Valspar’s new Fluropon Pure coating is a Living Building Challenge compliant product and void of hexavalent chromium, PFOA, lead, or phthalates — ideal for projects with rigorous environmental requirements or customers who are simply looking for a greener product.
Through collaboration with its customers, Valspar learned of a goal that wasn’t being met in the market.
“We have gotten a lot of feedback from our customers about building owners and architects wanting to get more Living Building Challenge buildings out there,” says Jeff Alexander, Vice President of Sales for Coil and Extrusion at Valspar.
The Living Building Challenge (LBC) is a sustainable building certification program with strict material transparency requirements and hazardous materials (Red-List) restrictions. LBC created the Red List, with over 800 chemicals in 22 categories that cannot be used in a Living Building Project due to known toxicity concerns.
In order to be compliant with these stringent guidelines, Valspar approached its technical staff to review the company’s material and see what could be reformulated in the product to meet the requirements. The company’s chemists developed Fluropon Pure, which has achieved LBC Compliant status and are working toward a Red List Free solution.
Offered in Valspar’s coil and extrusion coatings, Fluropon Pure can help customers looking to obtain a LEED v4 credit.
In the new Building Product Disclosure and Optimization-Material Ingredients section, project teams can earn a point by using products with ingredients disclosure. Valspar can help its customers complete their product inventory by providing them with the composition of the company's coatings.
Valspar formulated a solar-reflective version of the Fluropon Pure coating, which can be used toward an LEED v4 credit (The heat island reduction- roof).
The coating contains solar reflective pigments that help reflect the sun, which resists heat absorption and aids in keeping the building cooler — reducing a project’s Urban Heat Island effect.
At the moment, product trials are underway for Fluropon Pure, and the company rolled out this product at Living Building Challenge in May 2016 and in the following week at the AIA national convention.
“We have customers that are looking to change their coatings to this new trend because they want to be the most environmentally sustainable building product manufacturer,” Alexander says. “This product provides an option to our customers, architects, and building owners who can make more responsible material choices.”