The Bailey’s Crossroads Skyline buildings in Arlington, VA were completed in the 1970s. The original black coatings used on the aluminum façade of the building had transformed to a dark brown, mud-like color that were in need of dire attention. In 2001, the building’s former owners, Charles E. Smith Co. then hired William Pegues of Weigh Design Group who contacted his representatives at PPG. They recommended Coraflon ADS with Lumiflon FEVE flouropolymer resin-based coating for its field applicability, durability and extensive color selection that match factory applied coatings.
Preparation began by hand stripping, sanding and acetone wipe of the first tower. An epoxy primer was applied, followed by PPG’s Coraflon ADS coating. The second and third towers weren’t completed for another year but stripping and priming were not required for those two buildings. Nonetheless, all three buildings share the same sleek, black factory-like finish that the buildings once had when they were first erected.
Not only do Lumiflon FEVE resins in Coraflon ADS coatings provide added durability on metal-clad buildings, they are a leading product in the area of environmental sustainability. These coatings are also compliant with national EPA rules concerning volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for architectural coatings. In addition, the high performance fluoropolymer coatings are proven to withstand decades of exposure to harsh UV and corrosive environments with minimal damage, translating into lower life-cycle costs from recoating.
LUMIFLON, a product of the Asahi Glass Company, is a solvent-soluble fluoropolymer that offers distinctive advantages to architectural and industrial maintenance markets. LUMIFLON: provides architects and engineers with the option of using brighter colors and higher gloss, allowing gloss values as high as 90; offers the flexibility to be heat cured or cured at ambient temperature, giving fabricators a choice between shop application or application in the field; and can be used successfully on a number of substrates, including steel, aluminum, fiberglass, concrete and polycarbonate for 30 years or more without fading.
Image courtesy of (c) Stock Photo Showcase