On October 23, 2026, PPG told the New York Times it expects its paint sales to data centers to triple this year. Reporting puts the cost of coating a single data center at up to $8 million, spanning paint for more than 75 components and SteelGuard 951 fireproofing that swells from one millimeter to ten under heat. The discussion now includes Sherwin-Williams, whose protective and marine sales rose by a mid-teens percentage year over year in July, framing coatings as a broader way to play the AI buildout alongside Wesco, 3M, Vulcan and Martin Marietta.