When it comes to paints and coatings, these 12 products stand out among the rest.
1. CENTURY PAINT COLLECTION
Benjamin Moore
This ultra-premium paint collection includes 75 colors inspired by natural elements such as minerals, gems, spices, herbs, and plants. The line features the company’s new Soft Touch Matte finish, which offers a tactile experience similar to that of a soft leather glove. Colors range from mid-tone to dark shades. Made in small batches and pre-mixed and sealed to ensure the truest color.
2. StoGuard Gold Coat TA
Sto Corp.
This trowel-applied vapor-permeable air barrier membrane is designed for application under continuous insulation wall systems. The seamless, low-VOC membrane is applied directly to vertical above-grade wall sheathing and concrete masonry. It also functions as a waterproof air barrier when combined with StoGuard joint and rough opening treatment. Ready-mixed for easy application.
3. Series 1095 Endura-Shield
Tnemec
The new home of the NBA’s Sacramento Kings, Golden 1 Center, is the first indoor sports arena to achieve LEED Platinum certification. Among the green features is Series 1095 Endura-Shield, a low-VOC coating used to protect and enhance the facility’s massive hangar doors and exposed structural steel members. The aliphatic acrylic polyurethane coating also offers color and gloss retention.
4. SOPRASEAL LM 204 VP
SOPREMA
This one-component, low-odor, vapor-permeable, liquid-applied polyether air barrier provides excellent air infiltration and moisture protection, while also offering ease of use in low- and high-temperature applications, according to the maker. A fully adhered, monolithic membrane option provides a continuous air barrier that works well even in applications where conformity to complex geometries is needed.
5. Duranar Sunstorm
PPG
The new 221-foot air traffic control tower at San Francisco International Airport features a metal-and-glass façade twisted into the shape of a torch. Fentress Architects specified Duranar Sunstorm coatings for the tower’s aluminum curtain wall framing and entrance systems. It features a color coat inflected with pearlescent flakes and a clear topcoat for resistance to chalking, fading, chipping, and peeling.
6. Brushed Stainless
Linetec
This anodize finish emulates the clean, bright surface and brushed pattern that architects and specifiers find desirable in stainless steel. Brushed Stainless anodize creates a similar look on aluminum, offering a cost-effective, lightweight option. The finish resists fingerprints and scratching, requires minimal maintenance, and offers wear and abrasion resistance, and stability to ultraviolet rays.
7. Fluropon
Valspar
Designed by Studio Gang Architects, Writers Theatre in Glencoe, Ill., features an exterior aesthetic highlighted by a strategic blend of wood, concrete, and metal. The design team specified 6,200 sf of PAC-CLAD metal wall panels for the exterior, including aluminum sheets in Midnight Bronze. The metal was coated with Valspar’s Fluropon for color retention and consistency, and resistance to UV rays, dirt, stains, chalking, and the elements.
8. Extreme Cover
Sherwin-Williams
This paint-and-primer solution offers blocking against common stains such as grease, grime, food, and cigarette smoke. It reduces the need for priming in multifamily, commercial property management, and residential repaint applications. Offers washability and scrubbability. Available in flat and eggshell sheens. Meets the industry’s most stringent VOC regulations with a <50 g/L VOC formulation.
9. AIR-SHIELD TMP
w.r. meadows
This single-component, vapor-permeable, thin-film liquid membrane for both new construction and retrofit applications provides air and moisture control when applied to most common surfaces. It cures and forms a durable, seamless elastomeric membrane. The UV-resistant, low-VOC coating can be applied to rough or smooth surfaces at temperatures of 20°F and higher, and can be left exposed for up to six months.
10. Bosti-set
Bostik
This one-component adhesive and sound reduction membrane is designed for thin porcelain tile panel installations. It provides instant grab and holding power with a single coat of adhesive on the back of the panel, speeding installation. Its workability allows panels to be repositioned for up to 30 minutes with no slip or sag. Recycled rubber particles mixed into the adhesive create optimal sound reduction performance.
11. Concrete Protector SB
Prosoco
Ideal for areas of high traffic or wheeled traffic, where surface film-forming sealers may prematurely wear off, this solvent-based, low-odor, VOC-compliant concrete coating offers robust initial water-beading and repellency on a variety of finished concrete floors. The coating can be burnished, and it repels water, oil, and stains. Treated surfaces retain their natural appearance, texture, and breathability.
12. Vandlguard
Rainguard
This non-toxic anti-graffiti coating system protects surfaces from permanent staining and damage caused by commercially available spray paints. VandlGuard can be applied to any vertical or horizontal exterior surface and dries clear. The non-sacrificial formula sustains repeated graffiti removal for up to 10 years. It also prevents mildew, mold, fungus, and bacteria growth on building surfaces. Easy application (no mixing required).
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
EwingCole to merge with healthcare specialist Robert D. Lynn Associates
EwingCole, a nationally recognized architectural, engineering, interior design, and planning firm with more than 320 professionals, today announced that it will combine its practice with Robert D. Lynn Associates of Philadelphia, a 40-person firm with a robust portfolio of healthcare projects. The combination will create the Delaware Valley¹s largest and most comprehensive firm with an emphasis on healthcare architecture, and a national scope and presence.
| Aug 11, 2010
Jacobs, Arup, AECOM top BD+C's ranking of the nation's 75 largest international design firms
A ranking of the Top 75 International Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
See what $3,000 a month will get you at Chicago’s Aqua Tower
Magellan Development Group has opened three display models for the rental portion of Chicago’s highly anticipated Aqua Tower, designed by Jeanne Gang. Lease rates range from $1,498 for a studio to $3,111 for a two-bedroom unit with lake views.
| Aug 11, 2010
Construction employment declines in 48 states in August compared to last year
Construction employment saw significant declines in all but two states this August compared to last year according to an analysis of new state-by-state employment figures released today by the federal government. The analysis, conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America, however did show that the number of states gaining construction jobs increased slightly in August compared to July 2009.
| Aug 11, 2010
LEED 2009 cites FloorScore Certification as indicator of indoor air quality
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has cited FloorScore® certified flooring products as eligible for credits under the new LEED 2009 Version 3 guidelines. Reflecting the inclusion of FloorScore, the new LEED IEQ Credit 4.3 for Low-Emitting Materials has been expanded from “Carpet Systems” to “Flooring Systems” to include hard surface flooring.
| Aug 11, 2010
BIM adoption rate exceeds 80% among nation’s largest AEC firms
The nation’s largest architecture, engineering, and construction companies are on the BIM bandwagon in a big way, according to Building Design+Construction’s premier Top 170 BIM Adopters ranking, published as part of the 2009 Giants 300 survey. Of the 320 AEC firms that participated in Giants survey, 83% report having at least one BIM seat license in house, and nearly a quarter (23%) have 100-plus seats.
| Aug 11, 2010
New air-conditioning design standard allows for increased air speed to cool building interiors
Building occupants, who may soon feel cooler from increased air movement, can thank a committee of building science specialists. The committee in charge of ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 55 - Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy—after months of study and discussion--has voted recently to allow increased air speed as an option for cooling building interiors. In lay terms, increased air speed is the equivalent of turning up the fan.
| Aug 11, 2010
PCA partners with MIT on concrete research center
MIT today announced the creation of the Concrete Sustainability Hub, a research center established at MIT in collaboration with the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Ready Mixed Concrete (RMC) Research & Education Foundation.