STANDARDIZED COATING SYSTEMS FOR COMMERCIAL
APPLICATIONS
Gina Fleitman
Master Painters Institute
Abstract: This paper discusses the use of Master Painter Institute (MPI) paint standards
and systems to select and procure paints for the protection and beautification of
commercial buildings. Background on MPI and an explanation of how to use its paint
standards is provided, along with instructions for using MPI manuals to choose coating
systems for building environments.
Introduction
The fact is all architectural paints are not created equal. Your favorite paint store likely
has a shelf or two stocked with a range of different products all labeled “Interior Latex,
Eggshell” – yet testing will show the performance and durability can vary dramatically
from one brand or label to another, with some far more disappointing than others. By
creating performance standards to determine what “good” looks like; organizing product
types into different classes and standards based on varying levels of performance; and
testing paints to verify they pass those standards, MPI strives to provide the specifier and
paint buyer with objective data that enables them to make good choices, safe in the
knowledge that the products they choose provide a base level of performance with
minimal surprises.
MPI also provides Manuals that recommend paint systems for a wide variety of
substrates and environments encountered in building environments, as well as guides to
good practice, all designed to help the specifier, contractor, and facility manager maintain
high quality in commercial coatings work.
History
The Master Painters Institute was formed by the Master Painters & Decorators to help
advance its work in writing paint performance standards and testing products to verify
they meet those standards.
The turning point for MPI came in the year 2000 when the US federal government
decided its current system of federal paint standards was not working to their satisfaction,
and chose to adopt the MPI system instead. The Military followed shortly thereafter by
requiring MPI-approved paints in its new Unified Facilities Guide Spec that covers
requirements for all new and existing buildings worldwide.
Then in 2003, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) adopted MPI approved paints
and paint systems for Section 09910 Painting in its program MasterSpec®, which is used
by 60,000 architects. It’s estimated that 80% of architects’ specifications today are
written with MasterSpec, which puts the MPI Approved Products and paint systems in
the hands of a large percentage of private-sector architects.
Timeline:
• 1927: Master Painters and Decorators Association (MPDA) registers as a non-profit
society
• 1964: MPDA writes its first Architectural Specifications Manual using compositionbased paint specs
• 1995: The Master Painters Institute is formed
• 1997: MPI starts writing its own performance specs for commercial/institutional
coatings
• 1999: MPI starts its own test lab to evaluate proprietary coatings products against MPI
standards
• 2000: US Executive Order ends federal paint specs, and the US General Services
Administration (GSA) adopts MPI in their place
• 2001: US Military building specs are combined into one Unified Facilities Guide Spec
that mandates the use of MPI-approved products; Canadian National Master Spec adopts
MPI
• 2003: The American Institute of Architects (AIA) adopts MPI Approved Products Lists
and Systems for its MasterSpec® program; so do SpecLink and Spex.ca
Agencies and Organizations that Require or Reference MPI
In addition to the US federal government, Military, and AIA via their MasterSpec
program, other agencies and organizations that reference or require MPI-approved paints
include…
• NASA
• The Veteran’s Administration (operates over 400 hospitals)
• Church of the Latter Day Saints
• The Canadian National Master Specification
• California Painting Contractor Licensing
• Environmental Choice program from Environment Canada
• Many other specifiers, designers, and facility managers (both public and private) in the
US and Canada
How to Use MPI Paint Standards
Today, MPI has over 190 different paint standards covering a wide range of architectural
coating types. Here are some tips to help understand the system.
Gloss levels
Instead of subscribing to industry terms such as “eggshell,” ”satin,” or “velvet,” MPI has
established a numerical scheme based on gloss at 60 degrees and sheen at 85 degrees –
for example, an MPI Gloss Level 1 finish has a maximum 5 units of gloss at 60 degrees
and a maximum of 10 units’ sheen at 85 degrees; MPI Gloss Level 2 has a maximum 10
units gloss at 60 degrees and 10-35 units sheen at 85 degrees; and so forth up to Gloss
Level 7 “High Gloss,” which is more than 85 units gloss at 60 degrees..
MPI Paint Families
For the most frequently-specified paint types and where applicable, MPI has ‘families’ of
multiple paint standards to cover the range of gloss levels most often encountered. For
example, within the waterborne alkyd family, MPI #165 is Waterbased Alkyd, Gloss
Level 1; MPI #166 is Waterbased Alkyd, Gloss Level 2, all the way up to MPI #171
Waterbased Alkyd, Gloss Level 7.
And within the densely-populated categories of interior latex paint, we distinguish
between four different families or classes of performance characteristics:
• “Conventional” latex in a full range of gloss levels are MPI 43, 44, 52, 52, and 114
• High performance latex, which we call “High Performance Architectural”, are MPI 138,
139, 140, 141
• Virtually 0 VOC/Low Odor latex (which MPI calls “Institutional Low Odor/VOC”) are
MPI 143 through 148
• High performance waterborne products suitable for commercial and light industrial
applications (where moderate chemical/corrosion resistance is required) are called “Light
Industrial Coating” MPI #151, #153, and #154
Performance Requirements in MPI Standards
For any paint to be approved by MPI, our lab performs a battery of tests (ASTM and
other) that measure appropriate performance parameters for each different type of paint
and gloss level. For example, all approved interior latex paints have passed minimum
requirements for dry time, consistency, hiding power, reflectance, alkali resistance,
burnish resistance, scrubbability, flexibility, etc.
Fig 1 below demonstrates the difference in requirements for scrubbability and
cleansability for a semi-gloss paint from the three latex families described above. Note
that MPI goes beyond convention with measuring scrubbability, marking failure as either
when the film breaks OR exhibits a substantially degraded appearance (expressed as
change in gloss).
Fig. 1
MPI Standard
MPI #54 Latex, Interior, Semi-Gloss
(Gloss Level 5)
MPI #141 Latex, Interior, High
Performance Architectural, SemiGloss (Gloss Level 5)
MPI #147 Latex, Interior,
Institutional Low Odor/VOC, SemiGloss (Gloss Level 5)
Scrubbability
2000 cycles with max
20% change in gloss
4000 cycles with max
20% change in gloss
4000 cycles with max
20% change in gloss
Cleansability
no requirement
Maximum total color difference
after staining Delta E 3.0/no one
stain more than Delta E 1.5
Maximum total color difference
after staining Delta E 5; no one
stain greater than Delta E 2.0
Note that both #141 High Performance and #147 Low Odor/VOC latex have more
rigorous requirements than #54 (conventional), and include requirements for stain
resistance: we subject these samples to catsup, mustard, red wine, hot coffee, and
graphite to measure their cleansability. And while both High Performance Architectural
latex and Low Odor/Low VOC latex require 4000 scrub cycles, the High Performance
Architectural has a higher stain resistance requirement.
MPI standards are drafted with input from our International Advisory Committee and are
updated as new and better test methods and technology comes along. Typical practice for
drafting a new standard is to invite suppliers to send us sample products for that category;
we then perform a battery of performance tests and plot the ‘score’ for each product over
a range of requirements. The final standard is written by choosing the median or higher
levels looking across all the data for all products for each performance criteria.
MPI Green Performance Standard and X-Green (Extreme Green).
MPI believes that compromising performance in order to produce ‘green’ technology is
unacceptable. The first and foremost task of paint is to provide a combination of
aesthetics and protection -- so paints that meet MPI’s Green Performance Standard (GPS)
pass the same performance requirements as conventional products, but have lower VOC
and zero or trace quantities of undesirable chemicals. MPI designates three levels of
“green:” GPS-1 is the base level ‘green’ and requires a VOC that essentially meets
CARB and OTC requirements; GPS-2 has a more stringent VOC requirement to match
SCAQMD (maximum 50 g/l VOC); and X-Green (Extreme Green) products meet GPS-2
and also are certificated to pass the small chamber VOC emissions test often referred to
as the “CHPS” (Collaborative for High Performance Schools) test, or “California 1350.”
Who’s Approved by MPI
At this writing, 80 different paint suppliers work with us as Listing Manufacturers, with
over 2800 different product approvals. MPI Listing Manufacturers are shown on MPI’s
website www.paintinfo.com under “Manufacturer Info.”
Sample of an Approved Products List for an MPI standard
Figure 2 shows a screenshot of the Approved Products List for MPI #141 interior semigloss High Performance Architectural Latex.
Fig. 2
Here’s an explanation of some MPI-centric terms you’ll see on an MPI Approved
Products List page…
E-Range. This is how MPI describes a paint’s VOC. Instead of listing the VOC for each
product, or setting across-the-board rules like “anything under 50 g/l is considered low
VOC,” MPI uses a sliding scale that denotes a product’s VOC level as either E3, E2, or
E1, where E3 indicates the lowest VOC range expected for that particular paint type; E2
is the middle; and E1 the highest. For example: for an interior latex standard such as MPI
#141 shown in the screenshot, the “low” VOC range E3 is < 50 g/l, and the “high” VOC
range E1 is 101-250 g/l. Contrast that with MPI #47 interior semi-gloss oil-based alkyd,
where the low VOC E3 is < 250 g/l, and the high VOC E1 is 381- 450 g/l.
For most interior waterborne categories, products labeled E2 or E3 will meet or exceed
most jurisdictions, including LEED requirements.
We designed this system to make it easy for specifiers to specify the lowest VOC
products in an MPI paint class. By specifying the use of E3 products (or E2 if no E3 are
available), specifiers know they are getting the lowest VOC to be expected for that paint
type. The US Military’s architectural paint spec is a good example: it requests the use of
MPI Green Performance-approved paints, and if none are available, directs the specifier
to use the lowest E-range products available if indoor air quality is an issue.
EPR. This is “Environmental Performance Rating,” designed to make it easier for
specifiers to choose products that combine low VOC with greater durability. The higher
the EPR score, the better overall combination of “green” and performance. The
reasoning is that while VOC is one measure of “green,” durability over the structure’s life
cycle is also a critical measure for sustainable building, because the total environmental
impact of continuous repainting can far outweigh the impact of initial VOC emissions.
Certain MPI•categories by definition offer longer-term durability than other categories,
so MPI assigns a “performance index” score to each category. For example, MPI #44
Gloss Level 2, which is a fairly flat conventional interior latex is the baseline 0 for
performance; but the semi-gloss version #54 offers higher durability and thus gets a 1,
while the #141 High•Performance Architectural Latex semi-gloss offers a far higher
performance index of 4.
So a product’s EPR rating is a score that combines its VOC•(indicated by its “E” rating)
with the performance/durability index for that paint category. The higher the EPR, the
better the product is for optimizing green characteristics and durability.
The MPI Painting Manuals
One of MPI’s most important contributions to the industry is its Painting Manuals. The
Architectural Specifications Manual covers products, systems, surface preparation, guide
specs, and good practice for new construction applications, and the Repaint
Specifications Manual does the same for maintenance repainting work. The Manuals are
designed to help specifiers, facility managers, and contractors choose the right systems
for their applications and prepare better specifications for painting work.
It is MPI’s experience that today’s architects, specifiers, and facilities maintenance
managers are not exceptionally well schooled in the complexities of today’s paint
technologies, and frequently get their information about paint from the last paint
salesman who called on them. This is not an optimal method for presenting all the options
available to specifiers, or for helping them write strong specifications to guide the work.
Through its history with the Master Painters & Decorators and the input of its
International Advisory Committee, MPI has accumulated a wealth of knowledge
presented in its two Manuals that include a series of recommended paint systems for 25+
substrates and applications commonly found in commercial building environments, with
each system built on specific MPI paint numbers (with their corresponding Approved
Products Lists) for primer, intermediate, and topcoat. We’ve found that by clearly
scripting (a) recommended systems for that substrate and application; (b) the paint types
within the system; and (c) existing proprietary products that meet standards for those
paint types, we provide a valuable convenience to specifiers, and help them avoid errors
in paint specification work. Each Manual also provides useful information about each
type of paint and system, guide specifications, recommended practices for surface
preparation, and other useful tools for ensuring a successful painting project.
The Repaint manual is more complex than the Architectural (new construction) manual
because it takes into consideration the various levels of surface degradation that may be
encountered for all the different substrates, with different surface preparation and paint
system requirements depending on the level of degradation.
Both manuals are available as printed books or on-line via annual subscription, with the
on-line edition offering the advantage of more frequent updates.
Using the MPI Manual
A specifier using the Manuals answers a few simple questions to drill down to the
recommended paint system for the application.
Here’s an example of a specifier choosing a system for new construction, in an exterior
application where the substrate is cementitious composition board.
The user first chooses Chapter 2 “Exterior” and from the list of possible substrates shown
in Fig. 3 below, chooses Ext 3.3 Cementitious Composition Board.
Fig. 3
Clicking “Cementitious Composition Board” yields the screen below (Fig. 4): a
description of the surface with general advice for what to watch for, and then a list of
suggested paint systems suitable for the substrate.
Fig. 4
The user would then choose from this list a system that’s appropriate for the project. In
the example below (Fig. 5), the specifier chooses 3.3C Waterborne Light Industrial
Coating. The resulting screen describes the system and offers general instructions
regarding its use, which can include its advantages and limitations, advice regarding
application, cautionary notes, etc. If the system allows for a choice of gloss level, this
screen will describe the various gloss levels recommended and offer advice regarding the
advantages and/or limitations of each.
Fig. 5
The visitor can then choose to click “Exterior Systems” to see which paint types comprise
the system, or “Exterior Surface Preparation” to see recommendations for surface
preparation of cementitious composition board. Clicking “Exterior Systems” yields the
screen below (Fig. 6) that lists in the right hand column “MPI Product” the specific MPI
paint numbers (standards) comprise the system.
Fig. 6
Each number is linked to the corresponding page on MPI’s Approved Products Lists. To
see a list of Approved Products for the semi-gloss finish (MPI Gloss Level 5) system
EXT 3.3C – G5, the user starts by clicking the primer “3” in the MPI Product column,
which yields the page below (Fig. 7) listing products that have been tested by MPI’s lab
to verify they meet the performance requirements for MPI #3 Alkali Resistant Primer.
Fig. 7
Going back one page and clicking the #163 yields the list of products approved by the
MPI lab under the requirements for the semi-gloss topcoat (Fig. 8).
Fig. 8
Conclusion
Choosing the right paint system, writing a good specification, and performing the work
according to accepted norms of good practice is critical to the success of a commercial
painting project. With its performance standards, Approved Products Lists, and Painting
Manuals, MPI strives to make it easier for specifiers, contractors, and facility managers to
maximize their coatings life cycle. While systems and standards may have their
limitations or imperfections, overall, they are a good thing, and without them, specifying
paint and writing good specifications would be a far dodgier practice.