This paint could revolutionize the way builders fight mold and moisture damage
LilypadA new paint and primer system on the market is designed to act as a dehumidifier by removing moisture from the air, promising to protect homes from damage caused by excess moisture.
The paint absorbs moisture when the humidity rises and returns it as the humidity falls, and plays a role in controlling the room’s air temperature. A new concept, with financial support DR Horton again The PulteGroupit can save homebuilders money, as excessive moisture complaints, callbacks and lawsuits cost builders and developers billions of dollars a year.
Whether Lilypad can break through as a limited, sustainable business in the nearly $36 billion market for paints and coatings, time will tell. Competing with the industry giants, PPG Industries (US), The Sherwin-Williams Company (US], Axalta Coating Systems (US], RPM International (US) and BASF SE (Germany), would not be a bad thing, given the ongoing commitment to research and development and investment by these industry leaders in innovation.
At least for now, Lilypad seems to be ahead of the curve in technology.
In interview no Builder’s DayDr. Derek Stein, founder and CEO of Lilypad’s Sommerville, Mass.-based parent company. Materials Usedsaid that one liter of Lilypad paint can absorb more water than a ton of soda.
“This is the only paint on the market that is designed to actually absorb moisture. If you take Lilypad paint and apply it to a wall, the film will absorb the excess moisture as it begins to fill the room, and then, when it’s dry, resets itself by slowly moving it back into the space. So it controls the moisture,” said Dr. Stein.
The primer helps the paint by controlling vapor flow, ensuring that moisture escapes through the vents rather than collecting on the walls. It will release any trapped moisture, essentially acting as a one-way valve for water vapor. Even if the paint absorbs moisture, the wall remains dry to the touch.
Costs associated with excess moisture
The problem of excessive humidity is especially noticeable in bathrooms, which quickly fill with moisture when the shower is left on for a long time. According to Stein, Lilypad paint is strong enough to hold the moisture produced in hot plants, keeping moisture levels below the mold threshold.
Without this dehumidification capacity, mold can build up and cause long-term health problems for residents. About half of the homes across the country have experienced chronic dampness and mold problems, conditions that are closely related to the increase in respiratory diseases and asthma.
For engineers and builders, these health issues also present a financial liability, as complaints, callbacks and litigation related to moisture-related insurance claims can be costly.
DR Horton and PulteGroup decided to invest in Adept Materials, joined by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), a state-owned economic development agency, and Point Cove LLC, an investment firm. By 2024, home builders are leading a 4 million seed round, funded by Lilypad.
“They appreciate how important moisture issues are. It’s a top-five ticket item for callbacks and lawsuits,” Stein said.
Bathrooms are not the only rooms to worry about. Mold problems are also common in kitchens and laundry rooms.
“[Homebuilders] you spend a lot of time and money talking about issues that are difficult to identify. So the intensity has a real benefit,” added Stein.
In context, today’s energy-efficient homes, built “tight” to restrict air movement, can be better for mold growth if moisture is trapped during construction. Moisture infiltration and the resulting mold are the leading cause of construction malpractice cases, where builders are often responsible for issues arising from improper rendering, improper site planning, or plumbing failure. Builders may pay between $1,000 to $3,000 more per home for better vapor barriers to prevent future, costly repairs.
Adept Materials also worked with scientists at the Rockies National Laboratory to test the temperature control effects of the Lilypad. Researchers have found that Lilypad can reduce energy consumption by 5%, or even more if some improvements are made.
“The way water works in paint is like a phase change material. When it’s released, when it’s time to evaporate, it gives a cooling effect, the same way our sweat cools our bodies. And when it’s cold and clammy, and it absorbs, it releases heat, so it has this temperature control effect as well,” said Stein.
Use cases in this technology
The Lilypad is the first commercial product to use Vaporwisp, a moisture management technology created by Adept Materials. It’s starting to go direct-to-consumer, but PulteGroup and DR Horton have expressed interest in testing the technology, and Adept Materials hopes to roll out the product to the home building sector in the future if the company scales.
Adept Materials has also partnered with the Boston Housing Authority, which plans to apply Lilypad paint to about 30 to 50 public housing units in the city. Once they have installed Lilypad, the housing authority will conduct controlled tests on units with and without paint to test the product’s effectiveness.
“The development where we’re going to test this, doesn’t have exhaust fans in the bathrooms. If you have something that can soak up as much water in 20 minutes as an exhaust fan does, it’s a lot cheaper to put a lick of paint than to go in and do a suction job,” explained Stein.
It is a problem that cannot be ignored
The concept of Lilypad was born in a lab at Brown University, where Stein was a professor of physics for more than 15 years.
The product started as a Solar Decathlon student project, where the team built a solar-powered home and uncovered a problem. They found that air-tight, energy-efficient houses sealed off a lot of moisture, a problem that had been largely ignored. This realization led to the research that created Lilypad.
“People are working on air resistance and energy efficiency. People are building homes that are very similar to beer coolers, and they can hold things inside. That’s very good for thermal efficiency, because you don’t let heat in or out. But at the same time, those same structures tend to hold moisture,” said Stein. “While everyone was focused on the heat, there was very little focus on dealing with those moisture issues.”
