13 Oct 2021 Trends Impacting Interior and Exterior Architectural Coatings

Both interior and exterior architectural coatings help provide spaces with color, visual appeal and protection. Interior coatings make walls more durable, colorful and interesting and can protect materials from chipping, peeling and fading. Exterior architectural coatings are frequently used on structures to help them withstand the elements, frequent usage and wear and tear.

The industry often sees rises of new trends in the use of these coatings that become popular among various types of consumers. Here’s a look at some of the 2021 impacting trends with exterior coatings:

Coatings for COVID-19 protection

The COVID-19 pandemic affected virtually every imaginable industry, and the world of design and construction is no exception. Labs began investigating coatings as means of fighting the virus in 2020, and several companies have put forth powder coatings and other types of interior and exterior coatings that demonstrate antiviral activity. One coating used for stainless steel and glass resulted in a 99.9 percent reduction in the virus an hour after application.

As the pandemic continues to rage across the globe, expect architectural coatings to cross into the public health space with more companies experimenting with antiviral coating properties.

Coatings for energy savings

There continues to be a significant focus on energy-efficient technology and sustainability in design and building. Interior and exterior architectural coatings could create more energy-efficient features. For example, a coating used on a window could control the amount and frequency of light that comes through the pane and also filter out ultraviolet rays. Keeping certain elements of the sun’s rays out of buildings can reduce cooling costs during summer.

Coatings to reduce necessary maintenance tasks

Interior and exterior architectural coatings can be used to reduce the amount of maintenance required on the surface in the future. This may require some initial investment of both time and money, but the time and money savings it can provide in the future are more than worth that investment.

It’s important to consider the intended use of a structure or surface and the amount of traffic expected. For exterior projects, materials can feature anti-scratch or anti-graffiti properties, so they can remain attractive for years—even when experiencing high levels of public traffic. Manufacturers can also use interior coatings to provide anti-slip or anti-scuff properties on floors, which will cut down on the amount of floor maintenance workers need to perform in the facilities in which they are installed.

When you can do a little more work now to prevent a lot more work later, it’s typically a worthwhile endeavor.

Architectural coatings are constantly evolving and adapting to the needs of developers, who are also constantly finding ways to anticipate and accommodate future needs. As these trends dominate the field in 2021, expect new trends to arise in the near future.

Want to know more about the 2021 impacting trends with exterior coatings? Contact us at Knauss Property Services, LLC. with any questions you have for our team.