September 9th, 2009 | 
Author: Steve A. Parker, Sr. Estimator, RaiderPainting.com – the preferred painting contractor for building owners and facility managers of commercial and industrial properties nationwide. Call 877-724.3371 for a free
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Going Green with Painting and Coatings
The search for better ways to use green products, methods and technology leads facility managers to painting strategies that not only consider the welfare of the environment and incurs lesser costs, but at the same time still maintain high quality paint performance.
Some of these paints and coatings practices are the application of a second coating that not only requires little surface preparation, but guarantees longer life to the building and stronger protection against daily wear-and-tear. Another is proper paint storage and disposal to extend usefulness of paint for future projects. Another is the careful measurement of the area to be painted so that only the right amount of paint will be purchased, eliminating the cost of extra and unused paint. Lastly, there is the use of recycled paint as a greener option.
Recycled Paint
Recycled paint offers cost-saving opportunities and lesser dangers to the environment while still providing quality finish to buildings. Any water-based and latex paint can be recycled. For latex paints, recycling is done either through re-blending or reprocessing.
Re-blending involves re-mixing the paint and screening to eradicate any solid materials to improve consistency. Only neutral-colored paint and coatings can be re-blended, hence they are more appropriate to projects such as undercoating, graffiti removal, or exterior painting — where aesthetics is not an issue.
Reprocessing includes the addition of new components to the recycled paint, making the paint available in more tints and a wider range of applications.
For recycled paint sources, facility managers often turn to paint and coatings dealers who have passed certifications standards. The Master Painters Institute offers certification programs to recycled paint manufacturers.
Benefits of Recycled Paints
Some of the major benefits of using recycled paint and coatings are lesser hazards and zero waste disposals that lessen the danger to the environment. Another benefit is lesser costs due mainly to lower expenses, zero waste disposal costs, and lower transportation costs (because recycled paint is produced locally).
A performance and price comparison of recycled and non-recycled paints confirmed the economic and environmental viability of the former. The case of the Portland Water Bureau who used 100% recycled paint to re-paint their water tanks resulted to 75% lesser costs and generated cost-savings of $3,500 for the project.
Challenges in Adoption of Recycled Paints
One of the main problems in the adoption of recycled paint and coatings is the linkage gap between recyclers and users. To strengthen this link, the Internet has been used as a medium to bring recyclers and their markets together. Governments like the state of Michigan also sponsor an online directory listing for recycled materials.
To market recycled paints and coatings further, the EPA allied with environmental agencies and conducted a performance comparison of recycled paints and ordinary paints. The results for recycled paint were generally positive, such as its good performance in metal surface applications, user satisfaction and willingness to reuse, strength and resistance to various environment conditions, and cost benefits. Minor constraints such as wood surface non-adherence and color match problems were encountered.
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Donâ??t Hurry Up the Decision- your Furniture is Going to Last for Years
Wood, Glass and wood laminates are not the only materials available in the market. Ask your dealer for the variety that he has available, and ask him which will best suit your requirements. And read on to be well prepared to take on your dealerâ??s expert sales talk.
Leather: Suitable for cold climatic conditions, leather offers a class not available to other forms of furniture. Restricted mainly to living room furniture, leather gives a royal look that is smart modern and long lasting as well. Again a word of caution for those with small children â?? leather furniture is very prone to damage by the likes of blades and knives. A cut with your kidâ??s play scissors would cost you fairly dear to repair, besides ruining the overall look of your sofa or chair. This is why you will generally find leather furniture at offices, or in the homes of people with grown up children.
Wrought Iron Furniture: Wrought iron is a material that has sturdiness built in along with the surety of a long life. After all, there is nothing stronger that metal. Though the material used in wrought iron is cast iron, which is a rather crudely refined form of the metal and fairly brittle, its strength is more than adequate for your household requirements. Donâ??t throw it around, however, or you may find yourself making a trip to the welder shop. There also you will have to look for a gas welder as cast iron does not lend itself to ordinary oxyacetylene welding.
Cane Furniture: A good alternative to normal heavy furniture is cane furniture. Available in a variety of designs and shapes, it is a worthwhile investment if you are looking for a decent, cheap alternative. While it may not offer the long life and sturdiness of Amish oak furniture, it is worth investing in if you are looking to change your furniture after a couple of years. Be careful of jutting nails and bang them right back in before they ruin your favorite dress. You could even add a cushion to avoid this eventuality. Cushions are available to suit all kinds of tastes and color combinations, and generally go well with a cane furniture set. Being hand made, cane furniture invariably has some rough edges, as well as the edges tend to chip off after a while, so adding a cushion is actually more of a necessity. Use hand painted cloth covers to add a touch of elegance and exclusivity.
Bamboo: This is a relatively less used form of furniture that has the advantage of immediately drawing attention to your choice. Like Amish made furniture, bamboo furniture is also hand made, and is thus an exclusive piece from the word go. Unlike Amish furniture, however, it will not just fit in anywhere, as by its very nature it is bulky and requires large spaces to give an admirable look. If you are short of space, then bamboo furniture is definitely not for you.
So go ahead and make your decision. Whatever you may decide, make sure you have done adequate market survey before you spend your hard-earned money. That is the way to get the best bargain.
