Six threats
Every protective coating job starts with the same question: what is trying to break this surface down? Here are the six usual answers.
Wheels, boots, gravel and flowing slurry grind surfaces down a little at a time.
What the coating does. A tough, elastic film absorbs the scuffing instead of chipping. Thickness and texture can be raised where wear is heaviest.
Questions to ask
Moisture, oxygen and salts attack steel and the reinforcing inside concrete.
What the coating does. A continuous, bonded barrier keeps water and chemicals away from the substrate. Seams and pinholes are the weak points.
Questions to ask
Dropped loads, debris and equipment crack rigid finishes and expose what is underneath.
What the coating does. Elastomeric coatings stretch and recover, so they tend to dent rather than shatter. A primer and full bond keep them in place.
Questions to ask
Fuels, acids, caustics and solvents can soften, swell or eat through the wrong material.
What the coating does. Chemical resistance depends on the exact product and the exact exposure. Data sheets list which chemicals were tested and for how long.
Questions to ask
Standing water, rain, flooding and immersion find every crack and joint.
What the coating does. A seamless membrane bridges small cracks and wraps around details. Immersion service needs a product rated for it.
Questions to ask
Blast pressure and flying fragments break walls apart and turn them into hazards.
What the coating does. Elastomeric layers on masonry and concrete are used to help hold fragments together. Design should follow tested systems and engineering advice.
Questions to ask
Next
A tank floor can see abrasion, chemicals and standing water at the same time. List every threat the surface faces, then let the spec builder turn them into questions. The coating systems page shows how the layers share the work.