The long-term protection of steel assets with protective coatings is dependent on three factors: coating selection, surface preparation, and coating application.

Careful selection according to the protective coating service is essential. For instance, primers that are commonly used for carbon steel (i.e., zinc-rich primers) are a very bad idea for overcoating, concrete, or wood. The nature of the substrate plays a fundamental role. Density, smoothness, and cleanliness highly impact the primer’s performance.

The coating application must be aligned with the coating manufacturer’s recommendations. Almost all application-related issues are due to carelessness and poor workmanship. Overcoating, holidays, or lack of attention to ambient conditions are common triggers of poor coating performance.

Although coating may seem straightforward, there are numerous variables to consider to minimize your assets’ life cycle cost.