Galvanizing is the application of a zinc layer to steel by a variety of methods such as hot dip, continuous or electro-deposition. In many instances galvanized steel is not painted since the service life of galvanizing alone typi...
Fire resistive coatings generally refers to a broad group of materials known as sprayed fire resistive materials (SFRM). These coatings provide protection to structural steel in buildings and other structures by serving as an ins...
The success of a coatings project depends on many factors, none more important than the painting specification document. A complete, clear and concise specification will give a project a solid foundation that can serve as a basis...
A commercial building’s structural support steel may not have exterior exposure, or even be visible inside the building, but in some cases — such as The New York Times building in Manhattan — it is part of the exterior facade. Vis...
What happens if coatings are applied to an improperly cleaned surface? The simple answer might be to expect premature coating failure, but what exactly is an “improperly cleaned” surface? Was a contaminant left on the surface? Was...
Coatings used in hospitals and healthcare facilities must be kept clean, which typically requires frequent scrubbing and disinfecting. These coatings must therefore be resistant to abrasion and to the chemicals used in cleaning pr...
The project specification for a recent building addition at a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility required that much of the structural steel be fireproofed. Fireproofing in this instance meant the application of a fire-resistive...
Hot-dip galvanizing, as the name suggests, consists of dipping pieces of steel into a molten zinc bath. The molten zinc reacts metallurgically with the steel and forms four distinct layers growing outward from the steel surface. T...
The exterior coating system on six propane tanks was delaminating after only one year of being stored under cover in Mexico. Could the system be repaired? Or was it a total loss? A gas transmission company had all six of the propa...
While it’s hard to put an exact price tag on what concrete-floor coating failures cost building owners, contractors and retailers each year, two things are clear. First, these failures, nearly all of them avoidable, happen a lot. ...
