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Metal Roof Repair

Failure Analysis: When Metal Roof Coatings Fail

1 Comment / Buildings, Coating Assessment, Coating Failure, Coatings, Commercial, Roofs /

A variety of coating system choices can be applied to metal roofing, including acrylic, epoxy/polyurethane, and fluoropolymer systems. Specifications frequently call for fluoropolymer coatings, which are considered to offer the best performance in long-term weathering resistance. Roof panels are fabricated from sheet-metal substrates such as steel, galvanized steel, aluminum, and other metals. Galvanized steel (a […]

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Moisture Intrusion

Moisture Intrusion: The Achilles Heel of Single-Wythe CMU

Buildings, Coating Assessment, Commercial, Concrete Walls, Inspection, Instruments, Moisture /

This is a continuation of the article published in the January/February 2013 issue of Durability + Design, “Repair The Building Before You Repair The Paint.” In that article, a number of building repairs associated with single-wythe concrete masonry units (CMU) were discussed – repairs that should be undertaken before additional coating is applied, including problems with

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The Contractor Who Almost Got Floored

Buildings, Coating Assessment, Coating Failure, Coatings, Commercial, Concrete Floors, Moisture /

Most of the past Cases from the F-Files have focused primarily (although not exclusively) on coating failures on steel. However, coating failures can and do occur on other substrates such as aluminum, wood, and concrete, to name a few. In this case, a warehouse concrete floor coating was exhibiting blistering only a few months after

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When A Good Idea Goes Bad

Buildings, Coating Assessment, Coating Failure, Coatings, Commercial, Lab Testing /

An American tobacco company owned a number of large buildings, essentially steel-framed warehouses covered with corrugated galvanized steel panels, at one of its facilities. The company used the warehouse buildings for the fumigation of the tobacco, during which the entire interior of the building is filled with a gaseous insecticide that kills tobacco-damaging insects. Unfortunately,

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Repair the building before you repair the paint

Repair The Building Before You Repair The Paint

1 Comment / Buildings, Coating Assessment, Coatings, Commercial, Concrete Walls, Moisture, Roofs /

When the paint on the exterior of a building exhibits heavy fading, chalking, or peeling, the typical solution is to clean and overcoat, but painting alone may not achieve the desired result, and in fact, it may be destined to fail. Because a number of building-related issues can affect the performance of the coating system,

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Coating System Concerns for Single-Wythe Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) Construction

Buildings, Coating Failure, Coating Standards, Coatings, Commercial, Inspection, Lab Testing /

Within a 20-mile radius of your home, you have seen one or more big box stores, strip malls, or other buildings with peeling paint on the exterior and/or interior surfaces. Failing paint and streaks of efflorescence are so common on buildings that it is hardly noticed until large sheets hang from the walls. While moisture

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Case Study: Roof Coatings Flunk Out

Buildings, Coating Assessment, Coating Failure, Coatings, Commercial, Lab Testing, Roofs /

Premature coating problems on the standing seam roofs of two school buildings were an eyesore for the community and an issue for the school board that was trying to improve the school’s image. This article describes the site investigation, the forensic laboratory analysis, and what ultimately caused the coating to detach.Embarrassed that the four-year-old roof

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Formula for Success: With SPF Applications, Quality Assurance is King

Buildings, Coatings, Commercial, Inspection, Instruments, Roofs /

  KTA-Tator Inc. Spray polyurethane Foam (SPF) has played a key role in restoration programs for the dome and exterior of New Orleans’ Superdome. Business Wire A combination of economic drivers and technical advances has driven the development of an expanded array of solutions for roofing systems and energy-efficiency improvements in commercial buildings. Depending on

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The Case of October Showers Bring November Rust Spots

Buildings, Coating Assessment, Coating Failure, Coatings, Commercial, Lab Testing /

In this month’s Cases from the F-Files, rust spots became evident on the interior roof deck of a newly constructed, unoccupied warehouse. Were the rust spots a result of what was going on inside or outside of the warehouse? Background of the Project As a large warehouse building in the north-east U.S. that was being constructed

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That New-Paint Look: Keys to Formulating a Plan for Restoring Metal Exteriors

Buildings, Coating Assessment, Coating Failure, Coating Standards, Coatings, Commercial, Maintenance Painting, Roofs /

Article From Durability + DesignPhoto 1: High-performance factory finishes, such as the fluoropolymer coating applied to the exterior of this library in Arizona, provide a high degree of color and gloss retention.Photo by Timmerman Photography; photo courtesy of PPG Industries Inc. Factory-applied finishes on roof panels, canopies, awnings, and curtain walls offer a superior combination of

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