As the U.S. economy strengthens, the hard-hit housing industry is also showing signs of a rebound. In fact, the National Association of Homebuilders expects single family home construction to maintain double digit growth through 2015, with housing starts returning to pre-recession “near normal” levels by the fourth quarter of 2015. The Joint Centers for Housing Studies of Harvard University sees double digit gains in remodeling through 2014.

Building products manufacturers are ramping up production to meet the increasing demand. To remain in consideration, however, manufacturers must deliver a quality product that provides value to both builders and the eventual homeowners. And, as building material manufacturers seek to increase throughput to meet customer and consumer needs, they have become more reliant on their suppliers to help them gain a competitive edge.

Such is the case with exterior building products such as cement composite, wood, vinyl and fiberglass siding, where coating integrity is critical. The manufacturer/supplier relationship has become a partnership – with suppliers helping manufacturers improve their finishing techniques and processes, respond to customer demands for a wider range of colors than ever before, meet higher performance standards and increase throughput.

New Homes: Customized From The Outside In
The days of cookie-cutter tract housing, where builders offered prospective homeowners a choice of five or six primary colors and matching trim, are long gone. Today’s homebuyers want their homes to reflect their taste and personality, and want their homes’ exterior to be just as durable and beautiful as the interior.

As consumers’ tastes have changed, so too have the attitudes of the builders and remodelers, many of whom now take risks in both color combinations and material combinations that include stone and varieties of siding. When combined strategically and seamlessly, the blended materials create a work of art.

And while the desire for more colors and different substrates can mean increased business for siding manufacturers, this also presents a challenge: higher costs. Traditional coatings, such as conventional latex machine finish and mid-line coatings, require multiple coats with low millage per coat to achieve many desired colors. Additionally, different substrates require different coatings for optimal performance, thereby requiring a manufacturer to have several finishing lines. Multiple coats and multiple lines increase labor and material costs.

Self Cross-Linking Coating Solves Multiple Siding Finishing Issues
New coatings that utilize a cross-linking resin meet the finishing challenges siding manufacturers face. Most importantly, they offer savings in terms of true applied costs – the price per square foot covered – through a number of performance enhancements.

Savings start with consistent performance across all substrates including wood, fiberglass, and cement fiberboard. This allows manufacturers to streamline their operation and finish on the same line, thereby reducing equipment and inventory costs. This eliminates the need to stock different coatings for each substrate.

Self cross-linking resin coatings also address the challenges associated with color. Rather than requiring a multiple-coat finishing operation, the coatings afford a thicker application from seven to nine mils, providing sufficient coverage in a single coat. Even light colors such as whites and pastels can be achieved in one coat, saving production time.

Some coatings manufacturers offer coatings systems that indicate dual coats are necessary to extend the warranty of the product. Color consistency is enhanced by using mixing systems that allow coatings to be blended in formulas that use exact weights as opposed to volume measurement. Color retention is improved, meaning a wide range of colors can be offered, including bold, dark shades.
Better adhesion to an ASTM-best rating of 5A means that self cross-linking resin coatings provide a high quality finish coming out of the drying oven. The finished product cures faster, reducing racking time where the material rests to develop a hard cure and increasing throughput for the manufacturer. Siding manufacturers can slip-sheet and package quickly, decreasing packaging and shipping time.  

Installation And End User Benefits
In addition to providing manufacturing benefits, the cross-linking resin coatings reduce the potential for issues in the field for both installers and homeowners. For example, the enhanced adhesion properties increase durability and limit common on-site handling issues. Color matching for touch-ups can be achieved easily through color-matched paints available through the coating supplier.

To reduce heat build-up in darker colors, heat-sensitive substrates such as vinyl siding may be finished with solar reflective tints. These specialized colorants minimize heat absorption, and can improve color retention up to 25 percent over standard finishes. (Note: This will still vary by color and the location where the siding is installed.)

Self cross-linking resin coatings can also bring peace of mind, as both the coating manufacturers and siding producers are more likely to offer a warranty based upon these technologies. Depending on the manufacturer of the coating, warranties may cover adherence, cracking, peeling, blistering and, in some cases, pro-rated paint/labor costs. For siding manufacturers, installer and end user benefits translate into customer satisfaction and fewer callbacks.

Partnerships That Pay Off
Just as homeowners rely on builders and remodelers to help them express individuality through innovative products, building product manufacturers are seeking individual attention and support from suppliers to create a positive impact on the manufacturer’s bottom line.

Suppliers providing value-added services – from training that enhances the skills of coatings line personnel and line audits that lead to efficiency enhancements to access to a team who offers expertise a manufacturer may not have in-house (technical specialists, color and design specialists, and design engineers) – can help reduce the overall applied cost of the finish.

Such partnerships, when combined with innovative products like cross-linking resin coatings, offer a winning proposition for everyone.