Interior water-based paints: the range has been improved
New products and formats with more sustainable formulations and packaging launched on the market
At Cersaie 2022 Mapei showcased an improved range of wall coatings. New products and formats with more sustainable formulations and packaging were launched on the market.
At Cersaie 2022 Mapei showcased various products from the water-based paints range: what led to this new interest?
The internal wall paints market in Italy accounts for around 40% of the entire market of paints aimed at the building industry. Despite these figures – a market worth hundreds of millions of Euros every year – Mapei has never played a particularly significant role in this family of products as it has historically been more focused on technical products for external use, on elastomeric and anti-carbonation products and on external thermal insulation systems. This strategy has positioned Mapei as a brand of absolute importance in the professional world of façades with constant annual growth since the Wall Coatings line has been introduced on the market. To support this growth, it became necessary to continue expanding the product range and this year we decided to intervene on the line of interior products, optimising and improving the existing water-based paints in the portfolio.
What are the characteristics and advantages of the new DURSILITE IGEA and DURSILITE GYPSOS?
The new products are linked to two clear market trends and meet the precise needs of clients. There is a need for products that, on the one hand, contrast the formation of mould and, on the other hand, offer solutions to construction trends where drywall systems are playing an increasingly important role. In fact, both products are admixed with a component that contrasts the formation of mould on walls, an increasingly important requirement for modern and renovated buildings with thermal break doors and windows. The high efficiency of modern doors and windows in terms of airtightness reduces the exchange of air with the outside and, as a result, an accumulation of water vapour inside homes, leading to the formation of mould on walls. Also, with people spending more time in their homes because of the pandemic (smart working, on-line lessons, etc.), this has led to an increase in the formation of water vapour. Both DURSILITE IGEA and DURSILITE GYPSOS are formulated with BioBlock technology developed by Mapei, designed to effectively counteract these unwanted effects and keep walls clean for much longer. A second market trend is the growing use of drywall systems and the widely adopted use of plasterboard panels. In this case, DURSILITE GYPSOS has been specifically formulated to simplify application on plasterboard with a very high hiding capacity and, in many cases, the possibility of painting surfaces directly without preparation of the substrates. Also, with DURSILITE GYPSOS, it is possible to reproduce , with the ColorMap® automatic tinting system, all the various Mapei colour colllections and to create customized colours.
Who is the new 1 litre packaging aimed at?
The decision to introduce the 1 litre packaging is linked to two needs: the first one was to provide a tool for the creation of colour samples to help choose the right shade and to optimise the match between different colours. The limited amount of paint enables colour-match tests to be carried out without excessive costs and, more importantly, avoids wasting paint. The second reason is mainly decorative: this small format allows attractive effects and patterns to be created in a room by matching different colours and shades from the same colour palette. In such cases, you can obtain pleasant chromatic effects over a limited surface area, such as in niches or single walls, and the small format allows the preparation of only the quantity required for the project.
There are also new developments with MAPECOAT ACT enamel paints with the introduction of MAPECOAT ACT SATIN and MAPECOAT ACT MATT. What are the typical areas of use of these products?
The MAPECOAT ACT range has been part of the Mapei portfolio for several years. This is a top-of-the-range product family with exceptional characteristics in terms of cleanability and stain-removal, as well as resistance to mould, viruses and bacteria. The MAPECOAT ACT range is divided into two distinct products, one for healthcare facilities and one for the food and beverage industry, both with the relative certifications in line with current applicable standards and the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) protocol. We found it useful to unify the two formulations into a single product to help retailers reduce the number of items in stock. At the same time, we accepted the requests from the market that was asking for a product with a more matt finish than the initial satin-finish version by introducing the new MATT version, and with the same characteristics, alongside the SATIN version.
As far as product and packaging are concerned, what kind of attention has been given to the issue of sustainability?
Sustainability and innovation are Mapei’s two main drivers and water-based paints are no exception. When formulating the products, it was decided not to use components that would be harmful for the environment and people’s health, while maintaining high performance properties despite more stringent legislation. The formulations were optimised to minimise emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC), achieving the highest class, A+, in the French classification system, which guarantees good quality of the air breathed in by both professional painters and end users, ensuring a high level of living comfort.
Furthermore, the environmental impacts of our products have been calculated using the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) method in order to design increasingly sustainable water-based paints.
The impact is declared on the product EPD (Environmental Product Declaration), environmental documents certified by third-party bodies.
Mapei has already reviewed the technical documentation of its products incorporating the update published in the Italian Government Gazette on 6th August 2022 regarding Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM) for the Italian building industry.
Attention to sustainability is not limited to the formulations, but also includes their packaging. Also in this case, it was decided to use recycled packaging, certified by the Institute for the Promotion of Recycled Plastics (IPPR): all packaging bears the “Plastic Second Life” label, the first one in Italy and Europe, which makes the materials and items made from recycled plastic waste immediately recognisable.
