All coatings fail… eventually. Coatings that fail long before their intended service life has expired are commonly known as premature coating failures. When a coating fails prematurely the cause may remain a mystery and the re-application may also fail unless a thorough investigation is undertaken. KTA has unmatched depth and breadth of expertise in determining the causes of coating failures. We are not advocates for the owner, coating manufacturer or contractor. We are not attorneys. We are independent experts that have the depth of knowledge across many industries, service environments and coating systems to help resolve in the most complex coating failures.
In-house equipment used to generate forensic evidence includes digital 3D microscopy, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, ion chromatography, liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy and a variety of wet bench tests. Our professionals use the data produced by these forensic techniques to formulate expert opinions as to the cause of failures and recommendations for repair.
We recognize that in many cases coating failures result in litigation. Our Senior Chemists have experience in litigation support services including expert witness services. We are frequently sought after by firms that litigate construction cases because of our reputation of being independent experts in the industrial/commercial coatings markets.