The building industry, both commercial and residential, has experienced a strong growth over the last decade, which has resulted in a record number of structures being built. In the course of construction, there are various non-porous surfaces that need to be protected from the construction processes, such as granite, formica, other synthetic counter tops, marble and cultured marble fixtures, and of course, glass windows. Many of these surfaces are often installed early in the construction phase, which leaves them susceptible to becoming damaged or coated with various construction materials, such as paint or dry wall joint compound or brick mortar.
The construction industry attempts to protect these surfaces by covering them with a plastic coating that is typically heat applied. While these coatings are very effective, they can only be applied at the factory, and if they are torn or inadvertently taken off, they cannot be re-applied, which can leave the surface susceptible to the construction environment. Moreover, because the coatings are often heat applied, they can be difficult to completely remove from the object because they often conform to the surfaces shape. For example, when a bathroom fixture is coated, the film may easily strip away from the flat surfaces, but continue to adhere, quite strongly to the irregularly shaped surfaces of the fixture.
Various types of film coating compositions are known in the art and have a wide range of applications. Most of these films are polymer based films. In some instances, the films are sprayed on and then allowed to dry to a coherent protective film, such as the films disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,949 to Grogan, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,604,282 to Grogan, et. al., both of which are incorporated herein by reference. However, these coatings often have a significant wax component and re-wetting agent associated with them. Thus, while these films are well suited for many applications, they may be less desirable for construction applications because of the wax residue that can remain once the film is removed and because they can easily re-wet.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is an easily applied and removable film that does not exhibit the limitations of the prior art.