United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Atmospheric Research and ~ A
Exposure Assessment Laboratory **
Research Triangle Park NC 27711 '>
Research and Development
EPA/600/S3-89/040 Sept. 1989
&EPA Project Summary
Characterization of Painted
Surfaces in the United States
from the Perspective of
Potential Damage from Acidic
Deposition
Frederick W. Lipfert
Data are reviewed on the types
and applications of exterior paints
used in the United States, from the
perspective of potential damage by
air pollution or acidic deposition.
Residential buildings are the most
economically important subset of the
painted structures in the United
States for painting costs; this ranking
is likely to continue in the future.
Painting over existing finishes is an
important class of situations for re-
search, because these conditions are
more common and more difficult than
virgin surfaces. Automobile finishes
are a high-value use of paint, but the
importance of acid deposition as a
reason to repaint has not been
established.
Based on consumer surveys, the
most important mode of paint failure
is peeling, which accounts for about
half of residential paint problems.
Such problems, often occur witWn
two to three years after painting;.
Color changes (deterioration^ are
next in importance, followed by
chalking and erosion. Painting solely
to change color or to aid in the resale
of the property is of minor im-
portance. Paints containing acid-
sensitive components, especially oil-
based glossy paints, may be found in
today's retail market in all price
ranges. Trends in paint usage and
performance are generally supportive
of (or not inconsistent with) the
hypothesis that air pollution or acid
rain may be having some adverse
effects, although such data are by no
means conclusive. The report recom-
mends that selections of coatings
and substrates for acid deposition
research should include those com-
binations that are widely used (latex
over wood and over previous paint)
and those that are sensitive to acid
deposition (paints containing CaCO3;
alkyd paint over steel).
This Project Summary was devel-
oped by EPA's Atmospheric Research
and Exposure Assessment Laboratory,
Research Triangle Park, NC, to an-
nounce key findings of the research
project that is fully documented in a
separate report of the same title (see
Project Report ordering information at
back).
fntroduction
The National Acid Precipitation As-
sessment Program (NAPAP) is responsi-
ble for developing an understanding of
the causes and effects of acidic dep-
osition and for supporting decision-
making on strategies to reduce acid dep-
osition. Damage to structural materials is
an important component, since the po-
tential economic effects are large by vir-
tue of the many structures exposed to
acid deposition. The U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency conducts research on
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acid deposition damage to common con-
struction materials, which include metals
and painted surfaces. This research pro-
vides guidance to the EPA research pro-
gram on the mechanisms of damage to
painted surfaces by acid deposition.
Results and Discussion
Data on the types and applications of
exterior paints used in the United States
were reviewed from the perspective of
potential damage by air pollution or
acidic deposition. Sources of information
included data from the Census of Manu-
factures on factory shipments of paint
and allied products, statistics on the con-
struction industry, data on consumer ex-
penditures for residential repairs and
alterations, and data from consumer sur-
veys. This information shows that resi-
dential buildings are the most eco-
nomically important subset of the painted
structures in the United States in terms
of the costs of painting. The trends for
new construction suggest that this rank-
ing is likely to continue in the future.
Table 1 presents preliminary data
from the 1987 Census of Manufactures
including shipment volumes (million gal-
lons), factory values (million dollars), and
m-place values which include estimated
mark-ups and application labor (billion
dollars), for outdoor paint applications.
The annual in-place value of archi-
tectural coatings is the highest category,
followed by automotive (and other trans-
portation equipment) paints. Maintenance
paints, coil coatings, and traffic marking
paints have substantially lower in-place
values. The ranking of automotive fin-
ishes must be discounted because of the
high proportion of painting done to repair
body damage, rather than because of
Table 1.
paint failure. Considering that a car may
be ten or more years old by the time its
refinished paint nears failure, extending
the life of this paint would appear to have
only marginal value relative to the re-
maining value of the car. In addition, the
importance of acid deposition as a cause
of failure of automotive finishes has not
been established.
To gain insight into the uses of archi-
tectural coatings, estimates were made
for new construction, maintenance paint-
ing, residential maintenance, and painting
costs for various other types of struc-
tures, based on published data. The es-
timate for 1977 for residential painting,
including the estimated value of do-it-
yourself labor, was about $14 billion; by
1986, the estimated value had risen to
about $20-30 billion. A 1977 input-
output analysis of the US construction in-
dustry estimated that $147 million was
spent for maintenance painting costs to
non-buildings and $1 1 billion for build-
ings, which confirmed the relatively low
rank of maintenance painting. In addition,
the 1979 national expenditure for corro-
sion protection of highway bridges was
estimated at $130-160 million (which
was about half of what was needed for
adequate corrosion protection). Even
after accounting for inflation, this cate-
gory would not rank high in Table 1.
However, the costs of bridge failure due
to inadequate maintenance have not
been considered; a 1984 estimate of
spending on new and rehabilitated
bridges excluding maintenance was
about $5 billion.
According to several consumer sur-
veys, the most important mode of paint
failure appears to be peeling and flaking,
which, in its various manifestations,
7987 Paint Shipments and Associated Costs
(exterior uses)
accounts for about half of resident!
paint problems. Figure 1 shows the di
tribution of reasons for repainting give
by respondents to a large mail survey
1975. This survey and others indica
that such problems often occur within tv\
to three years after application, althouc
manufacturers' test panel results seldoi
identify peeling as an important mode <
paint film failure. Based on several su
veys, color changes (deterioratioi
ranked next in importance. Althoug
chalking and erosion have been ol
served, their roles in decisions to repai
are less apparent. Painting solely 1
change color or for resale of the proper
appears to be of minor importance.
In Figure 2, the 1975 consumer surve
data have been segregated by Censt
Region and according to whether or m
there was prior peeling, which is seen I
have a major influence on the percentag
of respondents with new paint peelini
The West region had the fewest peeliri
problems. The probability of new peelin
was increased by about a factor of thre
if peeling had occurred previously, in s
regions and for all types of paint. Th
performance of a given type of paint wa
dependent on the type of paint alread
on the surface. In the absence of pr«
vious peeling, latex paint applied over a
oil-based paint was usually the mo;
likely to peel, especially in the Nort
Central or Northeast Regions. With pre
vious peeling, the differences wer
smaller but latex over latex was often th
worst, suggesting that a deteriorated oi
based paint surface may provide bette
adhesion for repainting.
Although the Northeast and Nort
Central Regions rank highest in aci
deposition and had the poorest pair
Shipments Factory Cost In-place Value
Classification million gal. million $ billion $
Architectural Coatings (exterior)
Oil-based 80 $807
Water-based 123 944
Automotive Finishes
new vehicles 73 1323
refimshing 44 904
Coil Coating 20 303
Industrial Main-
tenance Paints 28 313
Traffic Marking
Paints 19 95
$9.5
14.6
6.0
11.0
2.0
2.8
0.7
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Reasons for repainting
1975 mail survey
Other (5.8%)
Unpainted sfc (4.5%)
Erosion (17.4%)
To change color (8.6%)
Dirt (9.9%)
Mildew (2.8%)
Orig. color chg (5.1%)
Figure 1.
Distribution of reasons for repainting (1975 mail survey).
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2 3
Years since repainting
Figure 2. Percent of respondents with paint peeling or flaking (1975 mail survey).
performance, there are many other re-
gional environmental differences to con-
sider besides acid deposition in evalu-
ating differences in paint performance.
For example, the North Central Region
surfers more from weather extremes be-
cause of its continental climate; also the
winter ultraviolet radiation exposure of a
vertical wall may be higher in more
northern latitudes because of the low sun
angles and reflection from snow covered
ground surfaces. Nevertheless, the
trends in paint usage and performance
are generally supportive of (or at least
not inconsistent with) the hypothesis that
air pollution or acid rain may be
manifesting some adverse effects, al-
though such data are by no means
conclusive.
Not all paint formulations are expected
to be sensitive to acid deposition. Previ-
ously it was thought that the cheapest
paints might be the most sensitive, but
acid-sensitive paint components may
be found in today's retail market m all
price ranges, especially in oil-based
glossy paints. These components include
calcium carbonate (CaCOj), which is an
inexpensive pigment used an extender
(thickener), and zinc oxide (ZnO), which
is used as a pigment and in conjunction
with mildewcides.
Recommendations
The report recommends that selec
lions of coatings and substrates for re
search on the effects of acid depositioi
should include both those combination
that are most widely used (latex ove
wood and over previous paint) and thosi
that are sensitive to acid depositioi
(paints containing CaCOa, alkyd pain
over steel) Although both new construe
tion and maintenance painting are eco
nomically important, the more difficul
conditions involved in painting over exist
mg finishes make this an important clas:
of situations for research.
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Frederick W. Lipfert is with Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973
J. W. Spence is the EPA Project Officer (see below).
D. £ Renard is the Army Project Officer (see below).
The complete report, entitled "Characterization of Painted Surfaces in the United
States from the Perspective of Potential Damage from Acidic Deposition,"
(Order No. PB 89-181 2261 AS; Cost: $15.95, subject to change) will be
available only from:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
Telephone: 703-487-4650
The EPA Project Officer can be contacted at:
Atmospheric Research and Exposure Assessment Laboratory
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Research Triangle Park NC 27711
United States Center for Environmental Research
Environmental Protection Information
Agency Cincinnati OH 45268
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300
EPA/600/S3-89/040
000085833 PS
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