By: Joey Thomas, Induron Business Development Manager
Every water tank owner will eventually face this decision at some point during the useful service life of the asset: What do we do when the paint has given all it can to protect the steel substrate?
At Induron, we pride ourselves on providing high-performance, long-lasting coatings that will keep tanks looking great and protecting them from corrosion. But, even as great as our coatings are, they eventually need to be updated, as well.
The Steel Tank Institute / Steel Plate Fabricators Association (STI/SPFA) is known as the leading representative of the steel fabrication industry for tank technologies, storied history, education, advocacy, and industry networking. I’ve had the pleasure of being a long-time member both with my previous employer as a fabricator/erector, as well as an affiliate representative with Induron over the last three years.
Overcoat vs. Removal and Replacement of Coating Systems
The organization continuously offers many education opportunities, such as regularly scheduled webinars. Recently, I was selected to represent Induron in presenting on the topic of “Overcoat vs. Removal/Replacement of Coating Systems” and presented to the organization on July 31st during one of these webinars.
This is one of the most-asked questions asset owners must address over the lives of their water tanks. Painting tanks can be a daunting task with oftentimes substantial costs to plan for in an effort to maximize the life of the asset. Overcoating is a more cost-effective solution to extend the useful service life of the asset, but sometimes a full removal and replacement is what is best for the situation.
Factors to Consider
The presentation covered a series of evaluations and assessments of an existing coating system. There are many factors that need to be considered before assuming you can simply apply more paint on a structure just as there are in determining if you really need to remove all of the old coatings and start from scratch. This is often a much more intricate decision than many people understand. Sure, money is a huge driver in this decision, but with careful evaluation the decision can become much clearer.
Understanding the adhesion of the underlying layers of paint and how much paint is existing play a huge factor in making this decision. For example, paint that has poor adhesion to the substrate or to its neighboring layers of paint can be the doom of an overcoat. Likewise, if the existing paint is excessively thick, it can be detrimental to a successful job. Coating defects, like checking, cracking, or chalking, need to be carefully inspected just as a proper level of surface preparation are paramount in this decision. The overcoat product you select must be compatible with the existing coatings or you could be doomed from the start.
Register and watch the webinar on-demand here.
All in all, having a keen understanding of these factors and others will help asset owners navigate this decision. Whether you are equipped to perform these evaluations or you choose to use a third party inspector to assist, we always recommend involving your coatings manufacturer in developing specifications for your painting contractors.
Contact Induron for our Coatings Expertise
We hope Induron and our staff of trained professionals are your coatings manufacturer of choice. We are here to help you through this decision and offer superior high performance coatings to extend the useful service lives of your assets!