Manufacturers of exterior architectural coatings have had to deal with another tumultuous year. All indications are that demand for exterior architectural coatings has been stunted by the ongoing economic recession and the resulting housing crisis.

"By all means the economy has been a key factor in the slowdown of coating sales at two levels. For one, fewer contractors are being hired and fewer people are making the decision to paint," said Dana Autenrieth, director of product marketing for Benjamin Moore.

In these tough economic times, the decision to undertake a costly project is not taken lightly. Both DIYers and contractors want to be sure that they are getting the most out of their purchase. However, exterior coatings don't just beautify a structure, they also protect it from the elements.

"Pent up demand will emerge, certainly as we enter 2010," said Autenrieth. "Unlike interior painting, which is largely driven by color change, or a new life stage, exterior repaints are generally driven by need. At some point the house just simply needs to be painted to be maintained properly or you risk permanent damage from the elements."

Benjamin Moore recently added Aura Exterior to its product line. According to the company, one coat of Aura goes on like two coats of traditional paint, dries faster and delivers a smooth and durable finish. The high-build properties of Aura yield a thicker coating that contributes to its extreme hide trait, offering time and cost savings and often eliminates the need for primer or any additional coats. It also means the paint helps to fill in minor cracks, crevices and other substrate imperfections.

Aura Exterior utilizes Color Lock technology, which encapsulates color pigment in the paint resin, which in turn, maintains long-term color integrity. In addition, Aura Exterior is low VOC and low odor.

"Innovations in the paint world are few and far between," said Carl Minchew, director of color technology for Benjamin Moore. "But, Aura categorically qualifies as one that has helped redefine what paint is, what it can do and what it can bring to a home from the inside-out, helping to beautify and protect unlike any other coating."

Zinsser has recently launched Smart Prime, a primer for exterior coating that offers the performance of an oil-based primer in a water-based formulation. Smart Prime is formulated with a resin system that resists rewetting to block stains from water and other water-soluble stains like an oil-based primer. It features superior flow and leveling and deep penetration for better sealed surfaces, according to the company. It also offers fast dry time, exterior flexibility and soap and water clean up in a low odor, low VOC formula.

"Smart Prime was developed to give contractors everything they expect from an oil-based primer in a water-based formula that's VOC compliant everywhere," said Tim O'Reilly, business manager for Zinsser primers. "It combines the dependable stain blocking of an oil-base with the exterior flexibility of a water-base, without sacrificing the convenience contractors are looking for-fast dry time, low odor and easy soap and water clean-up."

LEED Compliant, Smart Prime is ideal for use on both bare and painted surfaces like drywall, aluminum, vinyl, steel, galvanized metal and PVC. Smart Prime seals porous surfaces like cured plaster, concrete, stucco and mansonry and binds chalky siding and time.

California Paints' 2010 exterior House & Trim paint.

California Paints recently introduced 2010 exterior house and trim paint. This 100% acrylic latex paint can be used by both DIYers and contractors and provides outstanding hiding characteristics and durability.

"Since the introduction of this house paint, our quality position and acceptance has been remarkable," said Dan Cohen, vice president of marketing, California Paints. "2010 House Paint is the only white paint we have seen that covers a black surface with just one coat. The performance in controlled testing under identical severe weather conditions of California's house paint was proven to perform better than all of the competitors tested. The real value comes from 2010's superior finish, protecting homes with its ability to withstand years of accelerated weathering, mildew resistance and color retention longer than competitive products."

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PPG introduces Nanometric Painting System

PPG Industries' architectural coatings business, in conjuction with the Shanghai Real Estate Trade Association and the Professional Committee for the Promotion of Energy-Efficient Construction, recently hosted the 2009 Seigneurie Products Conference at Hwa's Gallery, an art gallery in Shanghai. Many architects and real estate agencies attended this event to discover the latest breakthrough Seigneurie products, including PPG's eye-catching Nanometric Painting System (NPS).

New to the market, PPG's NPS is the first architectural coating with nanometric technology, a dirt-, pollution- and water-resistant technology, with outstanding aesthetic features. According to PPG, traditional anti-dirt matte and elastic paints were unable to completely resist the effects of pollution and dirt. PPG's NPS complies with the waterborne and environmental protection standards that are consistent with the anti-pollution strategy of PPG Architectural Coatings.

"PPG has always been at the origin of the major technology breakthroughs related to architectural coatings, such as no-VOC paints and water-based woodcare," said Pauline Yuen, general manager, automotive refinish, architectural coatings and light industrial coatings, PPG China. "PPG has once more made a difference with its new NPS technology."