Why Surface Preparation is Critical for Industrial Painting Projects

PATERSON, N.J. - Aug. 23, 2013 - PRLog -- Why Surface Preparation is Critical for Industrial Painting Projects

    Imagine the world’s greatest builder attempting to build a home on a crumbling, uneven foundation. Even if his work is done to the best of his ability, the overall result will be a product that was doomed from the start due to the fact that the foundation, what the rest of the project depended on, was setting up the project for failure from the beginning. The idea that the foundation of any project is crucial applies across all fields, especially steel coating. Structural steel preparation, preparing the surface of the steel that is to be coated, is vital to the success of a project, because no matter how well the coating is applied, if it is done over an inadequate foundation the results will not be as promising as they could or should be.
    Providing this foundation for the coating is important so that the coating will take to the structure. Contrary to what one might think, a smooth surface is not ideal for coating. A rough surface, however, one not unlike the surface of sandpaper is ideal, as it will be much more difficult for the coating to come off of the coarse surface. When steel surfaces are made to be coarse like this, is it called surface profile. Although the surface should be rough, it should not be dirty. Much like trying to place tape over a dusty surface, the dust will reduce the contact between the tape and the surface and the result is disappointing. This same scenario applies to coating as well, and a clean surface will allow the coating to stick better. In the world of coating, this “dirt” can also come in the form of chemical contaminates which will prevent solid attachment. Chemicals that will interfere with the coating’s contact with the surface are known as non visible contaminants. The worst kind of non visible contamination is arguably soluble salt contamination, which can absorb moisture and damage the attachment and even the steel underneath. Unfortunately, simple dry abrasive blasting or power washing is not enough to rid a surface of these types of contaminants. A process such as chemical stripping can be much more effective.    
    Other factors to be considered would be the environment of the surface being coated and the type of coating being used. If a surface is in an extreme environment, more preparation is needed. If a certain type of coating is used, all that may be needed in terms of preparation is an old fashioned hand tool scraping or stripping loose and peeling paint, or maybe for the contractor to do some power tool cleaning or sandblasting before coating. Others, however, will call for much more aggressive preparation.
    As with anything, cost is of course also a factor. Cleaning to SSPC-SP 3 power tool clean, or SSPC-SP 7 brush-off blast, can be roughly 5 times cheaper than SSPC-SP5 white metal. These code numbers, established by the Society for Protective Coatings, can also include SSPC-SP2 hand tool clean, SSPC-SP6 commercial blast and SSPC-SP10 near white metal.
    It is important that the coatings applicator or contractor is aware of the vital importance of surface preparation. Just as the greatest builder cannot perform to his full capabilities on a poor foundation, the most expensive coating applied meticulously or even perfectly will be doomed from the start.
    If you’d like more information on the importance of surface preparation or the coating process, or would like either service completed, contact your local contractor. Readers on the east coast near NJ, NY, CT or PA can contact Alpine Painting and Sandblasting online at AlpinePainting.com or by phone at 866-596-0349.

By Dave Scaturro, Sales Director for Alpine Painting.

Credit to: Barnhart, Robert, Debbie Mericle, Chuck Mobley, Tom Hocking, Jeff Bogran, and Ernestine McDaniel . "Why Surface Preparation is Important ." Paint Square . May 2013: n. page. Web. 23 Aug. 2013. < http://www.paintsquare.com/archive/?fuseaction=view&a... >.