Specifying Commercial Aluminum Finishes

Many factors will influence coating selection, but to achieve the desired performance level for a given situation, coatings must be specified based upon their resin and pigment chemistries. Fluoropolymer resins—which include Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and Fluoroethylene vinyl ether (FEVE)—are high performers and are the most widely known resin types available to the fenestration industry for both liquid-applied and powder-applied coatings.

The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA) is the leading trade association representing residential and commercial fenestration. AAMA standards 2603 (for good performance), 2604 (for high performance), and 2605 (for superior performance) are the most commonly referenced coating standards worldwide for painted fenestration products. The AAMA standards describe test procedures and performance requirements for organic coatings applied to aluminum extrusions and panels. The performance tests that are of most concern to end users are adhesion, film integrity and weatherability, particularly UV resistance. Tests that are specific to weatherability measure a coating’s color retention, chalk resistance, gloss retention, and corrosion resistance.

Just as coating chemistries are always being improved, testing and assessment methods are continually being evaluated and improved. Task groups will continue to prioritize research into:

• Accelerated testing methods, which include intensifying the amount of natural sunlight on test panels, in order to more quickly deliver useful and accurate weathering data for coatings.
• Best practices in terms of scientific color standards.
• Corrosion definition and testing, with a goal of better correlating real-world coating performance with test results.