Over the past 16 years, Falcon Structures has been modifying shipping containers and finishing off each box with a fresh coat of paint. Painting these boxes creates a clean and polished final look, but just as importantly, it adds a necessary protective coating to the containers. In the years since Falcon’s humble beginnings and through the growth that has since ensued, our concern about harmful paint emissions has increased -- and we’ve decided to take action. Because the coatings industry has made great strides in innovation, they now offer products that are both safer for the environment and high performing. Falcon has investigated the options and decided to adopt a new waterborne coating system. This system includes a waterborne epoxy primer and an acrylic topcoat.
To understand the benefits of this new paint system we must first understand what it is.
In summary, this paint is based in water instead of oil, but it is still durable and reliable as the outermost layer of a shipping container.
Because these new paints are based in water, they release fewer harmful emissions than oil-based alternatives. This is where VOCs come into play. To state it plainly, VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, refer to the solvents that release into the air as the paint dries. Because some components of paint and other products -- like cleaning supplies -- are unhealthy, the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality strictly regulates how often and how much one can paint in terms of VOCs. Some cities, like Houston, have set even stricter rules for themselves, further prohibiting painting with high VOC paints.
VOCs can be harmful to humans, the environment, and the atmosphere when emitted in great quantities. Therefore, paints with high VOCs are highly regulated and must be used in small doses.
Water-based paints, on the other hand, are an environmentally friendly alternative.
Want more information about how to paint a container? Read our blog post: A Shipping Container Primer on Paint Application and Maintenance.