Based in Santa Fe Springs, California, Life Specialty Coatings is one of America’s oldest and best-known manufacturers of a vast range of superior-quality coatings, including heat-reflective coatings, Cool Life Specialty Coatings, Elastomeric heat-reflective technology, waterproofing systems, deck coatings, energy-efficient coatings, and a lot more.
And although it’s easy just to purchase clear protective sealers, epoxy, or other coatings, knowing how to apply the product safely and effectively is something else. When customers choose and purchase one a Life Specialty Coatings product, they’re getting more than an outstanding coating; they’re getting decades of industry knowledge embodied in coatings that meet every conceivable need.
Building a brand
More than 60 years after its founding, Life Specialty Coatings maintains its commitment to quality and to family values. Now in its third generation, the company remains under the ownership of two families, with no intention of changing.
“One of our differentiators in the market is that we are still very much family owned,” says Marketing Manager Jorge Felix. For customers, this comes with many benefits, the human touch in particular. This personalized approach to customer service has been integral to the company since 1962, when friends William (Bill) Sibbrel and Robert (Bob) Benson—with backgrounds in sales and chemistry, respectively—came up with an idea: to create a new, Los Angeles-area coatings company, then called Life Paint.
Founded in 1963, Life Paint grew steadily, manufacturing and selling clear, oil-based wood sealers. In time, stains and solid color coatings joined the company’s product roster.
The coming decades saw the company continue expanding to meet customer demand, introducing formulations with latices (water-based latex), which were then combined with natural oils, resulting in durable hybrid coatings. Continuing to diversify, floor epoxies were introduced, along with deck stains and private-label products. The company has always been an innovator, refining formulas and producing top-of-the-line epoxy coatings, waterproofing deck systems, decorative coating systems, roof coatings, and more.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Life Paint recognized and seized opportunities in the specialty coatings market. This included adding waterproof deck coatings to its line of waterproof wall and roof coatings, along with stains, epoxies, and sealers.
In 2019, the owners decided that another big change was needed: the name. “There was a demand and a need to rebrand the company to showcase all the different products that we offer, so that’s where the rebranding Life Specialty Coatings came about,” says Felix. The move strategically positioned the business for future growth and innovation, and better represented its diverse product lines, which today include Life Deck Specialty Coatings®, Cool Life®, Life Paint®, Fire Fighter®, Americrete®, Stretch-Guard®, Lifetime Plus Coatings of America®, and Rain Shield®.
For customers, dealing with family-owned Life Specialty Coatings means not having to tolerate red tape, corporate-speak, and other issues often encountered at massive, faceless corporations. “The relationship with our customers is so powerful, and so direct,” says Felix. “That’s where we shine, and where we are different. We hear our customers, and since we are nimble, we can make changes as needed.”
As specialty coatings experts, Life Specialty often takes on niche projects that big-box stores can’t handle because of their capacity, size, or uniqueness. “We undertake those, and I think that being able to come up with solutions helps with our relationships with our customers,” says Felix.
For employees, the benefits of family ownership cannot be overstated. Staff members have direct access to Life Specialty’s management teams, and there is a symbiotic relationship between ownership and the dedicated people producing the products. Everyone is rowing in the same direction, and feedback often comes from customers to employees, and then to upper management. “The mentality is flipped around,” says Felix.
Beating the heat
To meet the needs of its many commercial, industrial, and residential sector customers, Life Specialty Coatings maintains a network of over 200 distribution partners across North America and ensures that contractors have access to ample supplies, including private-label products. Over the years, the company’s coatings have been used on projects for clients ranging from Knott’s Berry Farm, Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton to NASA, Boeing, the U.S. government, and many others.
Among the company’s many unique innovations is its Cool Life® 28 Series of Heat Reflective Coating Concrete Color Seals, ideal for walkways, patios, balconies, decks, and other areas experiencing extreme heat. These and other products are used by contractors working for some of the biggest hotel chains in Las Vegas, for good reason. Last summer, Las Vegas recorded its hottest day on record: a blistering 120°F (48.8 °C). Breaking the previous record, the City of Las Vegas wrote that 2024 peak temperatures “have taken even seasoned residents by surprise.”
The 28 Series Heat Reflective Coating can reduce the temperature of concrete pool slabs and decks by 25 to 30 percent. A 100 percent acrylic concrete and masonry pigmented paint sealer, it is formulated to reflect infrared and ultraviolet rays while resisting water, acids, and alkalis.
“This is a heat-reflective coating that helps reflect UV rays, and that reduces the temperature of the surface level,” Felix explains. “So when it’s reaching 110°F plus in Vegas, you don’t feel that intense heat on your feet. That’s the solution we’re able to provide to a larger, public scope.”
Pools are just one application for heat reflective coatings. Roof coatings, used for warehouses and massive commercial buildings, help keep interiors cooler, reducing air conditioning and energy costs for customers.
Supporting contractors and customers
Life Specialty Coatings believes in helping contractors and customers every step of the way and provides informative PDFs on its website. These documents provide detailed descriptions and valuable information on product features and benefits, usage, technical and physical properties, preparations and application, maintenance, and much more.
Along with clear, well-written instructions and extensive technical documentation, the company also makes life easier for its customers through its free Life Coatings app. Recently updated, the highly rated app is available through Apple’s App Store, and from Google Play for Android users. Its many features include a material calculator to determine the amount of materials needed for the job, training videos, the ability to choose from all Life Specialty Coatings brands—including Life Deck Specialty Coatings and Elastomeric Coatings—fast access to the company website, links to data sheets and specifications, and more.
“This app is ideal for contractors, DIY-ers, and estimating professionals who need to calculate material usage for their next waterproofing deck, decorative overlay, sealer, and epoxy coating applications,” says the company. Initially introduced around 2017/2018, the improved app is fast, free, and efficient. “And with just a ‘Submit’ button, contractors and applicators can see what kind of materials they need for their job site,” says Felix. “So if they already know what system they are going to use, it’s a very easy way to understand what they need to order from their distributor and vice versa. That’s the main objective.”
Along with the app, another point of difference for Life Specialty Coatings is its introduction of more technology-based solutions and information. Many have commented on how the company’s documentation puts it ahead of the competition. “Training is monumental in understanding how our products should be used,” says Felix. “We suggest certain ways to apply our product.” For customers, proper product application means longer-lasting results.
Coatings galore
Perhaps most impressive of all is the sheer number of products available from Life Specialty Coatings. With about 300 products, from paint to clear sealers to epoxy, the company continues working on new, innovative coatings that are even more durable, longer-lasting, and easier to apply on roofs, walls, walkways, decks, and other surfaces for all types of buildings, including warehouses, theme parks, and sports stadiums. The company’s range is simply unmatched in the industry. “I think that’s where we really shine,” says Felix. “We are a one-stop shop, whereas competitors may specialize in just one area.”
Long before products go to market, they are carefully made by the company’s team of 54 staff, which includes two in-house chemists, one as plant manager, the other the head of R&D. “So when customers come with a very specific need for coating, we have the capability of testing some of those products in-house and making sure they are optimized.” Depending on customer needs, Life Specialty Coatings will also do private manufacturing.
In business now for 62 years, Life Specialty Coatings understands its customers well, and the team continues to innovate and create quality formulations to meet their needs today and tomorrow.
“We have a definite five-year plan in place,” comments Felix, “and we’re excited to put it into fruition and keep growing our specialty coatings. Internally, we’re making sure we have the right structure and infrastructure, with more salespeople and more assistance in each department to help grow our company. With more technology and AI coming into place, it will really be fun and exciting times ahead for Life Specialty Coatings.”
