Titanium Dioxide Shortages, and What It Means for Your Painting Project

Okay, so what exactly is Titanium Dioxide (TiO2)? 

Well, it’s used for a LOT of things, but today let’s focus on your house paint. TiO2 is a foundational element in the paint formula, serving as a white, base pigment. It also gives paint that essential “hiding power” to effectively minimize blemishes and cover your surfaces well.

In short, it’s a really big deal. 

Unfortunately, there’s a critical shortage right now, and it’s going to start impacting the paint market more and more.

What’s Causing the Titanium Dioxide Shortage?

If you wanted to really unearth the root of the problem, this article would need to be expanded into an economic treatise. There are a huge number of factors, ranging from the volatility of the market (ever since the ‘08 economic crash) to COVID-19. It’s becoming harder to get (literally, in the case of a traffic jam of container ships), creating a growing backlog of demand for manufacturers waiting to get their hands on it.

At the same time, the housing market is on fire right now (in a sort of good way), with astronomical demand paired with low interest rates. As another major element, people have been stuck at home because of the COVID-19 shutdowns, working on home improvement projects in lieu of normal travel plans. That’s changing now, of course, but the impact is there nonetheless. 

We’re left with a perfect storm of high demand and low supply. 

What Does This Mean for Your Painting Project?

We’re watching it carefully. Right now we’re still able to get our hands on paint products, but that may not be the case for very long unless something fundamental changes. Our goal here is to simply make you aware, especially as you plan the timing of your project. We’ll answer any additional questions that you may have, and also would love to help you finish your project while product is still readily available.