Architects and engineering specifiers will have an opportunity to learn more about high-performance exterior restoration coatings from APV Engineered Coatings and Arkema Inc. in November when the companies participate in two industry events: the Arc|US America’s Leading Architects Forum, and the University of Kynar program hosted by Arkema.
 
“Exterior restoration is more than just painting,” said Erin Brown-Neff, director of marketing & Business Development, APV Engineered Coatings. “It’s important for professional specifiers of coating products for exterior restoration projects to understand the chemistry of the formulations they specify and how it impacts the product’s ability to perform over time.” 
 
APV’s high-performance NeverFade Façade Restoration Coatings are water-based, low-VOC, coating systems that provide the durability of a factory finish in a field-applied product. They contain Kynar Aquatec PVDF resin, a tough, engineered thermoplastic from Arkema that maintains high stability when exposed to harsh thermal, chemical and ultraviolet environments.
 
NeverFade Coatings contain complex inorganic pigments and UV blocking additives to inhibit fading and extend lifecycles of building facades. The unique chemistry also resists staining, dirt pickup, mold growth, and can prevent corrosion.  NeverFade can be custom color matched in bold colors, even metallics. APV is so confident in the UV resistance of NeverFade that it offers a 15-year warranty on color performance, which is fully transferable and covers all product and labor costs.
 
At the Arc|US event, (Nov. 1-4 in Carlsbad, California) APV Engineered Coatings and Arkema will meet one-on-one with some of the country’s top principal architects. Meetings will focus on how NeverFade with Kynar Aquatec Coatings can extend the lifecycle of building exteriors and the support APV offers during the entire exterior restoration process – from coating material specification through application.
 
“Coating specification is a critical part of planning for a restoration project, and it can be time-consuming,” Brown-Neff said. “To help make the process more time- and cost-efficient, APV recently partnered with ARCAT and its free SpecWizard program.”
 
The program makes information about NeverFade Coating Systems accessible and downloadable through an easy-to-use portal. With a few simple clicks, specifiers can select the appropriate primer and topcoat products, indicate how color will be determined, as well as define sheens needed for their project. SpecWizard will then generate an accurate, job-specific, CSI 3-Part or Canadian CSC formatted construction product specification in MS-Word or other word processing format. The portal also provides additional product information and lets specifiers send requests to APV through a secure message function.
 
On Nov. 13, APV Engineered Coatings will be co-sponsoring and presenting at the University of Kynar program, hosted by Arkema Inc. and held at Atlas Material Testing Technology LLC in Miami. Attendees at the invitation-only event will have an opportunity to learn about Kynar PVDF resin chemistry, as well as the key differences between NeverFade and other high-performance architectural coatings. They will also visit Atlas’ natural weathering testing site to see a variety of Kynar 500 and Kynar Aquatec weathering studies that have spanned over 50 years of exposure in the extreme humidity, temperature, and UV conditions of southern Florida.
 
 “[This event] gives us an opportunity to demonstrate the true service life of Kynar Aquatec and NeverFade Coatings as well as educate architects, engineers, specifiers and contractors about how loading levels of key polymers impact a coating’s ability to perform in subtropical outdoor environments,” said Ron Partridge, senior account manager, Fluoropolymer Coatings NA, Arkema Inc.
 
According to Brown-Neff, APV Engineered Coatings also will be partnering with Arkema on future lunch-and-learn sessions designed to provide American Institute of Architects credits for education on PVDF technology. After the formal educational sessions delivered by Arkema experts, APV will provide additional insights into the real-world applications of PVDF-based NeverFade Coatings.
 
“Since the first application on the Gulf Coast of Florida in 2009, NeverFade Coatings have been used to coat hundreds of thousands of square feet of building exteriors around the world,” Brown-Neff said. “The product’s advantages have been most significant on commercial and industrial high rises where renovation costs can be high. Its ability to lengthen the lifespan of such building exteriors has afforded tremendous costs savings to building owners.”
 
To register for an Arkema lunch-and-learn with APV, contact Arkema, Inc.