Color-shifting finishes, dry-erase surfaces, and stain-blocking paints are highlighted in this round up of new offerings in paints, coatings, sealants, and finishes.
1. COATING SYSTEM DESIGNED TO HANDLE TOUGH ENVIRONMENTS AND BAD WEATHER
CENTRIA now offers the Versacor Elite Coating System, a premium metal-coating system formulated to protect against harsh climate or environmental conditions. The system offers superior abrasion resistance as well as protection against moisture and intense sunlight, according to the manufacturer. It creates a two-mil-thick barrier coat over the metal substrate and is combined with premium PVDF topcoats. The line includes Elite PF solid-color coatings, Elite MX pearlescent coatings, and Elite AM metallic coatings. The system includes a 25-year warranty on aluminum substrates and a 20-year warranty on steel substrates against cracking, chipping, peeling, color change, and chalking. CENTRIA
2. ZERO VOCS ARE GOAL FOR NEW LINE OF GREENGUARD-APPROVED INTERIOR PAINTS
SPEEDHIDE zero is a professional line of interior latex paints designed for excellent durability, ease of application, hide, and coverage. The low-odor product makes it easier for painters to work in occupied spaces. Topcoats are anti-microbial and contain no formaldehyde, crystalline silica, ethylene glycol, or VOCs, meeting stringent environmental regulations. (Some colorants may increase the VOC level.)
The product is formulated for improved scrub, stain, and burnish resistance and comes in flat, eggshell, satin, and semi-gloss finishes, as well as a compatible sealer/primer. SPEEDHIDE zero complies with stipulations of the Master Painters Institute, the MPI Institutional Low Odor/VOC category, and the Collaborative for High Performance Schools Low-Emitting Materials criteria. The product is also Greenguard Indoor Air Quality Certified. PPG Industries
3. WATER- AND DIRT-REPELLENT COATING REVIVES HOTEL AT LUXURY RESORT
The Steamboat Grand Resort, a luxury ski property near Steamboat Springs, Colo., is exposed to more than 300 days of sunshine a year, coupled with some of the state’s highest snowfall totals. After a dozen years of operations, the resort hotel was in need of a facelift. Denver Commercial Coatings applied StoCoat Lotusan, a super-hydrophobic exterior coating that produces a finish with self-cleaning properties due to its high level of water repellence.
The flat exterior wall coating, which has a microstructure based on that of the lotus leaf, is designed to offer durability and to resist soiling, mold, mildew, algae, and UV fading. The project was completed well ahead of schedule even though most of the 500,000-sf property was occupied. Sto Corp.
4. COIL COATING SYSTEM FORMULATED FOR ENHANCED WEATHER RESISTANCE
Weather XL silicon-modified polyester paint builds on the performance characteristics of Valspar’s previous WeatherX product, including resistance to chalking and fading. Depending on application conditions, the benefits of this coil coating system can include faster line speeds, quicker curing, and reduced edge blistering. The silicone polyester resin formulation is designed to deliver maximum hardness, making it suitable for metal roofing, agricultural and industrial buildings, and metal wall panels. Solar-reflective formulations are available, helping projects meet Energy Star and LEED criteria. The Valspar Corporation
5. COLOR-SELECTION SERVICE FOCUSES ON PAINTS FOR EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE MARKETS
Glidden Professional’s Functional Color & Design program is based on aspects of science that impact the design of commercial facilities. Research concerning history, philosophies, evidenced-based design, sensory perception, wayfinding, and safety are at the core of the program, which helps designers select appropriate colors and products for specific spaces in academic and healthcare environments. Customized color palettes have been created based on factors such as light reflectance values, color intensities, and the psychological or physiological impact of color families. A dedicated website, www.functionalcolor.com, also provides product specifications for professional choices in the Diamond, Lifemaster, Ultra-Hide, and Fortis product series. Glidden Professional
6. PAINT CREATES DRY-ERASE SURFACES TO ENHANCE WORKPLACE COMMUNICATIONS
IdeaPaint is a high-performance paint that turns any smooth surface into a dry-erase canvas, helping employees collaborate. The product is designed for low VOC emissions and may be applied with a roller or sprayer. After four days of drying time, the writing surface is ready to be used. IdeaPaint comes in clear, white, and black versions and has a 10-year limited warranty. The company recently formed a direct sales team to serve the needs of architects, interior designers, builders, and painting contractors, focused on supporting workplace projects. IdeaPaint
7. INTERIOR PAINT FIGHTS STAINS WITH INTEGRAL MULTIPURPOSE PRIMER COMPONENT
BEHR Premium Plus Ultra Interior Stain-Blocking Paint & Primer in One is a high-performance coating that combines a multipurpose primer with paint to offer enhanced stain-blocking attributes to professional painters, contractors, and building remodelers. Formulated for adhesion and durability, the product blocks stains, seals and protects uncoated and previously painted surfaces without the need for a separate primer—helping professionals finish projects in fewer coats when selecting colors from the Premium Plus Ultra color palette.
The product provides scuff, stain, and mar resistance; improved tannin-blocking to help ensure paint lasts longer and is easy to clean; a reduced dry time and recoat time; and an antimicrobial mildew-resistant finish, according to the manufacturer. BEHR
8. COLOR-SHIFTING FINISHES DISTINGUISH PANELS IN LAS VEGAS AIRPORT GARAGE
The new parking garage that supports Terminal 3 at McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, is clad with Reynobond aluminum composite material in a silver metallic finish, as well as sand-colored concrete. To guide travelers to the terminal’s pedestrian bridges, architect PGAL and consultant Walker Parking Consultants selected panels with a color-shifting PrismFX finish in the custom Rose Champagne color.
The coating provides subtle color shifts as lighting conditions change; it is available in nine standard combinations as well as custom colors. Part of the Duragloss line, PrismFX coatings resist humidity, impact, salt spray, pollution, and abrasion, according to the manufacturer. The finishes carry a 20-year warranty. Alcoa Architectural Products
9. INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LATEX PAINTS MEET STRINGENT STANDARDS FOR VOC
Emerald Interior and Emerald Exterior latex paints have been formulated for professional use in applications such as hotels, offices, and multifamily residential properties. Available in matte, satin, and semi-gloss finishes, Emerald Interior is designed to provide hide, coverage, durability, and washability, with a high level of resistance to scrubbing, staining, blocking, water spotting, and burnishing. It contains antimicrobial agents that inhibit the growth of mold and mildew.
Emerald Exterior features cross-linking, 100% acrylic technology for excellent durability and hide, and may be applied in temperatures as low as 35°F. Its VinylSafe Technology allows dark colors to be painted over vinyl siding while avoiding warping or buckling. The exterior paint, which is available in flat, satin, and gloss finishes, resists blistering, peeling, fading, dirt pickup, and mildew, according to the manufacturer. Both products are designed to meet stringent standards for VOC emissions; Emerald Exterior is certified to Greenguard standards. Sherwin-Williams
10. ADVANCED ENCLOSURES ENHANCED BY POLYMER-MODIFIED SEALANTS
The Garland Aero-Block product line offers sealing solutions for all sides of the building enclosure, based on polymer-modified-asphalt technology. The fluid-applied solvent-based polymer and fluid-applied water-based polymer versions can be applied by brush, spray, or roller. The product line also includes a self-adhering membrane. The Aero-Block family is designed to create vapor-closed protection, meeting the requirements of a Class I air/vapor barrier. Garland
Related Stories
| Nov 3, 2010
Senior housing will be affordable, sustainable
Horizons at Morgan Hill, a 49-unit affordable senior housing community in Morgan Hill, Calif., was designed by KTGY Group and developed by Urban Housing Communities. The $21.2 million, three-story building will offer 36 one-bed/bath units (773 sf) and 13 two-bed/bath units (1,025 sf) on a 2.6-acre site.
| Nov 3, 2010
Designs complete for new elementary school
SchenkelShultz has completed design of the new 101,270-sf elementary Highlands Elementary School, as well as designs for three existing buildings that will be renovated, in Kissimmee, Fla. The school will provide 48 classrooms for 920 students, a cafeteria, a media center, and a music/art suite with outdoor patio. Three facilities scheduled for renovations total 19,459 sf and include an eight-classroom building that will be used as an exceptional student education center, a older media center that will be used as a multipurpose building, and another building that will be reworked as a parent center, with two meeting rooms for community use. W.G. Mills/Ranger is serving as CM for the $15.1 million project.
| Nov 3, 2010
Chengdu retail center offers a blend of old and new China
The first phase of Pearl River New Town, an 80-acre project in Chengdu, in China’s Wenjiang District, is under way along the banks of the Jiang’an River. Chengdu was at one time a leading center for broadcloth production, and RTKL, which is overseeing the project’s master planning, architecture, branding, and landscape architecture, designed the project’s streets, pedestrian pathways, and bridges to resemble a woven fabric.
| Nov 3, 2010
Rotating atriums give Riyadh’s first Hilton an unusual twist
Goettsch Partners, in collaboration with Omrania & Associates (architect of record) and David Wrenn Interiors (interior designer), is serving as design architect for the five-star, 900-key Hilton Riyadh.
| Nov 3, 2010
Virginia biofuel research center moving along
The Sustainable Energy Technology Center has broken ground in October on the Danville, Va., campus of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research. The 25,000-sf facility will be used to develop enhanced bio-based fuels, and will house research laboratories, support labs, graduate student research space, and faculty offices. Rainwater harvesting, a vegetated roof, low-VOC and recycled materials, photovoltaic panels, high-efficiency plumbing fixtures and water-saving systems, and LED light fixtures will be deployed. Dewberry served as lead architect, with Lord Aeck & Sargent serving as laboratory designer and sustainability consultant. Perigon Engineering consulted on high-bay process labs. New Atlantic Contracting is building the facility.
| Nov 3, 2010
Dining center cooks up LEED Platinum rating
Students at Bowling Green State University in Ohio will be eating in a new LEED Platinum multiuse dining center next fall. The 30,000-sf McDonald Dining Center will have a 700-seat main dining room, a quick-service restaurant, retail space, and multiple areas for students to gather inside and out, including a fire pit and several patios—one of them on the rooftop.
| Nov 2, 2010
11 Tips for Breathing New Life into Old Office Spaces
A slowdown in new construction has firms focusing on office reconstruction and interior renovations. Three experts from Hixson Architecture Engineering Interiors offer 11 tips for office renovation success. Tip #1: Check the landscaping.
| Nov 2, 2010
Cypress Siding Helps Nature Center Look its Part
The Trinity River Audubon Center, which sits within a 6,000-acre forest just outside Dallas, utilizes sustainable materials that help the $12.5 million nature center fit its wooded setting and put it on a path to earning LEED Gold.
| Nov 2, 2010
A Look Back at the Navy’s First LEED Gold
Building Design+Construction takes a retrospective tour of a pace-setting LEED project.
| Nov 2, 2010
Wind Power, Windy City-style
Building-integrated wind turbines lend a futuristic look to a parking structure in Chicago’s trendy River North neighborhood. Only time will tell how much power the wind devices will generate.