Green is the colour

Summary
• Becker has streamlined its UK distribution.
• Dulux Trade has launched Weathershield Ultimate Woodstain.
• Osmo’s new tinted range of flooring finishes can give floors a glitter effect.

The coatings landscape continues to change and develop.

Following on the heels of Gori’s takeover by industrial wood coatings manufacturer Teknos last year, US-based Sherwin Williams has now completed the takeover of Arch Coatings for €40m. With Arch’s Sayerlack brand being one of Europe’s biggest makers of industrial wood coatings, this is a big deal.

At the recent Fensterbau show, Teknos announced a first step in technology integration with Gori in the Polish and German markets, under a unified branding structure.

“Further announcements will be made in the coming year which will have significant impact across the whole Teknos Group,” said Søren Juhl Hansen, Teknos marketing manager.

Becker Acroma, which plans to launch several new products in the coming months, has been improving its distribution capabilities following the closure of its UK manufacturing site at Haverhill 18 months ago.

Products are now being shipped direct from Sweden to distributors, instead of being stored at the company’s UK warehouse, giving customers a streamlined next-day service.

UK sales director Ernest Hartley was upbeat about business. “I think the market this year has improved – there seems to be an upward lift,” he said.

New company

Industry giant Akzo Nobel (Sikkens, Dulux, Cuprinol) has created a stand-alone wood finishes and adhesives business as part of a group portfolio alignment. The change is designed to bring more focus to the “significant” wood finishes and adhesives market.

Lower levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC) have been a dominating factor in new product development in the last few years. The deadline for implementation of VOC reduction emission limits was at the start of 2010, although non-compliant products manufactured before the deadline can still be sold until December 31 this year.

The high solids, low solvent approach of many newer coatings, such as Sadolin Ultra (see p10) is an example of how manufacturers have risen to the challenge of the new regulations.

Sikkens’ “Plus” range has been formulated to ensure all of the brands – Cetol, Satura and Rubbol – remain available and mirror the application properties of the former higher solvent products.

Italian coatings manufacturer ICA has maximised its eco-credentials with a new range containing nothing but vegetable resins and oils. BIOCOAT water-based impregnating oil and BIOLACK water-based lacquered top coat for untreated interior and exterior wood use boron salts instead of biocides, with target applications in roofs, floors and structural elements.

Ultimate protection

Akzo’s Dulux Trade business’ latest innovation in advanced exterior wood production is Weathershield Ultimate Woodstain and Weathershield Ultimate Opaque – both offering up to 10 years’ protection for exterior wood.

The company said the products provide advantages in both longer and shorter maintenance cycles (surfaces are better protected at the point of refurbishment, equating to less preparation time).

It has a spreading rate of up to 20m2 and replaces Weathershield Advanced Protection products.

Osmo is adding some sparkle to floors with a tinted range for its established Osmo Polyx-Oil.

“A special level of pigmentation in the gold and silver tones lends an understated but extravagant glitter optic, especially when the sun embraces the floor surface with its warm light,” said Osmo. Among the colour range are other popular tones such as white, honey, amber, terra, graphite and black.

Because of licensing restrictions on the export of Sadolin products, Crown Paints has launched Crown Woodcare to give it an export woodcare offer. Sadolin will remain Crown’s major woodcare brand and the new range will be sold exclusively through Crown Decorating Centres.