Summary
• Akzo is taking over ICI.
• Sikkens is seeing more specifier interest in coating timber cladding.
• Environmental considerations continue to be a driver.
• Arch Coatings is to launch new joinery products.

Probably the biggest news on the block for the coatings industry this year is the acquisition of ICI by rival Akzo Nobel.

Shareholders of both companies voted in favour of the £8bn deal just a few weeks ago and the takeover should be completed by early 2008.

The acquisition will bring together Akzo’s Crown, Sadolin and Sikkens coatings businesses with ICI’s Dulux and Cuprinol brands – a considerable array of heavyweights in the wood coatings market. Competitors must be shuddering at the prospect of the combined might of both companies in marketing and R&D, but time will tell.

Some of the big names were in the shop window at the recent Interbuild show. Akzo’s Sikkens business chose to highlight the use of its coatings on wood cladding, with western red cedar and Accoya modified wood cladding on display. “We have concentrated on these two timbers because of durability and stability,” said Sikkens joinery account manager Dave Christie.

He said one of the issues with leaving western red cedar untreated was uneven weathering, with some sections maintaining their original colour, some partially faded and some grey.

Sikkens offers 12-year guarantees on its opaque finishes and 10 years on translucents, both for Accoya joinery and cladding.

Adding value

“We have had lots of enquiries from timber companies asking if we have factory-applied coatings,” said Mr Christie. “Timber is very much a commodity, so by adding their own coating operations they are adding so much value to their products. They are thinking they can really change their margin expectations.”

Mr Christie said education was still a high priority in terms of traditional masonry building methods, as builders liked to install windows as soon as possible for security purposes. But the plethora of other trades following, including wet trades, created dirt, damage and ventilation issues which could all hamper the effectiveness of factory finished windows.

BASF was also showing architects and builders what its PermaSkin thermoplastic film could do on joinery, particularly doorsets and cladding. The company now has two UK door manufacturers signed up to coat products with PermaSkin – Leaderflush Shapland and Manse Masterdor Ltd, the latter of which is just starting production using the BASF product.

“It will take off as we now have the first products in the market,” said PermaSkin sales director Steve Rusling. He said a further 10 companies were interested in PermaSkin, with some looking at cladding applications.

He explained that many housing associations wanted to move away from a painted product where there was a maintenance issue after about five years.

Meanwhile, the environment and durability continue to be big driving factors, according to Cuprinol Trade’s brand manager Dawn Bailey.

“A growing emphasis on environmental responsibility has seen a continued shift towards water-based products. Manufacturers are responding to this demand, and also gearing themselves up in advance of 2010 legislative changes, with regards to the levels of VOC permitted in stains and coatings.”

This year Cuprinol Trade launched a water-based formulation of its Quick Drying Cladding and Fence Opaque Finish, which Ms Bailey said was “selling well” and just the first in a “long line of product developments planned in advance of 2010”.

She said durability was also key, with more specifiers wanting to understand the lifetime value of any product and their contribution to extending maintenance cycles. As a result it has revisited Cuprinol Sprayable by adding extra water repellents, UV inhibitors and the addition of algaecides.

Sales of Cuprinol’s Anti-Slip Decking Treatment have been high due to anti-smoking legislation.

Environmental concerns

Italy-based ICA Group, which produced 29,000 tonnes of wood coatings in 2006 and has a warehouse in the UK, also flagged up the growing importance of the environment in today’s wood coatings.

“In the global market, it is essential to differentiate yourself by making products that can improve the health of the user,” said president and CEO Sandro Paniccia.

The company is investing heavily in substituting solvent-based products and cycles with water-based equivalents. This is translating into commercial success, with significant sales growth in water-based coatings in 2006.

Arch Coatings UK has also been making investments – it has installed a second Corab machine for producing pigmented paints. The machine, which can produce new colours or match existing colours, can make three tonnes of paint daily. Dr Sam Atkin of Arch Coatings said the technology speeded up product turnaround, increased reliability and reduced waste.

It has also developed a new water-based UV top coat with short drying times. Dr Atkin said conventional water-based UV products had issues with spraying, whereas the new coating was sprayable in any colour.

Arch is launching a range of joinery products in 2008, which it said would offer better elasticity and wet adhesion. Fast-drying joinery coatings for boards, featuring a more durable surface, are also in the mix.