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ASTM Drafting Wood Coatings Standard
The demand for high-quality coatings capable of performing on a wide range of wooden surfaces, including composites, is among the factors driving a newly proposed standard.
ASTM WK32654, Practice for Selecting Wood Substrates for Weathering Evaluations of Architectural Coatings, will offer guidelines to chemists who formulate new coatings, paints, primers and finishes for use on wood in architectural applications.
Additionally, end users may find the proposed standard helpful in comparing the performance of a variety of architectural finishes, ASTM said.
The proposed standard is being developed by Subcommittee D01.42 on Architectural Coatings, part of ASTM International Committee D01 on Paint and Related Coatings, Materials and Applications.
Identifying a Need
The need for such a standard is the result of the growing complexity of wood-based materials used in architectural applications, techniques of architectural product finishing, and the demand for high-quality coatings capable of performing on a wide variety of wooden substrates, according to ASTM D01 member Marek Gnatowski, Ph.D.
“Properly designed and tested coatings increase the longevity of architectural elements and reduce maintenance costs to building owners,” said Gnatowski, who is technical director and president of Polymer Engineering Co. Ltd.
“On the other hand, forest resources that supply high-quality old growth solid wood to the construction industry for architectural applications are becoming scarce.”
Paints for New Wood Composites
In order to meet market demands, a variety of wood composite products have entered the market, such as gluelams, a variety of wafer boards, finger joint siding and composite trims. In addition, younger trees are now being used to make home sidings.
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| Geolam / Wikimedia Commons |
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A variety of wood composite products have been developed to meet market demands; the ASTM standard will aid in developing finishes for these products. |
Marek says the proposed standard will aid in the development of paint for these new lines of architectural products.
The subcommittee is inviting all interested parties to participate in the standard’s development.
One of the world’s largest international standards development and delivery systems, ASTM welcomes participation in the development of its standards.
