As a building owner, if you begin to suspect that the paint on your building has faded and become dull, your next concern may be whether there is a way to prove that has occurred. Additionally, you will want to know if you have any recourse with the manufacturer if those assumptions are correct. Most …
Problem Solved: My Paint Looks Bad — Can I Prove It Has Faded? Read More »
Controlling moisture intrusion from blowing rain is a fundamental part of designing a functional and durable building. Driving rain is typically the largest source of bulk moisture for above-grade building assemblies.1 Inadequate wind-driven rain resistance can lead to moisture intrusion in building assemblies that are intended to stay dry, causing problems for building owners and …
Wind-Driven Rain Resistance Testing of Exterior Coating Systems Read More »
Concrete is the most commonly and widely used construction material for commercial building floors. While the decision to specify concrete is an easy one, the selection of the floor finish or coverings to be installed on the floor can be quite complicated. There are endless floor finishing options for new construction projects. Owners and designers …
Rehabbing Concrete Floors: Coat, Cover, or Polish? Read More »
This article describes the failure of coatings applied to the concrete floors of a county detention facility. The structure is a multistory building with modular cells and concrete floors on each inmate level. The main structural floors were constructed of lightweight aggregate and the mezzanine floors constructed of a normal-weight aggregate. The facility was relatively …
F-Files: Mechanisms of Failure- Failure at the Jail Read More »
This Lunch N’ Learn Webinar on Paint Removal from Masonry Substrates has the Following Learning Objectives: -Identify SSPC/NACE, ASTM, and ICRI standards and guidelines applicable to removal of paint from masonry substrates -Describe various methods of paint removal, including advantages and disadvantages of each. “Paint Removal From Masonry Substrates” is a Lunch N’ Learn …
KTA Lunch N’ Learn Webinar: Paint Removal From Masonry Substrates Read More »
Specification writers, contractors, and coating manufacturers, at one time or another, have been blamed when installed coatings fail to meet service life expectations. However, rarely does the wrath of Mother Nature receive the blame for premature coating failure. In this Cases from the F-Files, an interior roof coating system reportedly failed because of localized impact …
The Case of the Mysterious Hailstones [Premature Coating Failure] Read More »
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) conducted a one-day seminar on bridge maintenance painting strategy and project design in May of 2013. One outcome of that seminar was the realization that MnDOT needed a more uniform method to rate the condition of coatings statewide during biennial bridge safety (in conjunction with the new AASHTO Manual …
MnDOT’s Approach to Improving Bridge Maintenance Painting Operations Read More »
Concrete is a very utilitarian construction material used to create highways; bridge decks; construction blocks; tilt-up wall panels; floors on grade or elevation; tanks; secondary containment structures; kitchen countertops; textured, stamped or molded reliefs; and more … amazing. Consider the overall “natural” appearance of concrete and how dull it would be if all concrete structures were available …
From Bond Breakers to Sealants: Anathema to Painting of Concrete Read More »
As a group, coating professionals who deal mainly with industrial coatings generally focus on coating performance — the majority of concern being focusing on a coating’s ability to protect the substrate from the environment — and in the case of tank linings, to protect the tank contents from the substrate. Although these are certainly important …
What You See Isn’t Always What You Get: The Problem with Aesthetics Read More »
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 or intumescent coating. Intumescent coating products are designed to passively protect substrate materials—typically steel—from reaching combustion temperatures. These coatings function by charring and …
Diagnosing Failure in Fireproofing [Intumescent Coatings] Read More »