Industrial Coatings

What Are Industrial Coatings Used For?

Industrial coatings have special properties that protect a substrate or enhance its performance qualities. These coatings work together with the paint and primer in your industrial environment. They can improve the longevity and appearance of your paint job.

While coatings are optional, many property managers and business leaders in industrial settings find that they are essential to minimizing work disruption. Oxidization, corrosion, and other incidental damage caused by industrial chemicals can be reduced or prevented.

What Are the Most Common Industrial Coatings?

The precise type of industrial coatings you need depend on your environment and goals. For the most part, each substrate can be prepared with only one specialized coating. However, different coatings may be in use over all the different surfaces of the workplace.

Coatings vary depending on the substrate and the environment. For example, it’s crucial that coatings used in wastewater plants be formulated to resist moisture intrusion. Those used in utility plants should protect equipment from static build-up, and so on.

Some of the most common industrial coatings include:

1. Electrostatic Painting

Electrostatic painting is used to evenly and fully coat grounded metal surfaces. The paint is applied in the form of paint particles with a positive charge. The particles are attracted to the grounded surface, resulting in efficient work and a visibly uniform coat of paint.

2. Intumescent Coatings

Intumescent coatings are a passive fire resistance tool appropriate for a range of facilities. They can be used to safeguard key structural elements and egress points. When heated, they expand significantly, creating a powerful insulator that slows down a fire’s progress.

3. Anti-Slip Coating

Anti-slip coatings can be used directly on the surface of a concrete or epoxy floor system which has become too slippery for regular foot traffic. This may be needed after certain floor treatments that make a surface less porous as a means of protecting it from damage.

4. Antimicrobial Floors

Antimicrobial flooring can limit exposure to pollutants such as bacteria, fungi, mildew, and yeast. A significant presence of antimicrobial flooring tends to improve air quality in your indoor spaces. It can also be used in designated clean rooms and fabrication areas.

5. Waterproofing

Waterproof coatings and sealants vary in chemical composition. There are waterproof coatings for wood, metal, concrete, glass, and electronic devices, among others. These work in tandem with primer, which often has its own waterproofing properties.

How Do Industrial Coatings Interact With Different Floor Systems?

Some industrial coatings are used more commonly on different floor systems.

Consider concrete: Polishing a concrete floor greatly enhances its ability to stand up to wear and tear over time, but can make the surface slippery, presenting a hazard to workers and some machinery. In cases like these, anti-slip coating is essential.

Epoxy is second only to concrete as the most common industrial flooring. High gloss epoxy flooring generally has multiple layers of coating from the manufacturer, making it resilient. However, it may need waterproofing or other enhancements to meet workplace demands.

How Are Industrial Coatings Priced?

Like primer and paint, specialty industrial coatings are usually priced by the square foot. The price can vary based on the coating selected, the work environment, and any extra steps that might be necessary to prepare the substrate for coating. A written estimate is crucial.

How Long Does It Take to Perform a Complete Industrial Coating Project?

The timeline of a specific project depends on multiple factors, including the coatings needed and accessibility of the area.

In general, experts in industrial painting can complete a small or mid-sized job in a matter of days or weeks. The timeline can be accelerated to meet the client’s needs, but additional staffing or equipment will be reflected in the project’s price estimate.

During the project, it may be necessary to restrict access to the area and redirect traffic. Many industrial coatings have a “curing” period of 1-3 days, during which they harden and acquire the expected performance characteristics. In this time, it’s essential not to disturb the treated area and to maintain it at the temperatures specified by the coating manufacturer.

How Can You Maintain Your Industrial Coatings Over Time?

Many industrial coatings require very little in the way of ongoing maintenance. Simply observe regular safety measures and best practices to minimize incidental damage to the floor. Your painting contractors will advise you on the expected life of the treated surface.

Whatever the goals of your project, it’s essential to choose an industrial painting vendor with years of experience. Industrial coatings are sensitive to initial conditions and need to be applied correctly to deliver the results you invested in. Oversights can lead to costly rework or drastically reduce the longevity of the coating.

To learn more or get started, contact the team at Performance Painting today.

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