­Five keys to crafting successful painting programs

Designing and implementing a painting program can be a daunting task. Many owners and facility managers are unsure of even the first steps to take. In this post, we focus on some essential aspects of a successful painting program and offer advice for how to proceed with each.

Specification

Identifying and prioritizing the work to be done is the first step. Next, clearly describe the scope of work in a specification document. This description should address the following: staging, surface preparation, application, clean-up and quality control documents.

The document should also list any special circumstances, such as testing old paint for heavy-metal content and testing the interior surfaces for chlorides prior to the application of a new lining system. Because this first step determines so much of the project’s success, contacting a NACE-certified professional for coating inspection services is a good idea.

Contractor Selection

Basing the selection of a contractor entirely on “lowest price” bid is risky business. Many times, what starts out to be a low price quickly balloons with extra charges and delays in completion. Consider the following factors when choosing a contractor:

• Expertise- Does the contractor have experience with this type of work? One contractor might be fine for painting piping, but does not have the necessary experience for interior tank linings.
• Management- The estimator in the office may be very knowledgeable, but how does that translate to field-level management?
• Equipment- Is the technology up to date and are workers comfortable using it? Equipment that is in disrepair has the potential to cause delays in the field.
• Manpower- Is it sufficient to complete the project, or will the contractor be scrambling to make new hires?
• Product knowledge- Are the contractor and his workers familiar with the coatings that are specified for the job? Do they have an understanding of the latest coatings technologies?
• Relationship- How well do the owner and contractor work together?

Coating Selection

Many of the coatings available today can appear quite similar. It’s often difficult to distinguish a quality coating from an average one simply by reading the data sheets.

Unfortunately, many manufacturers are more interested in quantity than quality. Even leading manufacturers are leaving the research and development up to someone else, choosing to duplicate or “knock-off” the formula of an existing coating. Often these reformulations are made with inferior resins and cheaper fillers and extenders. The result is a coating that looks similar to another, but with different performance standards.

In most cases, it’s best for the owner or manager to rely on an expert that they trust. This coating expert should be knowledgeable in all aspects of the industry and be able to provide options and expected results for each of these options. It’s usually best if the owner relies on this expert to write, or at least assist in writing, the project specification.

Inspection

Inspection is a very important component of the success of any coating project.
Quality, thorough inspection of a contractor’s work can be the difference between a service life of few years or many.

Whether the inspection is done in-house or by a third-party, ensuring the job adheres to the standards of the specification is the ultimate goal. In some instances, the contractor provides his own inspector to maintain a daily log, but the owner should always have a quality control backup to verify the readings. Much like the selection of the contractor, the selection of an inspector should be based on knowledge, experience, availability and cost.

Cost

Cost is something that should be discussed at the beginning of a project. If there are multiple ways to approach the job, then budget numbers should factor into decision-making.

The owner may want the longest lasting paint job available but lack the room in the budget for that option. In order to get the highest quality job, the work may need to be spread out over a longer period of time.

In the end, an owner should have three questions for every option offered by a contractor: How much corrosion protection, for how long and at what cost?

We’re here to help

Crafting a painting program can be an expensive step in its own right. Or you can reach out to us. We’ll talk you through the process and even pay your site a visit, all as a part of our free consulting services.

When you’re ready to get started formulating a plan for your facility or assets, get in touch. We have the experience to take the guesswork out of your project.

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Is a 100% solids epoxy or urethane the right product for your job?

What about 100% solid coatings? It’s a question we’re getting from our customers fairly often these days. They’re currently quite the trendy product in industrial coatings technologies. While 100% solids epoxy and urethane coatings do provide some definite benefits, and are certainly a solid (sorry) solution in some scenarios, they’re not always the best solution. In some cases, equally effective (and less expensive) options exist. Here we’ll explain what they are, why they’re used and why they’re not an automatic pick as your best coating option.

100% solids epoxies explained

Before we dive into some of the benefits and drawbacks of 100% solids coatings, let’s define that term. What does the 100% refer to? By comparison, what would a 50% solid be?

When coatings are applied, two thickness measurements are taken. One is a wet film thickness (WFT) and the other is a dry film thickness (DFT). The paint is measured once before it has dried, and once again after.

The percent solid refers to the percentage of paint thickness that remains after the paint has finished drying, or the difference between the WFT and DFT. Usually, a percentage of the solid is lost and thickness is reduced during the drying process. To compensate, more coats are added until the desired thickness is achieved. For example, a 50% solid would require two coats at 20 mils of thickness to achieve a DFT of 20 mils, whereas a 100% solids epoxy would only require a single coat.

This is not the case with 100% solids. They are prized for maintaining the same level of thickness between the time they are applied and the time they have dried, hence the name 100% solids.

Zero VOCs and other benefits

For the reasons discussed above, 100% solids coatings require fewer coats to achieve the desired thickness level than other options. This is a big draw for facility owners and managers who request them most often. Fewer coats mean less chance of inter-coat adhesion problems and reduced time for the coating process, since there are no multi-step curing procedures in between coats.

Also, a 100% solids epoxy or urethane contains no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Loss of thickness between WFT and DFT in lower solid coatings is due to the evaporation of solvents into the atmosphere as the coatings cure. These evaporating solvents (VOCs) can create dangerous environments in confined spaces and health hazards for workers. A lack of VOCs is often what makes 100% solids ideal for use as tank linings, or in shops were large numbers of coatings for railroad tank cars are applied.

Rapid drying times are another benefit of 100% solids. Often, drying times are so short that the coatings are sprayed from plural component systems, meaning the coatings are not mixed until the moment they are sprayed from the gun. They can then be walked over in a matter of hours. Reduced downtime and quick project turnarounds have serious appeal for owners who need their equipment back in service fast. In some cases, service tanks are back in use in a matter of hours rather than days.

Additionally, there is the option to add fiber to many of these high solids coating formulations. This provides some additional support for structures getting on in their years. For projects like storage tanks, a 100% solids epoxy or urethane can actively contribute to a longer life span.

Not a no-brainer

As mentioned earlier, 100% solids are not a coatings cure-all. They have some definite benefits, including the ones discussed above. But the sheer range of coatings options available makes it unwise to latch onto one option before exploring others.

Often it is the case that a few more coats of paint will not exceed the price of buying a more expensive product in the first place. In these scenarios, owners may be better served by choosing a product with properties that are known to suit the needs of their environment, instead of focusing on the percent solids.

In other situations, a little extra drying time won’t make or break an owner’s schedule. If a scheduled maintenance period already exists, or factors other than drying time are keeping your equipment out of service, rapid drying times may not necessarily do you any good.

And as always, even with the best coatings products on the market, poor surface preparation can ruin a job just as quickly as our 100% solids epoxies dry. Skimping on surface prep will shorten the life of your coatings system, guaranteed. Choosing a product without a proper quality control and quality assurance plan for the life of the coatings system will also threaten its effectiveness.

A 100% solid epoxy or urethane may be the best option for your project. It depends on a number of factors. Before you choose, get in touch with US Coatings to discuss your project with a qualified coatings representative. We’ll talk you through the entire process, from product selection and surface preparation to application and equipment recommendations.

For our entire list of 100% solids and low VOC coatings, click here to view our full product catalog.

For our specific epoxy primers and finishes, see our epoxy product page. 

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