Industrial News

The new coating technology offers significant long-term advantages to building operators, ranging from reduced air-conditioning costs to extended life span with minimal maintenance, according to Jay Haines, president and chief executive officer of Textured Coatings of America, Inc.. His Panama City-based company is one of the nation's leading providers of energy-saving infrared reflective wall finishes.

"Like everyone else, those who are responsible for building or updating public facilities are increasingly interested in technologies that can help them reduce their energy consumption," said Haines. "This is especially true in warm climates such as Florida's."

Because of this growing interest, TCA's TEX•COTE® SUPER•COTE™ COOLWALL Systems® have been selected for use in a diverse array of public facilities, in both new construction and renovations, according to Haines.

"Our recent public projects have ranged from 50-year old residential buildings to brand new warehouses and libraries," he said.

For example, over the past two years the Key West Housing Authority has applied the COOLWALL® system to more than two dozen buildings in Poinciana Place, which were originally built as U.S. Navy housing facilities in the 1950s. After sitting unused for a number of years, the buildings were given to housing authority for use as affordable housing in the late 1990s, and have been undergoing a systematic renovation process since then.

Altogether, Textured Coatings of America has applied the TEX•COTE® SUPER•COTE™ COOLWALL System® to 28 Poinciana Place buildings, Haines said. He pointed out that tests by the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory show that COOLWALL® coatings can reduce air-conditioning expenses by as much as 21.9* percent for residential structures.

"In addition to offering obvious advantages for renovations and restorations such as Poinciana Place, COOLWALL® technology is also ideally suited for new construction applications," Haines added. For example, the heat-reflective coating system has been applied to more than a half-dozen new university buildings in Ave Maria, a completely new town being created in Southwest Florida to attract residents who share traditional Catholic values.

Ave Maria builders chose the COOLWALL® system for a variety of high-profile buildings on the community's centerpiece university campus including a library, gymnasium and physical plant.

"Whether it's a brand new community such as Ave Maria, or the renovation of decades-old structures, the COOLWALL® system offers a number of important advantages in public buildings," Haines said.

The technology that makes the COOLWALL® coatings is based on heat reflective technology that was originally developed to reduce the heat signature of military aircraft and other vehicles, Haines explained. Since these coatings' increased reflectivity occurs primarily in the infrared spectrum, which is invisible to the naked eye, the COOLWALL® colors look the same as a traditional finish.

"By reflecting infrared radiation rather than absorbing it, COOLWALL® coatings dramatically reduce the load on a building's air-conditioning system," Haines explained. A year-long series of tests found that the COOLWALL® coating's revolutionary heat reflective finish reduced exterior wall temperatures by as much as 40* degrees Fahrenheit when compared to traditional paints and coatings in the same color, and also lowered interior temperatures by significant amounts.

In addition to energy savings, the DOE tests also showed that infrared reflective coatings are significantly more fade resistant, even in darker colors. That advantage is of critical importance in public buildings, Haines said, since the SUPER•COTE™ finish can last for decades without fading, flaking, peeling, or chipping.

"TEX•COTE® SUPER•COTE™ coatings are 10 times thicker on average than ordinary paint, and can more than double the lifecycle of traditional paint or coating," Haines said. They also can reduce stress or "building fatigue" by minimizing the expansion and contraction of the building's exterior due to temperature fluctuations - thus extending the building's usable life while reducing maintenance costs over the years.

"The combination of long-term energy savings and reduced life-cycle cost is proving to be very attractive to those who are responsible for building or renovating public structures," Haines said.

Textured Coatings of America created the COOLWALL Systems® fan deck with over 570 heat reflective colors, which can be applied to virtually any type of surface including concrete, stucco, wood, masonry and fiber cement. The coatings are sold exclusively through qualified dealers and contractors throughout the United States.

Textured Coatings of America, Inc. has been one of the leading manufacturers of specialty coatings in the world since 1961. The company's products are used on some of the most prestigious buildings, landmarks and homes throughout the world, and have met stringent federal standards for use on military bases. TCA has manufacturing plants in California and Florida, with distribution points located throughout the United States, Canada and many other countries. For more information on TEX•COTE systems or dealership opportunities, call 800-454-0340; write to Textured Coatings of America, Inc. at 2422 E. 15th Street, Panama City, FL, 32405-6348; or visit the company's web site at www.texcote.com.

Contact: Sonia M. Nassery
Creative Connection,
305-493-1181 ext. 305