Kerry Pianoforte, Editor02.16.22
The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the market for wood coatings and stains in a number of ways. As much of the world spent a significant amount of time at home, DIY projects increased and thus the need for wood coating products.
“Overall, the coatings industry has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic these past two years,” said Mark Ferrauiolo, associate product marketing manager, Benjamin Moore. “From raw material shortages to logistical challenges, the market has had to adjust its planning and processes to continue service with limited products available. Wood finishers have had to use new products as alternatives to what they would normally use, many times sacrificing key attributes like dry times and color availability.”
“As the COVID-19 pandemic continued throughout 2021, most of the world continued to spend much of their time at home,” said Amy Donato, senior marketing manager, Olympic by PPG. “With more time at home comes more time for home improvement projects. Because of this, we have seen an uptick in DIY projects, both indoors and out.
“The pandemic has also made use of technology and e-commerce platforms more prevalent, with consumers now able to buy everything from basic necessities to larger items, without having to leave home,” Donato added. “Home improvement project materials are no exception to this new norm, as we’ve seen a growing number of homeowners choose to purchase wood stain supplies online for delivery to their homes or for pickup in-store. We expect this trend to continue as homeowners prioritize staining projects in order to create and maintain a refreshed and comforting home environment in 2022 and potentially beyond.”
“The lockdown restrictions increased demand for our coatings and their end-use products and the strength of the construction and residential housing market in North America and Europe has maintained demand as lockdown restrictions were lifted,” said Steven Sternberger, segment director Wood Coatings at AkzoNobel. “All sectors of the coatings industry have seen extreme global raw material shortages and potential supply disruptions this year. Through all this we have been able to manage our supply chain to ensure a security of supply for our customers.”
Benjamin Moore reported a spike in DIY sales from 2020 through 2021 as a result of homeowners spending more time at home and taking on projects during this time.
“The strong housing market has led to investments into custom woodwork including cabinetry, built-in units and closet organization,” noted Ferrauiolo. “The wood floor finishing business has also seen growth because of the housing market boom, as homeowners are investing in all key aspects of their home to personalize their spaces and increase its value.”
“The exterior stain category tends to be driven by the DIY segment, so we’ve seen that sector surge in recent years – a growth trend we mainly attribute to the pandemic,” said Donato. “Pros are a large driver of the interior stain category, so interior stains often perform similarly to the residential-based Pro categories. We expect both interior and exterior categories to see a stronger performance as environmental conditions also strengthen.”
“There is no doubt that during the pandemic many consumers invested in home improvement projects,” said Sternberger. “We see this trend continuing in 2022. Architecture, home design and lifestyle trends continue to influence home interiors. Demand for new builds and renovation projects correlates with the need for wood coatings for cabinets, furniture, flooring and especially building products. Within North America, kitchens are the main social feature with open living areas linking to outdoor spaces. Colors that complement each other in this open space will drive growth in cabinets, furniture and flooring.”
Efficiency and ease of use are top priorities for DIYers. Other considerations are a move to water-based products.
“Today, our customers are primarily focused on efficiency and safety,” said Ferrauiolo. ”Efficiency meaning time is money – the quicker a product can dry and be recoated will ultimately limit disruption for the homeowner – the more efficiently the job can get done. Regarding safety, waterborne technology continues to improve, slowly displacing their solvent counterparts. Having a product that allows for water clean-up, especially where materials are being sprayed and atomized, has been a growing trend in recent years.”
The main reasons customers take on stain projects is to either protect or waterproof wood surfaces. “Like any other paint project, quality of product and ease of use are important to customers,” said Donato. “Customers are likely to tackle staining projects every three years and therefore desire the process be fast and efficient while yielding long-lasting results.”
“Low-VOC properties and premium performance attributes such as protection and appearance over the lifetime of a coating are highly sought after when it comes to exterior stains,” she continued. “A great example of this type of product is Olympic Elite. Olympic ELITE Woodland Oil Low-VOC* stains and Olympic ELITE Stain + Sealant in One Semi-Transparent Low-VOC* stains feature a proprietary PPG urethane-fortified resin – originally developed to protect golf balls and vehicle bumpers from damage – that expertly balances the need for excellent protection with the desire to maintain the beauty of wood surfaces.”
Olympic MAXIMUM Stain + Sealant in One, which contains unique weather-ready application technology, is another example of a product that makes the staining process quick and easy while also providing durability. (*Colorants added to base stains may increase VOC levels significantly depending on color choice.)
For nearly 200 years, AkzoNobel has provided the world’s leading manufacturers of cabinetry, furniture, flooring and building products with top-quality industrial wood finishes to beautify and protect their products.
“We identify color trends and translate them into relevant color palettes and products that meet our customers’ expectations in every circumstance,” said Sternberger. “Our coatings are designed to offer protection of wooden home features to ensure the beauty lasts. Our customers trust that the AkzoNobel wood coatings team be at the forefront in capturing what is happening in architectural color, soft-furnishings and fashion. The translation into color and texture trends, via trend research that we do, happens in our Global Design and Color center in High Point, NC. In collaboration with our customers in furniture, cabinetry, flooring and building products, we create unique, complementary aesthetic wood coating finishes.”
“Our customers are concerned with aesthetics and scratch and stain resistance,” he continued. “They also want to reduce their total cost of ownership, which means purchasing products that can remove process or costly labor steps while increasing their overall production capacity, therefore reducing costs. Some customers are opting for more sustainable coatings and are actively looking to AkzoNobel wood coatings to provide products with outstanding protection and unrivalled beauty alongside environmental benefits.”
A number of design trends have emerged as a result of the pandemic. Consumers are now looking for soothing, natural looks.
“As a result of the pandemic, home design that brings the natural feel of the outdoors inside has emerged as a leading trend,” Donato noted. “Natural textures and colors are being used now more than ever to help homeowners create a stronger connection to nature after more than two years of being indoors. In 2021, Olympic Stains by PPG announced its first-ever Stain Color of the Year: Light Oak, which helps homeowners achieve this desired aesthetic. Light Oak is a soft, semi-transparent, versatile tan stain color that adds that refined Scandinavian-inspired look, while still allowing the wood’s natural characteristics to shine through. Light Oak is ideal for a variety of exterior projects, including fencing, decks and home siding. The stain color is available in Olympic Maximum, Olympic Elite and Olympic Wood Protector semi-transparent products by PPG.”
“We’ve seen a trend of darker gray tones in flooring,” said Ferrauiolo. “Low sheen finishes and wood finishes in off white and grays have also been gaining popularity.”
AkzoNobel’s Global Color and Design team for Wood Coatings is continuously capturing and interpreting color and texture trends and, in collaboration with its customers, creating unique complementary aesthetic wood coatings finishes for furniture, cabinetry, flooring and building products.
“Some of the modern furniture designs and higher end influences being reflected in the latest products from the AkzoNobel team include the trend for less distressing, the preference for less gray and more color, the growing popularity of natural designs and smoother woods, such as birch, cherry, burl, walnut and maple,” said Sternberger.
“Consumers are also opting for organic elements, such as rattan, jute, sisal and stone, while moving away from pale and desaturated furnishings.”
Bright Skies – AkzoNobel’s Color of the Year 2022 – exemplifies these changing tastes. It is an airy, light blue that captures the optimism and desire for a fresh start felt across society. Extensive research conducted by the company’s in-house paints and coatings color experts and international design professionals reveals that, after a spell of feeling shut in, people want open air, connections to the great outdoors and a fresh approach to everything.
AkzoNobel’s wood coatings experts have worked with these trends to build four distinct color palettes around the Color of the Year:
• The Studio – soulful, warm and modern tones
• The Salon – embracing artful qualities
• The Greenhouse – reveling in nature’s influence
• The Workshop – creating flexibility in multifunctional spaces
These will be a key influence on home decor – including furniture, flooring, cabinetry and building products – in the coming year.
• AkzoNobel’s new wood coatings plant in High Point, North Carolina is currently in the commissioning phase. The plant has been constructed and commissioned during the pandemic, and the team has maintained a very strong safety record, which is a core value at AkzoNobel. The first product, a batch of stain, is expected in the first quarter of 2022.
o The team has completed water trials for small batch production and is currently chemical commissioning the automatic dosing unit while the remainder of the plant is wrapping up the last few weeks of water trials. The team plans to have the remainder of the plant ready for chemicals in the upcoming weeks.
o The operations team for the new plant has been hired and completed a lengthy training program including hazard studies, equipment training, and training on the plant’s control system, as well as laying down the AkzoNobel Leading Performance System (ALPS) foundational principles.
o The quality control team is also established and is working in conjunction with the process team in fine-tuning the chemical-in plan and equipment validation.
o Wood coatings customers have sampled reformulated products moving into the new plant and will review newly manufactured products following start-up. It is an exciting time in High Point as the new plant comes online. The company will host a formal ribbon cutting for the investment in the summer, following appropriate safety protocols.
Background: As announced in April 2019, the AkzoNobel site in High Point has been transforming as a new solvent-borne paint plant is constructed. The new wood coatings plant will manufacture paint and stain products using Automatic Dosing Unit (ADU) technology. The transformational investment of $55MUSD will also improve lacquer production in a renovated space on site with updated processes.
AkzoNobel is a leading innovator in wood coatings and this investment strengthens its capability to meet a changing wood market, with greater color and made-to-order options for OEM and Chemcraft distribution brand customers. This investment is also improving facility infrastructure, employee work areas and visitor parking at the site.
AkzoNobel has manufactured wood coatings in North America for more than 100 years at five locations. The company has operated in High Point since 1955, given the importance of wood coatings for manufacturers and designers of furniture, flooring, cabinetry and doors and windows in the region.