A paint shortage is impacting contractors – pandemic only partly to blame
Jun 1, 2021, 3:28 PM
Contractors and individual consumers are experiencing a paint shortage that is tied to the pandemic, manufacturing problems, and the big winter storm in Texas. Photo: Canva.
A paint shortage may impact your summer plans, whether you are re-painting your bedroom or hiring someone to do the work.
According to Chemical and Engineering News many of the companies that manufacture paint aren’t receiving their full orders of the raw materials used to make paint. And there are several reasons for the paint shortage.
Like other manufacturers with products in short supply throughout the global pandemic, paint manufacturers had to deal with supply chain delays.
On top of those delays, Chemical and Engineering News reported mechanical problems in a Texas plant run by Dow Chemical, the largest provider of acrylic acid and derivatives. An explosion and a shutdown for maintenance added to supply problems for Arkema, another large chemicals manufacturer.
And then there was the winter storm in Texas. According to Best Life, the February 2021 storm impacted and disrupted the petrochemical network in Texas, a state that leads the United States in petroleum refining (needed for paint manufacturing.)
While these problems will likely impact contractors more than individual consumers, those consumers should expect to pay more for the paint they want (if they can find it.) The same is true for hiring a professional to paint for you – expect to pay more, and budget accordingly.
