Prepainted Metal Expands Its Menu To Give Customers Unlimited Choices
By Steve Swaney, Dura Coat Products
Our world today is continually changing and evolving. We see it in technology, in weather patterns and in the styles and colors of consumer goods made from metal, including the roof and wall claddings used for metal buildings. From prepaint’s humble and somewhat primitive beginnings over 50 years ago as a paint process used primarily within the venetian blind industry, technology and manufacturing advances have made prepainted metal the preferred finishing method for manufacturers of a whole host of residential, commercial and industrial products — ranging from appliances to HVAC units, food and beverage containers, lighting, transportation units and metal roof and wall panel systems. Coil coating of prepainted metal as an industry and technology has indeed come a long way.
The prepainted and laminated metal finishes used on metal roof and wall panel systems—which include solid colors, prints, patterns and textures—are offered in a range that cannot be matched by other methods of metal finishing, and gives metal construction products a tremendous advantage over other cladding options. When you consider that prepainting is also the most environmentally friendly and green method of finishing metal, it is no wonder why manufacturers and architects overwhelmingly prefer it to the alternatives.
Coatings originally designed and used for their aesthetic and protective purposes also perform important functional roles. Commercially available today are coatings that are cool & reflective, conductive, weldable, heat resistant, stain and mar resistant, graffiti resistant, bondable and highly flexible. Color coatings help buildings stand out and be remembered. They contribute to creating building designs that are energy efficient, historically or regionally appropriate and attractive. Plain and simple, the coatings applied to metal panel systems and other building components add real value.
Thanks to the technological design and engineering improvements in both coatings formulations and the coil coating process by which they are applied, roof and wall panel coatings—depending on the technology chosen—can offer between 15 and 40+ years of virtually maintenance-free exterior performance. The three resin technology coatings used primarily in the building products industry are polyster, siliconized polyester and PVDF fluorocarbons.
Polyester coatings are primarily available in earth-tone colors and are used for rainware, doors, windows, and liner panel-type applications. These coatings are typically designed to last 15+ years without refinishing or panel replacement.
Siliconized polyester/hybrid polymer ceramic pigmented coatings are used for post-frame buildings, pre-engineered metal buildings and many industrial/commercial building components. They are available with ENERGY STAR-certified cool/reflective pigmentation. These coatings are available in most of the color spectrum and in metallics and are designed to provide 25+ years of service without refinishing or panel replacement.
PVDF fluorocarbons are the top performing resin system and are used for architectural components, high slope roofing and by some post frame and pre-engineered building manufacturers. These coatings can be produced in virtually any color, metallic or print-type finish and are capable of meeting LEED 29 and ENERGY STAR CRRC compliance. They provide 30+ years of service without refinishing or panel replacement.
To find out more about what choices and qualities are right and available for your next metal construction project, please visit the National Coil Coaters Association’s website at www.coilcoatinginstitute.org. Be sure to check out the various marketing and technical resource materials available, and the directory of member coating suppliers which features coil coaters bios and websites. You will find that there is a large and diverse array of established industry/market-standard colors, but that the ability exists to match virtually any color imaginable. Any NCCA member or association staff will be glad to assist you in finding the best resources in displaying the finish choices available for your building products. Certain technologies, finishes and systems may be proprietary and patented to certain companies but most NCCA members can and do offer a wide range of color and finish choices.
Steve Swaney is a Business Development Manager with Dura Coat Products Incorporated of Riverside, CA. Steve has 27 years experience working within the prepainted metal industry, working in the areas of metal production, processing and distribution, coil coating and coatings. To visit Dura Coat’s website, go to www.duracoatproducts.com. With questions for Steve Swaney, email steveswaney@dcpi-ca.com.
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