working hard at the drawing boards, the advent of less-expensive eco-friendly paints is already a reality in the market.

When faced with buying a new equipment or product which is more eco-friendly than the norm, facility managers need to consider that although green products may be more costly than regular ones, but returns on investment will be greater because green products last longer and at the same time lower other costs. For instance, the green paint that a painting company applied on the facility saves on health and medical bills and irate tenants that are far costlier than the actual cost of clean and safer breathing air.

Green Survival Guide – the People Factor

To implement and sustain a green building plan for the facility, the people factor is one of the key points for success. This involves the creation of a deeply committed team to lead the design, implementation, monitoring and reporting of all activities involved in turning the building green. In the case of indoor air quality, the team can work with the painting company to implement less-harmful painting applications within the facility.

The team should be composed of the facility manager and people from the maintenance and service groups, and representatives from the tenants. The tenants are direct recipients of the environmental changes, such as in the case of the painting company who conduct coating maintenance work on the building, where issues on health and safety are directly felt by tenants.

A LEED-certified expert can also be invited to provide valuable input in the implementation of environment-friendly initiatives. When it comes to energy utilization, water conservation or waste disposal, even the choice of paint, the manner by which it was prepared and applied, and the way it was disposed of afterwards, can be detrimental to tenants, and painting companies could benefit from the guidelines outlined by the LEED system and EPA to become compliant.

External contractors, such as painting companies, that are periodically called upon to conduct repairs and maintenance work in the facility should also be engaged. The commitment of external contractors like painting companies is particularly important, because the e products and application methods they use can cause harmful emissions to be released in the environment. Only their serious commitment and proven capability to deliver green projects can ensure the success of the environment plan for the facility.

Green Survival Guide for Building Owners and Managers

With consumers being more environment-conscious than ever, businesses are compelled to abide by their clients’ demands for cleaner and more efficient products, in order to increase sales and remain marketably competitive.

The green-conscious building tenant in many ways also affects a painting company providing industrial and commercial painting services. Facility managers aiming to satisfy tenants come up with sound environmental policies that cover the greenest practices and products. Since painting companies provide coating services to facilities, indoor and outdoor air quality is directly affected by the quality of coatings applied by the painting company contracted to do the job. The need for low-to zero-voc painting products compel facility managers to choose only the appropriate painting company who can use these products and apply them properly in the facility.

In creating the environmental policy of the building or facility, facility managers must rely on expert suppliers or contractors to advice on green practices for the building, such as a green-conscious painting company who can advise on the best painting products and methodologies to use. In the implementation of the environmental plan for the facility, service suppliers such as painting companies should have the capability to comply with the facility’s green requirements. More importantly, only service contractors or painting companies that have a serious commitment to the facility’s environment initiatives should be chosen by facility managers to make the environmental plan succeed.

Low-VOC Polyurethane Deck Coating Materials

Deck repair and maintenance benefit greatly from a whole range of low-VOC polyurethane-based formulations that have come out of manufacturers' labs, offering flexibility, high-performance and enhanced aesthetic capabilities. These liquid-applied single-component deck coatings are moisture-cured, slip-resistant and very suitable for waterproofing low- to high-traffic or pedestrian areas.

There are various deck coatings products used in the complete and correct application of the deck coatings system. The primary material is the low-VOC polyurethane deck coatings whose main use is for waterproofing the deck membrane, commonly a one-part and self-leveling formulation that interacts with sand aggregates. Another deck coatings material is the two-component and solvent-based epoxy primer used for preparing concrete and metal deck surfaces before the actual coating application.

A single-component and non-staining polyurethane sealant is also used in deck coatings systems. The polyurethane sealant becomes rubber-like when cured at the right temperature, making it very flexible and tear-resistant. For increased slip- and wear-resistance, sand aggregates are broadcasted at every layer of deck coatings application. A polyurethane top coat completes the deck coatings system for added protection from ultra-violet exposure.

Low-VOC Polyurethane Deck Coatings for Medium-to Heavily-Trafficked Areas

The application of low-VOC polyurethane deck coatings in various types of deck surfaces vary only in the number of coatings applied and the length of curing time. The previous blog Low-VOC Polyurethane Deck Coatings for Lightly-Trafficked Areas talked about an overnight cure for freshly applied deck coatings, after which the surface is effectively usable to pedestrian traffic the next day.

In the case of medium- to heavily-trafficked decks, the same process of priming and surface preparation is done. As with low-trafficked deck areas, pinholes must be avoided and if unavoidable, an immediate repair of the pin-holed area should be conducted. A low-VOC polyurethane glaze is then roller- or brush-applied, and in some cases, spray painting is possible as long as this achieves a 0.4 millimeter film thickness. After that, the surface is left to cure overnight. The process is repeated the following day with another layer of deck coatings applied to the surface. Sand is then broadcasted on the wet surface and left to cure overnight again.

The coating, sanding and curing process is repeated in as many days as recommended by manufacturers, until a final top coat is applied and allowed to cure for 3 days to complete the deck coatings system.

Low-VOC Polyurethane Deck Coatings for Lightly-Trafficked Areas

Low-VOC polyurethane deck coatings have exhibited remarkable flexibility in any types of surfaces. For lightly-trafficked deck areas like patios, roof decks and sun decks, low-VOC deck coatings deliver high-quality repair and protection with proper application in the hands of skilled deck coatings and painting contractors.

Preparing lightly-trafficked deck surfaces follow a simple process. Low-VOC deck coatings are applied to primed concrete surface using one liter of paint to around 1.57 square meter of deck area, resulting in .63 centimeters of thickened film. Extra care should be taken when applying the deck coatings to avoid air pockets or pin holes. To prevent pinholes from occurring, deck coatings contractors need to apply the formulation as uniformly as possible. However, if pinholes are unavoidable, immediate repair should be done on the affected surface.

Once the surface has been properly prepared, a low-VOC glaze should be applied to the surface with the use of rollers, paint brush, or spray, achieving a 0.4 millimeter film thickness. Then a gallon of sand is quickly broadcasted uniformly into the wet surface, backrolling for even distribution. After leaving the surface to cure overnight, the deck surface is ready for pedestrian traffic the following day.

Low-VOC Polyurethane Deck Coating

For facility maintenance and repair projects involving decks, a range of low-VOC polyurethane-based formulations have come out of manufacturers' labs to widen the choices available to building owners and managers. This new line of deck coatings offers flexibility in any type of climate and weather conditions. The low-VOC polyurethane deck coatings are more functional and come with decorative characteristics. These unique features make low-VOC polyurethane deck coatings ideal for repairing, protecting, and enhancing all types of decks in industrial and commercial facilities.

How do polyurethane deck coatings deliver and maintain deck quality? For one, these deck coatings are commonly liquid-applied single-components coatings. Polyurethane deck coatings products also come in concrete, gray, or tan colors, adding more choices than before. Furthermore, low-VOC polyurethane deck coatings are moisture-cured and slip-resistant, which makes them very suitable for waterproofing highly-trafficked or pedestrian areas such as parking decks and roof decks.

Low-VOC deck coatings are also appropriate for exterior and interior applications because they retain their elastomeric properties even in extreme temperatures like freezing weather or intensely hot climate.

Future Trend in Industrial Coatings

The future outlook for industrial coatings points to increasingly green coatings in an attempt to totally eliminate high-VOC substances in paint formulations. The coatings industry is well aware of the large quantity of toxic substances that industrial coatings release in the environment, and, coupled with the alarming effects of global climate change felt everywhere in the planet, industrial contractors and facility managers are ever on the lookout for greener alternatives in industrial coatings. The future looks toward replacing solvent-based products with water-based solutions. Industrial contractors will someday use products that drastically reduce harmful VOC emissions in indoor and outdoor environments.

Cost benefit is another major consideration that drives the design of future industrial coatings. The main challenge in green coatings lies in keeping these products as cost-effective as solvent-based coatings. Sophisticated formulations of low-temperature curing coatings systems are also gaining ground, due to the obvious cost benefits. The same goes for universal primers, single-coat systems, and fast-curing systems.

Since the demand for coatings in the construction industry will continue to increase, coating performance in different temperatures, weather conditions, and environmental situations will also affect product formulation in years to come. Value-added features like thermal control, anti-microbial characteristics, scratch resistance, radiation and near-infrared curing, and nano-composites are some of the buzzwords that industrial contractors and facility managers will probably be very familiar with in the future of industrial coatings.

Industrial Coatings Application Trends

New trends in industrial coatings are pushing technological limits in coating products, giving industrial contractors and facility managers many options to choose from when it comes to selecting the best coating system for any specific industrial facility. Cutting-edge innovations in coatings formulations feature cost-effective, high-performing, long-lasting, aesthetically-improved, and environmentally-friendly products suitable for almost any type of application.

These new generation products inevitably require industrial contractors to increase their knowledge and expertise to keep up the with trend. Many industrial contractors add more specialized skills to their work force, training for more diverse and increasingly demanding application requirements. Skills in waterproofing, industrial coating and painting, tank lining, sealant caulking, and other specialized applications are added to industrial contractors' portfolio to allow them to handle any type, scope and scale of project.

Industrial contractors have also enhanced their skills in project planning and implementation. Their work ethics now focus on ensuring safer work environments, delivering quality coating solutions, and satisfying customer requirements. Furthermore, they have widened their database of painting products to suit any type of coating application. Industrial contractors use more innovative equipments and methodologies, with an eye in keeping costs to a minimum, while taking into consideration environmental concerns and compliance to industry standards and regulations.

New-Generation Industrial Coatings

New trends in industrial coatings are a result of intensive research and development to create high-performing and ecologically-friendly paint formulations that comply with industry standards and satisfy the requirements of industrial contractors and facility managers.

Facility managers aim for their industrial buildings to be well-designed, enduring, and beautiful. In response, industrial contractors adopt paints that have quick-drying features to lessen the downtime required by coatings application. These paints provide greater protection against corrosion and other natural damages, with minimal deterioration over time, increasing the longevity of the structure. And when before, drab and dull colors are the only choices for industrial coatings, industrial contractors now have innovative paints with more color choices, enhancing the facility's aesthetic appeal.

New generations of coatings range from epoxy-based coatings to oil-based latex paints that are infused with a myriad of unique and useful features, such as high-adhesion to any types of surface substrates and materials, and low-VOC emissions that reduce environmental damage. Specialty coatings based on urethanes and polyurethanes add to the wide variety. Most important, these quality coatings appeal to industrial contractors and facility managers because of their affordable and practical costs.

New Trends in Industrial Coatings

Industrial facilities today are enjoying the greater freedom of choice that comes from advances in industrial coatings technology. In choosing the most appropriate industrial coatings to use in specific projects, industrial contractors have a longer list of products to choose from. Years of research and development produced innovations in product formulations, enhancements in application methodologies, and even improvements in industry regulations and standards.

Changes in global market supply and demand have also made a great impact in furthering the advancement of quality industrial coatings. Industries in all parts of the world are increasing their demand for high-performance coatings, and the recent years have witnessed the entry of foreign manufacturers as key players in the industrial coatings business. Industrial contractors began increasing their products database and deepened their skills with an eye in becoming globally competitive, to the benefit of industrial facilities.

With mounting concerns over the harmful effect of industrial coatings emissions in the environment, industrial contractors turn to more ecologically-friendly coatings, creating a greater demand to manufacture green paints. And with the aid of federal regulations and industry standards, industrial contractors now have the capability to deliver the best quality and non-harmful coatings applications to industrial facilities.

Green Paints for Commercial Buildings

The commercial building industry releases significant quantities of pollutants in the atmosphere. One of the major contributors to air pollution are painting products that contain high-VOCs in their formulation. Since painting products are the most visible and tangible components of a building, green commercial building painting products are a prerequisite in green commercial buildings.

To satisfy the equation of "green paints equal green buildings,” a wide array of green formulations have come out of commercial building painting manufacturer's laboratories. Low- to zero-VOC formulations of solvents, primers, and coatings are out in the market, increasing the choices for facility managers when it comes to green commercial building painting products to use in their facilities. The use of water-based low- to zero-VOC paints, in particular, is gaining popularity because lesser carbon footprints are being released in the atmosphere. Facility managers are also consciously avoiding commercial building painting products with heavy metal components that can bring great health risks to building tenants.

Green formulations come with green methodologies for the proper handling, mixing, and application of green commercial building painting products, including their proper end-of-life waste disposal and recycling to lessen harmful environmental impacts.

Green Commercial Buildings and the EPA

The US Environmental Protection Agency or EPA is at the forefront of the initiatives to turn commercial buildings green. The EPA-led initiative for green commercial buildings has four (4) "flagship" green campaigns to encourage facility owners to undertake the green building transformation.

The first of these green campaigns is the Energy Star program for energy-efficient commercial buildings. The program urges commercial building owners to embark on a major energy efficiency implementation consisting of goal-setting, energy policy creation, and continuous improvement and monitoring of energy utilization. This focus necessitates the adoption of green commercial building painting products and methodologies to make the building energy-efficient.

Another program, the Indoor Environments Program, defines the indoor air quality (IAQ) and indoor environment quality (IEQ) for commercial facilities. Improving indoor ventilation means eliminating pollutants like the VOC emissions coming from commercial building painting products.

The Water Program drives water conservation in commercial buildings, and outlines the need for a committed team to champion the program within the facility. Implementing the Water Program entails the use of the proper equipments for water conservation and use, and a communication plan to encourage building tenants to participate in water conservation.

The reduction, reuse, and recycling program involve guidelines on proper waste disposal, and a listing of local recycling plants and waste haulers. This covers commercial building painting waste disposal, encouraging post-painting activities to be carefully implemented to prevent the release of VOCs in the atmosphere.

Green Design for Commercial Buildings

One of the important steps taken by the commercial building industry to lessen harmful VOC emissions being released to the environment is to begin the green initiative as early as in the design stage.

Teams of architects and designers are conceptualizing green buildings in their drawing boards, infusing environment-friendly ideas in their schematic designs. They come up with innovative ways to conserve energy, preserve water, dispose waste properly, and lessen VOC emissions from construction materials used in building construction, such as in commercial building painting products.

To design the green commercial building, planners often conduct an ocular inspection of the building site, taking in the natural condition of the area. This inspection provides designers with ideas on how to design the facility with enhanced energy efficiency, such as using natural light and shading to improve cooling and lighting in the facility, lessening energy costs. Water conservation is also a main criterion in the design of the green building.

Another integral part of the green building design is the use of ecologically-friendly commercial building painting products and application methods. To adhere to green standards, commercial building painting products that are less toxic and emit low- to zero-VOCS are used. Any commercial building painting product or technology that release toxic substances are often not included in a green building design.

This is because ecologically-conscious building designers aim to use only the right technologies, tools, and materials that increase the quality of the building but do little to harm the environment.

Steps You Can Take Now For a Green Commercial Building

The construction sector is known as one of the many industries that release significant amounts of pollutants in the atmosphere. Recognizing this, the building industry is embracing the Green Building Movement as a show of support to save the environment from harmful VOC emissions.

The greening of commercial buildings takes shape in the form of the following initiatives:

1. Designing green commercial buildings

Commercial building designers are conceptualizing green buildings in the drawing boards, with a mind to conserve water, use and reuse energy and dispose waste properly. The green design involves the use of the least harmful of materials, equipments, commercial building painting products, and construction methods, ensuring a well-constructed and environment-friendly commercial building.

2. The EPA guidelines for green commercial buildings

The US Environmental Protection Agency or EPA provides a comprehensive knowledge base to help the commercial building industry build greener facilities. EPA launched four "flagship" campaigns in the areas of energy conservation, air quality, water efficiency, and waste disposal. Integrated within the programs are the manufacture, use, and disposal of commercial building painting products to decrease VOC emission.

3. Green commercial building painting

The proper application and disposal of low- to zero-VOC commercial building painting products are essential in the construction of green buildings. Painting contractors with the commitment and skills to implement green building projects are increasing in demand as the green consciousness takes root among facility owners and managers.

Epoxy Coating Considerations for Decks and Floors

Industrial coatings contractors can provide the best quality work when it comes to applying epoxy coating systems to decks and floors. Applying epoxy coating begins with the correct surface preparation. To prepare deck or floor surfaces prior to coating, they should be thoroughly cleaned and dried. Only through a careful cleaning process will any minute dirt that can contaminate the surface be completely removed.

Coatings experts also decide at some point before epoxy coating is applied, whether or not to thin the coating mixture. Some applications may not require thinning of the epoxy coating, but in cases when thinning is recommended, the thinning and mixing should always comply carefully with specification standards.

After surface preparation, the next process that requires proper execution is the application process itself. Skilled coating applicators may apply the epoxy coating using brushes or rollers, depending on the preference of the applicator or the needs of the deck or floor to be coated. At all times, applicators should use only clean tools and equipments, again to prevent contaminating the surface with dirt or dust.

To observe safety prior, during and after application, harmful solvents must be handled carefully according to manufacturer's Material Safety Data Sheets. Safety guidelines should also be observed as early as during surface preparation until post-application cleanup and waste disposal, to avoid encountering health and safety risks to involved personnel and facility residents.

Decorative Use of Epoxy Coating

Epoxy coating products are often used for many industrial and commercial floors and decks, such as parking and sun decks, balconies, mechanical and industrial production rooms. The versatility of epoxy coating covers a wide spectrum of applications -- from protection and resistance to chemical and physical damages, as well as for preserving the aesthetic value of decks and floors in any facility.

For decorative coatings, a line of tough and light-reflective epoxy coating products are often used. These epoxy coating products maintain the resistant properties of ordinary epoxy coating, providing effective protection against abrasion and chemical damages. These high-gloss coatings shield decks and floors from hydrocarbon spillage and are often used as glazing for added protection of standard floor systems. These coatings are also used in decorative show rooms, pool decks, medical suits and patios.

Some epoxy coating systems are even safe and USDA-approved for the food service industry, protecting the concrete floors from constant food spills. Because they are grease- and chemical-resistant, they are ideally used in kitchens, cafeterias and restaurants. These epoxy coating products are also easy to clean and emits low to zero odor.

For protecting aggregate surfaces and preventing discoloration of decorative decks and floors, ultraviolet-resistant epoxy binders are commonly used. Their excellent adhesion property is very suitable for decorative aggregate floors in walk ways and patios.