| Painting contractors know that paint and coatings | | | | the weather. The building surface remains dry and |
| play a crucial role in the green building trend | | | | maintains its color over longer periods of time. |
| sweeping the nation today. Because of the decline | | | | Green Raw Materials |
| in construction brought about by the financial | | | | Raw material suppliers have also been busy |
| crisis, the green building idea is taking root and | | | | researching and formulating green materials. A |
| getting wider attention from construction | | | | new line of emulsion polymers, for instance, help |
| stakeholders who not only appreciate a | | | | paint manufacturers develop low-VOC and |
| non-polluting and environment-friendly method of | | | | low-odor paints without the aid of detrimental |
| construction, but also welcome the significant cost | | | | coalescents. |
| reductions to construction projects. | | | | As with paint manufacturers, raw material |
| The construction industry's interest in green | | | | suppliers are determined to lower VOC in paints, |
| building projects challenges paint manufacturers | | | | hence a wide variation of low-VOC raw materials |
| and their raw material suppliers to ingeniously | | | | have emerged, from zero-formaldehyde solutions |
| produce environment-friendly paint products and | | | | and neutral-PH wet-state preservatives, to |
| materials that comply with environment standards | | | | multi-purpose additives and dry films that meet |
| without sacrificing quality performance. The | | | | the standards for green paints. |
| products are now populating the market, ready to | | | | Suppliers take VOC compliance to innovative |
| be used by painting contractors in many facility | | | | levels with green ingredients designed for all types |
| projects. | | | | of coating applications, as well as shorten the |
| Environment-Friendly Paints and Coatings | | | | application and drying time of paints, to the |
| The result of paint manufacturers' paint | | | | benefit of painting contractors and building |
| reformulation efforts is apparent in the wide array | | | | residents. Biocidal products that contain almost |
| of green paints that painting contractors can | | | | zero organic solvents are also another area of |
| chose from. One product is a result of many | | | | enhancement, allowing paint to be manufactured |
| years of polymer research leading to a new and | | | | more safely and easier to apply by painting |
| improved latex paint that eliminates the use of | | | | contractors. |
| toxic solvents. Without the inclusion of such | | | | Green Building from Green Paint |
| harmful solvents, air quality is maintained during | | | | Almost-zero VOC solutions that are less-harmful |
| and after painting application projects, protecting | | | | during paint manufacturing, application, and |
| painting contractors and building tenants at the | | | | post-application are of paramount importance not |
| same time. | | | | only to paint manufacturers and raw material |
| The presence of VOCs or volatile organic | | | | suppliers, but also to painting contractors, building |
| compounds is also a major environmental problem | | | | owners and tenants. Even minute traces of VOCs |
| in regular paints. VOCs are harmful materials to | | | | must have no place in paint solutions to comply |
| the environment, polluting the air and causing | | | | with green standards and ensure the building's |
| health risks to humans. To address this problem, | | | | viability and sustainability. |
| paint manufacturers make it one of their stringent | | | | The demand for green buildings is driving painting |
| goals to develop new products that contain little | | | | contractors to use only green paints and coatings. |
| to zero VOCs. | | | | In response, paint manufacturers and their |
| Another coating innovation is the infusion of | | | | suppliers develop eco-friendly paints made out of |
| water-repellent characteristics to external | | | | environmentally-safe materials. These layered |
| coatings, resulting in a "self-cleaning" feature | | | | responses allow for a successful implementation |
| wherein dirt and water particles simply slide off | | | | of the green building trend to most commercial |
| the painted surfaces, leaving the building surface | | | | and residential facilities in the country. |
| clean and impervious to soiling and the effects of | | | | |