Innovations in the paint industry over the years mean that today’s architects have infinite options for choosing the right colors and finishes for their projects. At Valspar Coil and Extrusion Coating (becoming Sherwin-Williams Coil Coating), chemists are constantly working hard in the laboratory to expand the limits of color. But beyond just color, Valspar has developed durable metallic coating systems that are made to last while providing a vibrant sparkle.

Over the past 50 years, paint manufacturers like Valspar have developed high-performance coatings with a metalescent aesthetic, all while expanding color spaces and enhancing performance. Metalescent pigments comprise of tiny flakes of aluminum, mica, or other effect pigments. The size, shape, and concentration of these flakes influence the shine and finished look of a coating.

Previous to recent innovations, the industry standard was to use flakes of aluminum to achieve sparkling metallic effects in paint. The only problem was that because of aluminum’s composition, a clear coat was required to prevent oxidation. This meant that it was standard for a project to take three coats: a primer, the color coat, and a clear coat on the top.

Now through the use of mica, paint developers can add the perfect sparkle to a coating while bypassing the need for a protective topcoat. Since mica is stable and inert, it doesn’t react with elements or to the environment in the way that aluminum does. Mica doesn’t oxidize and degrade like aluminum flakes do when exposed, meaning that mica-based systems often don’t need a topcoat in order to perform. Reducing systems from three coats to two ultimately saves architects time and money.