Emerging Changes to Reference Standards in Division 09900
The paint industry, like so many others, is in the midst of great change. Attention has been given to lead abatement, lower VOCs, LEED certification, and indoor mold control. You would think these topics would cover it all, but there is another--"MPI." Anyone who uses Federal Specifications as a project reference standard needs to become familiar with the Master Painters Institute (MPI).
During the early 1950's, the Federal Government developed Federal Paint Specifications. These specifications were written around solvent-borne products containing shellac, linseed oil, cottonseed oil, fish oil, and turpentine, common during that time. However, these specifications became outdated in the late 1950's with the introduction of latex and acrylic paint. In September 1999, a law regulating the amount of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) used in paint effectively wiped out the Federal Paint Specifications that had been written almost fifty years earlier.
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA); state governments, e.g. Georgia; and other major organizations, e.g. LDS Church, have adopted MPI Standards as their paint reference. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has, for the first time, developed a "Uniform Facilities Guide Specification" (UFGS) to replace guide specs previously used by the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Corp of Engineers (COE). The U.S. UFGS now mandates the use of products from the MPI approved products list. Since 2000, MPI has formed alliances with the Steel Structured Painting Council (SSPC) and the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA). MPI is currently working with the Green Building Council to develop a product listing based on performance rather than on VOC levels alone.
The MPI system currently lists 59 manufacturers in 275 product categories grouped as Traditional Paint, High Performance Paint, Low Odor/VOC Paints, and Specialty Paints.
MPI product certification must meet Detailed Performance, Evaluated Performance and Intended Use tests. Both Detailed and Evaluated Performance require MPI Lab tests. The Intended Use test requires that the manufacturers' product data meet the indicated test performance results.
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