Tips for preparing paint specifications.

1. A veteran spec
writer shares
tips for
preparing paint
specifications.
How to Specify Paint
pecifying paint can be vexing.
It’s not just that paint systems consist of multiple coats that must match
each other and substrates, or that products are difficult to compare, and per-
formance hard to quantify; but the information must be organized and pre-
sented for easily finding subject matter, accurate bidding, and simple field
verification.
Because preparing specifications by editing prewritten text is faster and
more cost-effective than writing text from scratch, most large design firms
use guide specifications as the basis for their specifications. In this article, we’ll look at
some effective ways to do that, using ARCOM MasterSpec’s Section 099123 Interior Paint-
ing as an example.
MasterSpec, a product of the American Institute of Architects, is the construction indus-
try’s most widely used guide specification. Since MasterSpec’s Section 099123 is designed
for use with Master Painters Institute (MPI) Approved Products List, some background on
MPI is in order.
8 D+D SEPTEMBER 2014
Good Technical Practice
S
By Joseph Berchenko, ARCOM Masterspec

2. PART 1 - General — In Part 1, specifiers
describe administrative and procedural re-
quirements unique to the section.
PART 2 - Products — Here, specifiers de-
fine assemblies, products, and materials
to be incorporated into the project.
PART 3 - Execution — Here’s where speci-
fiers outline installation of assemblies,
products and materials, including prepara-
tion, installation, cleaning and protection.
Sometimes Part 3 concludes with a
“Schedule” which is a concise list of prod-
ucts and their locations within a project.
It’s good practice to start with Part 2
and select manufacturers and products
first. Then you can edit Part 1’s adminis-
trative and procedural requirements, and
Part 3’s installation methods to line up
with the assemblies, methods and prod-
ucts you chose in Part 2. For example, if
Good Technical Practice
9
Master Painters Institute
Formed in 1995 from an association started
in 1899 and based in Canada, MPI produces
standards and evaluates coating systems
for North America.
MPI benefits the paint and coatings indus-
try by establishing consistent terminology
and unbiased product performance and ap-
plication requirements. This lets specifiers
make verifiable “apples-to-apples” product-
performance comparisons, an otherwise im-
practical task because of varying test
protocols among coating manufacturers.
MPI assigns approved products to num-
bered paint categories with similarly per-
forming paint products. Because MPI
Approved Products Lists are continually up-
dated, they are less likely to be out of date
than an architect’s office list.
In addition to referencing MPI-approved
products, MasterSpec text allows for speci-
fying products by name. Specifying with
generic system descriptions is another
MasterSpec option.
How the Specification is Organized
As you probably know, the Construction
Specification Institute’s SectionFormat es-
tablishes a standard, which MasterSpec fol-
lows, for presenting requirements within
sections. MasterSpec organizes each section
into three “parts,” each of which is then
subdivided into “articles” and “para-
graphs.” SectionFormat designates the
names of each of these subdivisions, and
recommends the order in which they appear.
you select red widgets in Part 2, then you
might require submittal of red widget
samples in Part 1, and installation in Part
3. For paint specifications, specifiers often
start with the Schedule in Part 3, then edit
Part 2, finishing with Part 1 and the rest of
Part 3.
Now let’s take a look at specific compo-
nents of the paint specification in the gen-
eral order you can expect to find them.
PART 1 – GENERAL
Summary
In the Summary, one of the first articles of
Part 1, the specifier should provide a gen-
eral list of painted substrates that lets
readers quickly assess the section’s con-
tent. Use minimal descriptions — for in-
stance “Steel and Iron” rather than “Steel
beam exposed in Auditorium 126” to indi-
(Left) Since it can be hard to match colors during
maintenance, owners often request that additional
material, sometimes called attic stock, be provided.
“Maintenance Materials Submittals” is the article in
Part 1 where you can require a specified amount of
paint to be packaged, labeled and set aside for the
owner. Here, a painter touches up EIFS on a com-
mercial building. Photo courtesy of Luke Roberts
via Wikimedia Commons.
The first step in a great paint project, inside
or out, is a specification in which the informa-
tion is organized for easily finding subject
matter, accurate bidding and simple field veri-
fication. Here, morning sunlight gleams on the
southeast elevation of the Hudson River’s re-
stored 1871 Esopus Meadows Lighthouse.
Photo courtesy of Fine Paints of Europe.

3. 10 D+D SEPTEMBER 2014
cate this is not an all-inclusive list, but
merely an introductory summary.
The Summary includes the Related Re-
quirements paragraph, which cross-refer-
ences other sections that contain require-
ments readers might expect to find in this
section but are specified elsewhere. For
example, readers could be alerted that
transparent finishes on interior wood sub-
strates are specified in Section 099300,
“Staining and Transparent Finishing”
rather than in Section 099123. You can also
list sections requiring coordination, such as
those specifying shop-priming of products
that are later field-finished. Don’t list every
section containing a substrate requiring
paint but only those requiring reference or
coordination.
Definitions
This article is reserved for defining terms
unique to the section that are not defined
elsewhere. You’ll want to define gloss lev-
els, for instance, because they vary fa-
mously from one manufacturer to the
next. One producer’s “eggshell” is an-
other’s “satin.” MasterSpec numerically
quantifies seven gloss levels according to
the industry standard ASTM D523 Stan-
dard Test Method for Specular Gloss.
Action Submittals
Next, in the Action Submittals article, in-
clude written and graphic information and
physical samples that require the architect
to review, and then respond to the con-
tractor, according to AIA Document A201
General Conditions of the Contract for
Construction. Action submittals are dis-
tinct from Informational Submittals,
which, if acceptable, do not need to be re-
turned to the contractor.
Examples of action submittals include
Product Data— This is standardized in-
formation specific to each product, such as
data sheets, that are not customized prod-
Although it may seem obvious that materials must be compatible with substrates and one another, you can explicitly require it in the Material Compatibility para-
graph of the “Paints, General” article in Part 2 – Products. Interior paint covers several substrates in this detail from the kitchen of a high-end private residence
in Vermont. Photo courtesy of Fine Paints of Europe.

4. dard for the remainder of the job. Mock-
ups are always a good idea when aesthet-
ics are a concern.
Don’t use mockups as back-door ap-
provals. Field approval of mockups does
not constitute approval of deviations from
the Contract. Document your changes to
the paint system materials or colors
through properly executed changes, such
as Change Orders, Construction Change
Directives, or other forms of written ap-
proval by the architect.
Delivery, Storage and Handling
This article requires paint to be stored at
not less than 45 F (7 C) and that waste be
removed daily. If necessary, you can insert
special requirements for fire protection,
heating, ventilation and other conditions
for storage areas on-site.
Field Conditions
In Field Conditions, you can specify sur-
face and ambient air temperatures and
relative humidity critical for proper appli-
cation of paint. By defining these parame-
ters in the specification, you alert painters
to the range of conditions necessary for
work to proceed, and you give field in-
spectors clear, precise guidelines for rejec-
tion of work.
PART 2 - PRODUCTS
Manufacturers
Part 2 begins with the “Manufacturers”
article. Each MPI Approved Product list
includes many manufacturers. Even when
you specify paint products by MPI Ap-
proved Product list numbers in the Sched-
ule at the end of Part 3, you still might
want to include this article to limit bid-
ding to selected manufacturers. By listing
stock, be provided. This article is where
you can require a specified amount of
paint to be packaged, labeled and set
aside for the owner. This article follows
the Action Submittals article.
Quality Assurance
Quality assurance is quality control activ-
ity at the job site prior to construction, as
distinct from source quality control that
occurs at the factory during manufacture,
or field quality control that occurs at the
site during construction. You can specify
source and field quality control in Parts 2
and 3 respectively.
In the Quality Assurance article, text is
provided to require mockups, that is, the
painting of a test surface, to demonstrate
aesthetic effects and set a quality stan-
Good Technical Practice
11
uct information like shop drawings.
Sustainability SubmittalsThis might
include data indicating VOC content or lab
test reports.
Samples— Color charts may be required
if colors and other characteristics have not
been preselected. Larger samples from ac-
tual product runs, sometimes called draw
downs, may also be required prior to appli-
cation.
Product List— This paragraph requires
submission of a contractor-prepared sched-
ule of paint products and systems indicat-
ing locations and colors.
Maintenance Materials Submittals
Since it can be hard to match colors during
maintenance, owners often request that
additional material, sometimes called attic
A table for two awaits guests by a darkly reflective wall at the Charlotte Inn, Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.
The “Definitions” article in Part 1 is where you can define gloss levels, since they vary famously from one
manufacturer to the next. Photo courtesy of Fine Paints of Europe.

5. 12 D+D SEPTEMBER 2014
three manufacturers, for example, bidders
still have freedom to select multiple prod-
ucts within each list, but you can rest as-
sured the products will come from
manufacturers who meet your require-
ments.
Paints, General
This article provides requirements that
apply to all paint materials on the job. It
might include the following paragraphs.
MPI Standards— If you’re using MPI
standards and Approved Product List, you
must so state. This is an excellent place to
invoke this requirement by writing, “Prod-
ucts shall comply with MPI standards indi-
cated and shall be listed in its MPI
Approved Products Lists.”
Material Compatibility— Although it
may seem obvious that materials must be
compatible with substrates and one an-
other, you can explicitly require it in this
paragraph.
VOC Content— This paragraph provides
specific numerical requirements for VOC
content based on the sustainability rating
system used.
Although VOC content is a measure of
environmental impact, it does not tell the
full story. VOC content is measured in
terms of the wet volume of the paint
minus the water content. While this elimi-
nates the possibility of manufacturers wa-
tering down the paint to comply with
regulations, the calculations don’t take
into account the spreading rate of the
paint, the number of coats required for
coverage, or the paint’s service life. Less
paint and less frequent repainting con-
tributes to lower VOC emissions over the
life of the building.
You might also consider lighter colors.
Guests relax in the light-colored lobby of the 1915 Hotel Blackhawk, Davenport, Iowa. Light colors often make better use of available light.
Photo courtesy of Farragutful via Wikimedia Commons.

6. Good Technical Practice
13
Most universal colorants decline in per-
formance and contribute VOCs. Lighter
colors often reflect light better and make
better use of available light.
Low?Emitting Materials— This para-
graph requires materials to be tested ac-
cording to California Department of Public
Health’s “Standard Method for the Testing
and Evaluation of Volatile Organic Chemi-
cal Emissions from Indoor Sources Using
Environmental Chambers.” This test more
accurately measures the deleterious ef-
fects that paint has on indoor air quality
than does VOC content. VOC content of
paint is intended to measure the contribu-
tion to the creation of smog. Certain nox-
ious volatile organic compounds are
exempt from VOC calculation because
they don’t contribute to smog even though
they may affect the well-being of building
occupants.
Colors— In this paragraph you can ref-
erence a color schedule on the drawings,
rather than providing the schedule. If col-
ors have not been fully selected by the
time the documents are released, you can
indicate the general cost range expected,
such as the percent of surface anticipated
to be painted with deep tones.
PART 3 - EXECUTION
Examination
Painters often complain of substrates not
sufficiently cured or finished at the start of
painting. This article lets the specifier spell
out moisture content and other substrate
requirements prior to the start of paint ap-
plication. It lets you define quantifiable
measures that painters and field inspec-
tors can verify.
Preparation
“Preparation” covers a miscellany of
preparatory requirements such as remov-
ing hardware and cover plates, and clean-
ing surfaces. The Society for Protective
Coatings field preparation methods may
be included for non-shop-primed steel.
Application
Rather than providing a lengthy description
of methods and techniques, this article in-
structs readers to apply paint systems in
compliance with manufacturer’s written in-
structions and the MPI Architectural Paint-
ing Specification Manual.
You can help prevent potential dis-
agreements in the field by making explicit
requirements here, even though some
might seem obvious. For instance, Master-
Spec requires the contractor to “produce
surface films without cloudiness, spotting,
holidays, laps, brush marks.” Other re-
quirements may be techniques of good
practice intended to ensure superior qual-
ity, such as coat tinting to help identify
that the proper number of undercoats
have been applied. Modify these require-
ments as necessary.
You can also include in “Application” a
detailed list of mechanical, electrical and
piping components and equipment that
should or should not be painted.
Interior Painting Schedule
The Interior Painting Schedule lists spe-
cific substrates and MPI Approved Prod-
uct list numbers for each coat.
MasterSpec provides an insert option in
case you don’t wish to use MPI numbers.
The schedule takes up the bulk of an
unedited specification. You must cull the
number of substrates and systems to
match those on the project.
MPI and ARCOM are jointly developing
a web-based specification tool to allow
specifiers to select appropriate paints and
paint systems for common building sur-
faces. The tool will rely on MPI’s Architec-
tural Decision Tree question-and-answer
program. It’s planned to simplify editing
by producing a detailed schedule that
seamlessly transfers to MasterSpec sec-
tions.
Edit Carefully
While we haven’t looked at every article
and paragraph in Section 099123 Interior
Painting, we have reviewed some of its
most important components, and dis-
cussed the editing process. As shown, you
can prepare clear, complete, correct and
concise paint specifications, with signifi-
cant time-savings, by editing national
guide specifications. They must be care-
fully edited, however, and specifiers
should understand the intent, purpose
and effect of every paragraph.
Doing so is an important step on the
road to a successful project.
About the Author
Joe Berchenko is director of architectural
specifications, MasterSpec, and has nearly
30 years of construction industry experi-
ence. He has a master’s degree in archi-
tecture from the
University of Ne-
braska, Lincoln,
and served 10
years as the City
of Lincoln’s com-
mercial plans ex-
aminer. Berchenko
learned the art of
spec writing at the firm of The Clark En-
ersen Partners, Architects, Lincoln. He
has also worked for Bahr, Vermeer and
Haecker, Architects, in Lincoln and
Omaha, and spent several years as an in-
dependent spec writer. D+D