48 | NOVEMBER 2017
Installer Support
CHOOSING THE RIGHT
WATER-BASED COATING
In the fenestration industry, demand for
PVCu windows and doors is as high as
ever. Matching customer demands for
more personal and unique finishes as
well as complying with environmental
and legislation is a big ask.
Since the introduction of
the EU Paints Directive back in
2010, an increasing number of
water-based coating products
have appeared online and on the
shelves in trade stores across the
country. The first question that
springs to mind is, are all these
water-based coatings the same?
The short answer is no.
Volatile Organic Compound
(VOC) levels have been well doc-
umented over the last ten years
and manufacturers are required
by law to clearly document
and label the VOC content. The
scales typically used in the ‘paint’
market start at Minimal VOC con-
tent (0-0.29%) up to Very High
VOC content (50% or above).
All water-based products with
VOC content manufactured in
Europe cannot under current leg-
islation exceed more than 20g of
VOC content per litre of the total
volume.
VOC levels vary from manu-
facturer to manufacturer. It is
also very important to note that
claims of ‘VOC free’ are incor-
rect. ‘Paint’ and ‘colour’ is made
up of a number of natural and
synthetic components, such as
minerals, natural oils, pigments
and additives. These compo-
nents all have to undergo some
form of cleansing, refinement,
processing and treatment in
order to make up the product.
The production process to do
this includes substances that are
classed as VOCs, so therefore
trace elements can still be found
in the finished product, which
results that a statement of VOC
free cannot be true.
Another consideration when
looking at water based coating
systems is to look for the NMP
(N-Methylpyrrolidone) and NEP
(N-Ethyl-Pyrrolidone) levels.
NMP and NEP are solvents and
act as an adhesion promoter for
PVCu as it softens the surface
when the existing coating is too
hard.
NMP has been proven to cause
skin and eye irritation, cause
respiratory irritation and possibly
damage fertility. NEP is slightly
less toxic although the levels
are still high. Some water-based
coating systems do contain small
amounts of NMP and NEP - check
the information to see what the
levels are. Your health and safety
and well-being is as important as
the environmental factors.
The second question to ask is,
how do you know what is the
right coating system for you, the
customer and for the environ-
ment?
One answer lies in ‘D200’ – a
high performance single applica-
tion exterior water-based coating
system which is designed for
direct application to PVCu and
other hard plastic surfaces.
Brought to you by AquaSur
Tech OEM, this product ticks all
the right boxes.
Right for You
D200 is free from NMP and
NEPs meaning that the applica-
tion process is totally safe for a
user and their health, along with
customers and members of the
public.
Non-toxic, non-flammable and
odourless, the product can be
stored, transported and used on
or off site, and the user can be
safe in the knowledge that they
are working with a product that
has minimal hazards. D200 does
not require a hardener - which
can be highly toxic - so what is
not used can simply be poured
back into the tin and used again
another time – no wastage.
Right for the customer
AquaSur Tech OEM offers the
customer over 25 years of hands
on experience in the field of wa-
ter-based technology.
what is not used can simply be
‘ poured
back into the tin and used
again another time – no wastage ’
Hundreds of colours and a
fast colour-matching facility
mean that the customer will
not have to compromise on the
quality of the finished project.
Each customer can feel confi-
dent that their order and colour
choices meet all current legisla-
tion and environmental obliga-
tions.
The simple application pro-
cess also means that D200 is a
cost-effective option for custom-
ers.
Right for the
environment
D200 has Minimal VOC content
(20g/l) but still has the durabili-
ty, beauty and performance of a
traditional coating. D200 is also
free from lead, chromate and
isocyanate.
Manufactured in the UK, it can
be dispatched to customers with
minimal transportation impact on
the environment.
www.aquasurtech-oem.com