Despite the current economic crisis that plunges the construction business ever downward, the “green building” trend is taking off. Even when new construction projects are in a decline, there is increasing interest in green building methods and materials. Building owners want to save on construction and post-construction costs and are becoming increasingly aware that once the building is operational, tremendous cost-savings will come in the form of lesser utility bills and maintenance costs. As a result of this mindset, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) estimates an average return on investment of 20% on green buildings.
For building owners and occupants, cost is not the only advantage of a green building. Increased health and safety is also a major benefit. The reduction of natural resources consumption needed to operate the building, as well as the lesser amount of pollution that the building is giving off, are also important aspects in sustainability.
For commercial painting contractors, the demand for greener buildings cascades down to the demand for greener paints and coatings, raising the need for paint and coating products that are not only providing beauty and protection, but also help create an environmentally- safe environment.
In response to the growing demand for environmentally-safe building products, paint manufacturers have been redesigning their existing paint formulations and developing new paints that are eco-friendly and compliant to environment standards and regulations. Even raw material providers have been teaming up with paint makers to further advance the “green” paint technology.
