Industrial Coatings: The Pros & Cons of Overcoating

Industrial Coatings: The Pros & Cons of Overcoating

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Many of the challenges within the industrial coatings industry stem from evolving environmental conditions. Each field environment is unique to its industry and location. For instance, a water tower with a lead-containing coating in a suburban neighborhood has different requirements compared to process piping in a refinery.

However, asset owners and contractors face similar challenges and cost considerations in both scenarios. Blasting and painting within city limits demand containment, cleanup, and possibly lead abatement to protect the surrounding population. Similar precautions are necessary in a refinery to safeguard rotating equipment and drains, and you might need special permits like hot work permits.

Fortunately, overcoating provides a solution that mitigates the asset owner's overall investment for these projects, while ensuring contractor safety. Overcoating, the process of applying an additional protective layer over an existing coating, can offer substantial time and cost savings. However, it’s not suitable for every situation.

In this article, we explore the main advantages and disadvantages of overcoating to help you decide if it’s the right solution for your next coatings project.

The Advantages of Overcoating

1. Minimal Surface Preparation & Cleanup

Have you ever needed to update a facility due to an aging coating? Perhaps the existing coating is intact but weathered, and the new owners want to match the company's other facilities. Completely removing and recoating an entire facility can be impractical due to time and costs. Overcoating can be an ideal solution.

Many high-performance coatings require minimal surface preparation before overcoating, saving significant time. Coatings with excellent wetting abilities, like Rustbond, bond to the weathered, pre-existing surface and corroded areas, creating a tie-coat barrier for a topcoat application.

Extensive surface preparation can cause downtime, especially if power tools or abrasive blasting are needed. Overcoating requires only a clean, dry substrate, typically resulting in less downtime and more application time throughout the day.

2. Cost Savings

Taking our water tower example with a lead-based coating, pressure washing and overcoating can save significant costs related to lead abatement, such as mobile shower units, containment, cleanup, and disposal.

Overcoating reduces surface preparation and cleanup time, ultimately lowering overall application costs. This allows more maintenance work within the same budget, especially since high-performance coatings are generally high in solids, covering more square footage with a lower VOC.

The Disadvantages of Overcoating

1. Increased Surface Tension

Adding more layers to an existing coating increases overall surface tension. If the pre-existing coating exceeds 15 mils, overcoating may not be viable since the system's integrity relies on the initial surface preparation quality.

2. Adhesion Issues

Overcoating may not adhere properly to the existing coating. Before proceeding, test a patch with the overcoating system and perform adhesion testing using standards like ASTM D3359 or ASTM D4541. This helps determine if the asset can be successfully overcoated.

3. Premature Failures

Assets frequently overcoated may show stress signs like brittleness, cracking, and checking. These assets are not ideal candidates for further overcoating. Incorrect conditions can lead to premature failures, such as delamination.

4. Longer Drying Time

Overcoating with a penetrating sealer can have extended drying times, needing to stay wet longer to bond properly to the existing surface. This can lead to unwanted downtime during specific project phases.

As seen, several factors determine if an asset is suitable for overcoating. While offering faster results at lower costs than traditional methods, weigh the pros and cons for your specific project before deciding.

Need Help Determining if Overcoating is Right for Your Project?

Contact Carboline's team of technical service engineers to determine if overcoating is a viable option for your next project.

Why Powder Coating? 10 Pros and Cons

Powder coating is an advanced method of applying finishes to metal for protective or decorative purposes. It provides durable finishes in a range of colors and is considered a superior alternative to traditional liquid paint coats.

Here are ten advantages and disadvantages of using powder coating:

Pros

1. Strong Coating

Powder coating offers a durable finish stronger than liquid paints. It protects equipment in harsh environments without compromising aesthetics, making it common for industrial equipment, structures, and oil field supplies. Visit our gallery to see our coating work.

2. Affordable

Powder coating is affordable, eliminating extra steps and drying time of liquid paints. Raw material powder is cheaper and requires less storage space than traditional paint cans.

3. Various Colors and Finishes

Powder coating provides numerous colors and finishes, including custom colors by the manufacturer. It offers a range of finishes from high gloss to matte and customizable textures like metallic.

4. Low Maintenance

Powder coatings need little maintenance. Highly durable and resistant to corrosion or scratches, they seldom require cleaning solutions or solvents to stay in top condition, generally only needing cleaning a few times annually.

5. Quick Application

Using an electromagnetic charge, powder coating allows for multiple layers without waiting for drying, reducing waste creation.

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6. Even Application

Powder coating results in even surfaces due to spraying and rapid heating. Unlike liquid paint, it avoids drip formation.

7. No Toxic Fumes

Unlike liquid paints, powder coatings release few or no toxic fumes, making them safer to use.

8. Low Carbon Footprint

Powder coatings have a low carbon footprint, ideal for businesses aiming for environmentally sustainable practices.

9. Recycle Friendly

Powder coatings generate less waste and can be recycled, making them cost-effective and efficient.

10. Greater Transfer Efficiency

Powder coating has a 65% transfer efficiency with recoverable overspray. Liquid paints have only 30% efficiency, with half the product evaporating.

Cons

1. Deterioration from UV Light

Powder coatings fade over time due to UV light but can be mitigated with additional UV protective coats.

2. High Start-up Cost

Applying powder coating requires expensive equipment like electrostatic booths and ovens, making it less suitable for small projects.

3. Difficult to Do Thin Coats

Applying extremely thin coatings with powder coating is challenging. Liquid paint is recommended for better finishes under 40 to 60 microns.

4. Slow Color Change

Color changes during powder coating are slow due to the risk of cross-contamination, but advanced systems can reduce this to 5-7 minutes.

5. Cannot Mix Powders for New Colors

Unlike liquid paint, powder colors cannot be mixed to create new hues. A wider range of pre-made powdered coating colors is available instead.

6. Specialized Equipment Needed

Specialized equipment is necessary for powder coating. The surface must be conductive, limiting material application, and deep recesses may hinder the coating.

7. Requires Baking in an Oven

Powder coating requires baking in an oven, not allowing for ambient curing, making the process longer and sometimes more expensive.

8. Difficult Touch-ups

Touch-ups for powder coating aren't convenient like liquid paints, requiring the entire process to be repeated.

Since ABITL has worked with many suppliers, diverse experience means an ability to touch up just about any coat.

9. Limited Material Range

Powder coating requires a conductive surface, limiting the range of applicable materials. It’s not suitable for heat-sensitive materials like rubber.

10. Less Control Over the Process

Powder coating offers less control over application smoothness and coat thickness compared to liquid paint. However, ABITL's expertise ensures precise coatings every time.

ABITL leads in powder coating with a high-volume automated line, providing high-quality coatings on time and budget. With over 50 years of experience, our facility can handle any volume of work. Get in touch for your metal finishing needs today.

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