First PAINT 2005 project announced

First PAINT 2005 project announcedKeywords: BRE, Paint 2005, Paint, Coating

Paint 2005, the network group run by BRE to act as an umbrella body for paint and coatings-related research, recently held its first meeting. At the meeting,an announcement was made about the group's first project, which will investigate the current specification activities of paint and coatings end-users.

This work, partly funded by the DETR, will involve gathering evidence, mainly from the UK's housing associations and local authority housing departments,about the processes undertaken when specifying coating products and any problems encountered during specification or with the finished product.

A number of factors will be examined, including the different requirements of end-users, information available from manufacturers, the role of contractors and standards of workmanship. This will then be fed into best practice guidance for specifiers. This document should also help with "best value" policies,as undertaken by many housing providers.

The meeting itself was a success, attended by manufacturers and end-users. Progress was made in developing a second project proposal within the network for a technical project on robust coatings for timber substrates. The first PAINT 2005 members have now signed up, including a number of multinational companies. It is hoped that the membership will eventually reflect a cross-section of those working within or with an interest in the coatings industry: manufacturers,housing associations, local authorities, developers, utility companies and other research bodies may all benefit from involvement.

Regular meetings for the group are planned, which will provide an opportunity for networking, intelligence gathering, and act as a forum for the development of partnerships.

Details available from: BRE. Tel: +44 (0)1923 664155; E-mail: thorpew@bre.co.uk or suttiee@bre.co.uk