MPI assesses the environmental impact of paints but only after the product has met specific performance requirements, says Barry Law, the institute’s president. MPI offers end users, including managers, architects, and interior designers, a range of resources related to paint performance and application.
For example, MPI has taken data from manufacturers, applicators, non-profit industry associations, and paint chemists to compile the MPI Maintenance Repainting Manual. The manual helps managers evaluate paint products and systems, select the necessary surface preparation, and implement a quality-assurance program to ensure workers apply paint properly.
The guide:
• Provides guidance in assessing the levels of surface preparation and priming that might be necessary for a particular project. For example, it helps end users analyze the degree of substrate degradation (DSD) before tackling an interior or exterior painting project.
• Discusses the different types of interior and exterior systems and the surface-preparation requirements for each system. The guide separates the systems by substrate category — the plaster and gypsum board category, for example, includes drywall — followed by a specific product, such as a low-VOC, low-odor paint, that will perform well on that particular substrate.
• Contains guide specifications and recommended practices for exteriors and interiors, as well as wall coverings.
• Features the MPI Approved Products list, expanding on the products discussed in other chapters
• Offers MPI Surface Preparation standards and defines responsibilities for workers involved in a painting project.
Managers Consider Performance, Environment When Specifying Paints
Paints: Third-Party Organizations Develop Standards, Certification Programs
Master Painters Institute Develops Application Guidelines
