The North Carolina Rules Review Commission has rejected the temporary rule, which allowed permit holders to opt-out of using low-e fenestration products in residential construction.

In an Aug. 8, 2014 letter to the North Carolina Building Code Council, the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) led a coalition of industry organizations including the Glass Association of North America (GANA), the Insulating Glass Manufacturers Alliance (IGMA) and the Window & Door Manufacturers Association (WDMA) in conveying that the Emergency Rulemaking was established utilizing inaccurate information and that the required criteria for issuing this rule had not been satisfied.

The letter specifically stated that the use of low-e windows significantly improves building envelope energy efficiency. Low-e windows are now used in millions of homes throughout the country and continue to contribute to lowering consumer’s energy bills and helping conserve energy.

The letter elaborated on the energy efficiency of low-e fenestration products in the state. “North Carolina has been a longtime leader in adopting and advancing residential and commercial building energy codes that reduce energy dependence. The use of low-e glass has played a key role in reducing energy use in North Carolina and across the country. Low-e glass has been used safely as an integral part of construction projects for decades and continues to grow in popularity, because it provides comfort and value. It works and it works well.”

“This is an important victory for our industry, both in North Carolina and in any state or jurisdiction that values the energy efficiency that today’s fenestration products offer to consumers. AAMA sincerely thanks all of the members and industry representatives who worked together to ensure this outcome,” says Rich Walker, AAMA’s president and CEO.

The North Carolina Building Code Council stated that they will not attempt to issue additional temporary rules regarding this matter.

“We must remain ever vigilant, however, because the North Carolina Building Code Council will return to this subject later this year, when they start development of a permanent rule,” adds Walker.

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During the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) 2014 Fall Conference, volunteers rolled up their sleeves and filled backpacks with school supplies to benefit children at a Title I elementary school in the Denver area. A total of 500 backpacks were filled and distributed during the event.

After including hand-written notes of encouragement for the current academic year, volunteers traveled to the school to distribute the backpacks in person. This event was coordinated in partnership with World Vision, a humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities to help them reach their full potential. World Vision does this by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. AAMA and World Vision have been working together since February 2012.

“Education is extremely important to AAMA,” says Rich Walker, AAMA’s president and CEO. “We support World Vision’s mission, and we’re thankful for our volunteers who worked hard to help children in the Denver area get this school year off to a brighter start.”

A Title I area school is designated as such for having a poverty level at or above 40 percent. Children attending Title I schools are typically in homes where the household income is under $23,000 per year. AAMA member companies and personal contributors collectively donated $11,000 to sponsor 500 backpacks.

“AAMA continued their social responsibility outreach during their Fall Conference by sponsoring backpacks filled with school supplies for children at Hodgkins Elementary and FM Day Elementary Schools in Denver,” says Mary Garcia, corporate relations director at World Vision. “World Vision’s partnership with AAMA continues to make a significant impact to build hope here at home for children and families in financial distress.”

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Michael Hodgson, ConSol founder, spoke at the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) 2014 Fall Conference during a Sept. 16 general session. His presentation, “California Regulatory Proceedings Impacting the Nation,” discussed how California’s energy policy is driving the market to time-of-use energy pricing, incentivizing ways to reduce peak load and detailing how the policy impacts energy choices in buildings.

The California Energy Commission has a number of proposals for the 2016 Energy Code, bearing in mind the eventual goal of getting the state of California to Zero Energy by 2020. These include using high-performance attics and walls, LED lighting and 0.82 Energy Factor water heaters.

Hodgson pointed out that Time-Dependent Value energy is more expensive at different times of day, such as between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the summer after residents get home and turn on air conditioning in the West and Southern zones.

The trend toward larger homes on smaller lots is resulting in HVAC units being placed within the attic space, noted Hodgson. This is problematic, since the typical attic in that early evening timeframe reaches 140 degrees. High-performance attics feature above or below roof-deck insulation and vented attic design to combat extreme temperatures. High-performance walls, which may prompt changes to window installation instructions or frame design to accommodate the necessary 1-inch stucco and 2-inch exterior foam sheathing, have also been proposed.

He added that performance-based codes are also critical. Builders choose what the market demands, i.e. homeowner choices, and what is practical and deemed cost-effective by the builders to install.

“There is still time to participate [in rule-making proceedings],” emphasized Hodgson. He stressed that this is an important time to get involved.

The California code often influences national code, according to Hodgson. Code in California are moving to reflect utility actual costs and will allow trades between envelope and equipment energy-efficiency features – and eventually renewables.

“Renewables will get us to Zero Energy by 2020,” Hodgson concluded.

About the Speaker

Hodgson founded ConSol in 1983. He has more than three decades’ worth of experience in making new and existing buildings more energy efficient. He has positioned ConSol as the building owners’ energy advocate at the local, state and national levels. Hodgson has worked extensively in resource utilization, market research and assisting in the development of energy regulations. Hodgson led the development and implementation of ComfortWise®, the largest new construction above code program in California.

More recently, he took part in the creation of the Green Builder Guidelines. In 2007, Hodgson served on the International Code Council’s consensus committee that developed the National Green Building Standards -ANSI 700 (NGBS), the nation’s first consensus standard for green building. Hodgson chaired the revision of the NGBS energy chapter during 2011 and 2012.

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In his 20-plus years of coaching, Stew Morrill never had an office with a window. Now, Utah State University’s (USU’s) head basketball coach enjoys a gorgeous view of Cache Valley and the Wellsville Mountains framed by Tubelite’s curtainwall systems. Morill’s office is part of the University’s recently completed 32,744 square-foot Wayne Estes Training Center, which houses the campus’ basketball practice facility and 1,400-seat volleyball court. The center seeks LEED® Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, a standard that all new USU projects within the last seven years has earned.

Morrill tours USU recruits through the Center with pride and happily hosts them in his office — something he and his staff had never done before the new facility opened in May 2014. The expansive glass and metal façade that characterizes his office — and the $9.7 million facility as a whole — gives the building the aesthetic and practical appeal crucial for competing in the ultra-competitive recruiting environment of college athletics.

The impressive, daylight-filled lobby interior of the new facility, recognizes the Center’s namesake, Wayne Estes, as the greatest basketball player in USU’s history. He played for the Aggies from 1963 to 1965 and likely would have gone on to play in the NBA, but died in an electrical accident in 1965. He was posthumously given All-American honor  by the Associated Press, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1967. A large mural, memorabilia and a touchscreen educational kiosk share his life’s story in the building that serves as a tribute to his legacy. In addition to the memorial lobby and the office space, the facility contains a training room, strength-and-conditioning area, two regulation-size basketball courts and a regulation-size volleyball competition court.

Before the Center came online, USU was utilizing a nearby high school court for some of its basketball and volleyball practices, because there was not enough court space available on campus. These scheduling challenges were in turn causing interruptions to student-athletes’ class schedules. “Wayne Estes Center provides an outstanding opportunity to recruit student-athletes because of the services it provides, and the wow factor it has,” said Scott Barnes, USU vice president and director of athletics.”

Designed by VCBO Architecture, USU’s new Wayne Estes Training Center was built by Okland Construction on a 10-month timeline. Beginning in September 2013, glazing contractor Steel Encounters Inc. installed the Center’s signature exterior curtainwall using Tubelite’s 400 Series system. Using Tubelite’s standard sun shade clips, Ducworks Inc. added a stainless steel, laser-cut, bull-shaped “Aggie” logo to accent the building.

The room above the court is called “the closing room,” because it presents such an enticing view for recruits visiting the facility. “The curtainwall system that contains the ‘closing room’ had to be as unobstructed as possible to enhance game views from this location,” notes VCBO’s principal, Derek Payne, AIA, LEED AP. “Potential recruits, potential donors and important visitors will all enjoy games from this location. The look of the cantilevering glass cube from the court below is also important. The sleek, mullionless look of this projection into the playing venue adds a bit of surprise and elegance to the game environment.”

Along with its attractive design, USU’s Wayne Estes Training Center was built to meet performance standards set by Utah’s Division of Facilities Construction & Management’s State Building Energy Efficiency Program (DFCM’s SBEEP). This program works to increase energy efficiency in both new and existing state buildings, and includes design and building to LEED Silver requirements. Since 2006, SBEEP reports more than $11 million in energy cost savings. Exemplifying this, Utah’s DFCM introduced an innovative approach to building envelope design on all new buildings that allow the mechanical systems to be downsized, along with significant reduction in ongoing utility costs and associated emissions.

Emphasizing the long-term savings, DFCM’s energy development director John Burningham wrote in the division’s recent newsletter (Second Quarter 2014): “Over the years DFCM has learned the immense value of having high performing building envelopes. Quality systems that perform as designed provide value to the building and its occupants for decades. Unlike mechanical systems that generally have an expected life of 10 to 20 years, the components of the building envelope generally last the entire life of the building. DFCM has one, if not the, most rigorous envelope programs in the nation to ensure the skin of the building is designed and installed with long term performance in mind.”

To support the Center’s energy-efficiency and LEED Silver certification goals, Tubelite’s curtainwall was specified with a fiberglass pressure plate and PPG’s Solarban® low-e glass, achieving a maximum solar heat gain coefficient of (SHGC) 0.34 and U-Factor of 0.39 BTU/hr.sqft.ºF. With the fiberglass pressure plate, the framing system also delivers a high condensation resistance factor (CRF) of 76.

Tubelite’s 400 Series curtainwall with fiberglass pressure plate has a 2.5-inch sightline and the strength of variable-depth back-members from 4 to 7 inches. Minimizing the need for on-site cutting and fabricating, screw holes and weeps are machined at the factory into the off-white, pultruded fiberglass material.

The curtainwall system’s metal back-members and snap-on covers can be extruded by Tubelite using EcoLuminum™, a high recycled-content aluminum billet composition. This also may contribute to obtaining additional credits as outlined by LEED. Enhancing the project’s environmental attributes, longevity and metallic appearance, the aluminum components were finished by Linetec using Class II clear anodize, which contains no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Anodize process by-products are recyclable and anodized aluminum is 100 percent recyclable. Because anodize is an integral part of the substrate, the coating delivers excellent wear and abrasion resistance with minimal maintenance.

“Student-athletes have been absolutely blown away by how nice this facility is,” stated USU’s Barnes. “What sets the Wayne Estes Center apart is its functionality as both a first-class basketball practice and elite volleyball competition venue. Our men and women’s basketball and volleyball coaches have some of the best office views in the entire valley and the finishes are spectacular.”

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Wayne Estes Training Center, Utah State University Athletics, 800 E. and 900 N., Logan, Utah 84321; http://www.utahstateaggies.com
Owner: Utah State University; Logan, Utah; http://www.usu.edu
Project manager: State of Utah, Division of Facilities Construction & Management; Salt Lake City; http://dfcm.utah.gov
Architect: VCBO Architecture; Salt Lake City; http://www.vcbo.com
General contractor: Okland Construction; http://www.okland.com
Glazing contractor: Steel Encounters Inc.; Salt Lake City; http://steelencounters.com
Specialty signage – fabricator and installer: Ducworks, Inc.; Logan, Utah
Glazing systems – manufacturer: Tubelite Inc.; Walker, Michigan; http://www.tubeliteinc.com
Glazing systems – glass assemblies: PPG Industries; Solarban® 70; http://www.ppg.com
Glazing systems – finisher: Linetec; Wausau, Wisconsin; http://www.linetec.com
Photographer: Tyson Bybee, Bybee Photography LLC

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Linetec, one of the largest architectural finishing companies in the U.S., will expand its capacity and capabilities with a third anodize line. The 120,000-square-foot addition and associated improvements are estimated to cost $15.3 million and to bring nearly 100 jobs to the city of Wausau, Wisconsin. In January 2014, Linetec opened a 30,000-square-foot addition to its existing anodize lines, which are operating at capacity.

“We plan to have this additional line fully functional by Summer 2015 and are breaking ground immediately to get the site work completed prior to the cold, winter months. This will make us the only company in North America to have three architectural anodizing lines,” said Rick Marshall, Linetec’s president. “As the market continues to show strong recovery, our customers continue to experience tremendous growth and we are expanding to meet their needs.”

Linetec’s vice president of sales, Jon Close, added, “We are making this significant investment to stay ahead of demand. As our industry continues to recover and grow, we are seeing finishing lead times, particularly for anodize finishes, being pushed out to lengthier waits. This expansion will ensure ample capacity to give our customers the high-quality anodize finishes, consistent lead time and reliable service that they have come to expect from Linetec, as well as giving us the freedom to introduce new finishing capabilities.”

Linetec’s anodize is specified on architectural aluminum products, such as window and door systems, storefront framing, sun shades, light shelves, canopies, column covers, panels and flat sheets. Unlike other finishes, anodizing highlights aluminum’s metallic appearance. Because it is an integral part of the substrate, the anodic coating results in a hard, durable substance providing excellent wear and abrasion resistance with minimal maintenance.

The new anodize line, like Linetec’s other anodize lines, are fully automated and use the most recent technology. Linetec also pioneered environmental innovations in anodize that resulted in its industry-leading, eco-friendly anodize process. Compared with traditional anodize, Linetec’s process reduces waste by as much as 90 percent, decreases energy use, creates recyclable byproducts and enhances the durability and lifecycle of the finished product.

Once the planned expansion is completed, Linetec’s Wausau campus will span 670,000 square feet and provide room to further enhance production flow throughout the facilities. Along with its anodize lines, this space houses a comprehensive breadth of finishing and related services including liquid paint and powder coat finishing, thermal improvement and stretch forming services, warehousing, packaging and distribution.

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The Gold Ink Awards honored Appleton Coated with a Gold and Silver award for its recent swatchbooks. The awards ceremony and Hall of Fame Banquet will be held in Chicago on Sept. 29 in conjunction with GRAPH EXPO, and featured in Printing Impressions magazine.

“Considered the ‘Oscars of the printing industry,’ the Gold Ink Awards are judged by a dozen professionals and peers. In addition to having our own promotional materials recognized among the year’s best examples of creative, printed communication, it’s always nice to see the number of Gold Ink entrants who select our papers for their award-winning work,” said Ferkó X. Goldinger, Appleton Coated’s marketing manager.

A Gold award will be presented for the new Curious Collection® swatchbook, designed by Appleton Coated’s Judy Brochtrup. The swatchbook welcomed Curious Matter®, an avant-garde, uniquely textured paper made with potato starch, and complements the other six grades of multi-sensory papers in Curious Collection. These fine papers are manufactured by Arjowiggins and distributed exclusively in North America by Appleton Coated.

The Utopia Swatchbook, designed by The Thorburn Group of Minneapolis, will receive a Silver award. The swatchbook helps navigate the entire Utopia family of six high-quality, coated papers’ grades, shades, finishes and distinct personalities, ranging from the elegance of Premium to hardworking Utopia Three.

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Rising above Boise’s skyline to become the tallest in Idaho, Eighth and Main prominently features Wausau Window and Wall Systems’ INvision™ Series unitized curtainwall and ClearStory™ sun shades. The $76 million, 18-story mixed-use building opened Feb. 15, 2014, and is pursing Silver certification through the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® rating system.

The project’s architect of record, CTA Architects Engineers, not only designed the superstructure, but also occupies the 8th floor. On the 9th floor are Babcock Design Group’s offices, the architectural firm that served as the design architect for the overall project and the building envelope.

Built on a vacant lot known as the “Boise Hole,” the project erased an infamous eyesore from the city’s downtown. Constructing more than 390,000 square feet of Class A office, retail and restaurant space, it has brought new tenants and business to Boise’s downtown.

Building owner The Gardner Company, a full service real estate company, prides itself on partnering with companies that implement the highest of standards. This includes designing and constructing to LEED criteria, minimizing impact on the environment. To realize The Gardner Company’s vision, CTA collaborated with Babcock Design Group, general contractor Engineered Structures Inc. (ESI), plus other key building team members to create a cost-effective, durable and energy-efficient building.

“Gardner’s vice president of construction, Tom Ahlquist Sr., is very knowledgeable of the building process and was very hands-on throughout the project,” says Bob Thiede, Wausau’s architectural sales representative serving Idaho. Respecting Wausau and specialty glazing contractor D&A Glass Company, Inc.’s contributions to this process and to the all-glass façade, Ahlquist and his team invited them to participate in the project’s initial design charrette in the winter of 2011.

“This project was the first unitized curtainwall project in Idaho, and is now the tallest building in Idaho,” adds Thiede. To better visualize the curtainwall for the Eighth and Main’s project, Wausau’s team coordinated a trip to the manufacturing center in Wisconsin and to a similar installation in New York. Thiede along with Wausau’s regional sales manager Keith Lindberg and project manager Dale Cejka, hosted D&A Glass’ owner Denise Alter and senior project engineer Lester Alter, and representatives from ESI.

“The first leg of the tour included an in-depth tour of our LEED-Silver certified manufacturing facilities in Wausau, Wisconsin. We showed them how the unitized curtainwall is engineered, fabricated and pre-assembled into units. Glazing and sealing in a controlled factory-controlled environmental ensures that conditions are maintained to achieve the intended performance required for the project. And the pre-assembled units make the system easy to install on the job site,” notes Thiede.

In addition to being the first unitized curtainwall application in Boise, it also was D&A Glass’ first unitized installation. Thiede explains, “Lester started his career in southern California working on commercial projects, but never had been involved in unitized projects. In addition to witnessing the installation in New York, Lester traveled to the Phoenix to meet with one of Wausau’s long-time customers, Dave Tidwell, CEO of KT Fabrication who also has major unitized curtainwall experience. They discussed logistics and the best practices for setting of unitized panels.”

ESI broke ground on the project in July 2012. By Spring 2013, Wausau’s unitized curtainwall started arriving at Eighth and Main’s job site pre-engineered and factory-glazed in sequenced phases. Shipped one lite wide by one floor tall, the interlocking units facilitated speedy installation by the glazing team. In total, 72,000 square feet of Wausau’s unitized curtainwall, custom canopies and other finishing details were installed on the building.

“In addition to its aesthetics and performance, we valued the ease of installation and the schedule enhancement the unitized curtainwall system provided the project,” says David Bowar, ESI’s project manager.

The southeast corner of the building features Wausau’s unitized curtainwall running the full height of the building, accented by custom sun shades with integral LED lighting. The remainder of the tower features the same unitized system in continuous vertical strips installed between glass fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) panels. At street level, the first two floors incorporate Tubelite Inc.’s storefront and entrances.

Supporting the project’s energy-efficient and environmental attributes, Viracon’s high-performance insulating, laminated glass was used throughout the curtainwall, storefront and entrance systems. In addition to the curtainwall and sun shades, Wausau provided zero sightline vents, custom interior stools, and other aluminum-framed architectural building products.

Both Wausau’s and Tubelite’s aluminum extrusions from secondary billet contain at least 70% total recycled content. Linetec painted all of the aluminum framing in a 70% PVDF finish. This high-performance architectural coating meets the most stringent, exterior, architectural specification, American Architectural Manufacturers Association’s AAMA-2605. As an environmentally responsible finisher, Linetec safely captures and destroys the liquid paint’s volatile organic compounds (VOC) content before the finished material arrives at the job site.

During the project, Wausau’s Cejka and senior engineer Craig Schreiner visited the job site, conducting inspections to support D&A Glass’ correct installation. “Although this was D&A Glass Company’s first time working with Wausau’s unit wall, everything ran very smoothly,” said Cejka.

“It has been our pleasure to work with the Wausau team,” stated D&A Glass’ Denise Alter. “We could not have made a better choice than Wausau for this project. The expertise, customer service and true involvement from [their] people have been like no other project we have done. We would love to do more projects [together] in the future.”

At Eighth and Main’s grand opening ceremony on Feb. 15, 2014, Boise’s Mayor David H. Bieter praised the building as the “crown jewel” of the city’s downtown. Current tenants include: Zions Bank, Holland & Hart, Parsons Behle & Latimer, A10 Capitol, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, Flatbread Pizza Company, On the Fly Deli and Zenergy Health Club.

Anchor tenant Zions Bank hosted a free community grand opening that included family activities, local food trucks and a rock concert. Scott Anderson, president and CEO of Zions Bank, noted, “We believe that this epic celebration is fitting as we close the books on ‘the Hole’ and pay tribute to the beautiful new building that’s taken its place as the tallest in Idaho.”

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Eighth and Main, 800 W. Main St., Boise, Idaho  83702
* Owner: Gardner Company; Boise, Idaho; http://www.gardnercompany.net
* Architect of Record: CTA Architects Engineers; Boise, Idaho; http://ctagroup.com
* Design Architect – building envelope: Babcock Design Group; Boise, Idaho, and Salt Lake City; http://www.babcockdesign.com
* General Contractor: Engineered Structures Inc. (ESI); Meridian, Idaho; http://www.esiconstruction.com
* Glazing contractor: D&A Glass Company, Inc.; Boise, Idaho; http://www.daglass.net
* Glazing systems – curtainwall manufacturer: Wausau Window and Wall Systems, INvision Series curtainwall and ClearStory sun shades; Wausau, Wisconsin; http://www.wausauwindow.com
* Glazing systems – entrances manufacturer: Tubelite Inc., entrance systems and 400 Series curtainwall; Walker, Michigan; http://www.tubeliteinc.com
* Glazing systems – glass: Viracon; Owatonna, Minnesota; http://www.viracon.com
* Glazing systems – finisher: Linetec; Wausau, Wisconsin; http://www.linetec.com
* Photographer: Marc Walters Photography
* Video: TreJuice Films, Trevor Atkinson, http://vimeo.com/77342437

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Rockfon® Island™ frameless, stone wool ceiling products expand designers’ creative options in achieving acoustic comfort for open plan offices, restaurants, waiting rooms, call centers and other spaces where sound can be overwhelming to occupants.

“Innovative and aesthetically pleasing, these frameless acoustic islands provide an alternative acoustic solution for rooms where suspended ceilings are not suitable. They can be used as part of a retrofit or to create a cloud-like design feature,” said Cory Nevins, ROCKFON’s director of marketing for North America.

Rockfon Island’s modular format is available in square or rectangular sizes, at either 3 feet 9-11/16 inches or 5 feet 9-5/16 inches in length. The frameless shape has a sharp, minimalistic edge and a subtle, elegant bevel. It features a smooth texture and white color to optimize light reflection (LR 0.86).

Rockfon Island, like all ROCKFON acoustic ceiling panels, consist of stone wool materials and inherently absorb acoustic waves from all angles due to its non-directional fiber. The stone wool also delivers a number of other notable performance benefits including fire protection, and water and humidity resistance.

Contributing to building’s environmental goals, Rockfon Island products contain up to 39 percent recycled content. ROCKFON’s extensive portfolio of stone wool acoustic ceiling solutions has earned UL® Environment’s GREENGUARD Gold Certification for low-emitting products. These environmental attributes are recognized by such programs as the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® Rating System and the Collaborative for High Performance Schools’ Criteria (CHPS).

As with all of ROCKFON’s stone wool ceiling panels, these panels also are 50 to 75 percent lighter than other ceiling panels for easier installation. Providing low maintenance and long-term durability, ROCKFON products supplied in North America are supported with a 10-year product warranty.

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Linetec offers Antimicrobial Protection for Public Building Applications, a new white paper. Co-authored by Linetec, The Sherwin-Williams Company and Microban International, Ltd., the paper is available free for download at Linetec.com (PDF).

The new white paper describes the uses and advantages of antimicrobial infused coatings, as well as details the related technology, testing and specifications. According to the paper, “The need for microbial control stems from the fact that there are an estimated 4.5 million bacterial and fungi species throughout the planet, many of which travel and migrate via the constant ebb and flow of human foot traffic through an ever-changing population of people visiting public buildings. Under the right conditions, some microbes can double in number every 30 minutes or faster.”

“The white paper is the latest addition to our educational resources available to building team members. The antimicrobial infused coatings are one of our most recent, innovative developments serving our customers, especially those working on health care facilities, educational campuses and other public building projects,” says Jon Close, Linetec’s vice president of sales.

Antimicrobial protection is infused into select polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) finishes to inhibit the growth of stain and odor causing bacteria on the coating of aluminum surfaces. Linetec relies on a fluoropolymer finish containing 70% Kynar 500® Fluorosurfactant Free (FSF) PVDF resin-based SHER-NAR™ 5000 Superior Performance Architectural Coating with antimicrobial protection. This three-coat system meets requirements of AAMA 2605, the most stringent specification for architectural coatings.

Close adds, “Now, antimicrobial protection can be specified for high-touch, architectural metal products’ exterior and interior surfaces, such as hand rails, doors, windows, curtainwall, entrances, light shelves, panels and column covers. Anywhere the growth of stain and odor causing bacteria is a concern, projects can benefit from this extra level of protection.”

An environmentally responsible finisher, Linetec safely captures and destroys the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in liquid paints at the factory before arrival on the building site. These industry-leading practices complement other health-conscious and green building choices, such as using recycled aluminum content, and ensure a long-lasting, durable and sustainable finish.

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With its high durability and large color palette, Valspar’s Fluropon® exterior coatings have become an industry standard for both metal coil coating and aluminum extrusion applications since its launch in 1965. These field-proven, high-performance, 70 percent polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) coatings are offered in two- to four-coat systems in nearly any formulation, including low gloss, low sheen, solar reflective and ENERGY STAR. A wide variety of colors also are available, from neutral to bright colors, micas, metallic, pearlescent and Kameleon® color shifting coatings.

Fluropon coatings are ideally suited for long-life external use on monumental high-rise structures and pre-engineered buildings’ exterior architectural products made from aluminum, galvanized steel and Galvalume® coils and aluminum extrusions. End-uses include: metal roofing and wall panel systems; framing for curtainwall, windows, skylights and entrance systems; louvers and grills, soffits, fascia, mullions, column covers and more.

“A tried and true product, Fluropon has been protecting building components for nearly 50 years. This superior coating is battle-tested, real world-proven and architecturally worthy of the limelight,” said Jeff Alexander, Valspar’s vice president of sales for global coil and extrusion. “In all of its applications, Fluropon is recognized for its exceptional long-lasting durability, outstanding color consistency, excellent overall adhesion, and superior flexibility and formability.”

As examples of projects featuring Fluropon, Alexander mentions:
• 930 Poydras residential tower, New Orleans
• Sunnyvale Town Center Target Store, California
• Central Arizona College’s Maricopa Campus
• Dallas Cowboys’ Stadium, Texas
• Exploration Tower at Port Canaveral, Florida
• Waubonsee Community College, Plano, Illinois
• Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis
• Paul David Athletic Training Center at Massillon High School, Ohio
• Aria Resort and Hotel Las Vegas
• Skyventure entertainment facility, Nashua, New Hampshire
These and other project examples can be viewed on Valspar’s website.

Fluropon, containing a 70 percent PVDF proprietary resin system, meets or exceeds the American Society for Testing and Materials’ stringent standards, the American Architectural Manufacturers Association’s AAMA 2605 high-performance exterior specification. Fluropon demonstrates reliable performance including resistance to harmful ultraviolet rays, chemical degradation, abrasions and humidity.

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