So many industrial facilities rely on steel for their day-to-day operations. Whether for structural building components or machinery, steel is the foundation that drives much of our work. However, due to environmental conditions, it can be susceptible to corrosion or rust.
Structural steel is vulnerable because it’s made up of iron. Iron oxidizes when exposed to water and oxygen, which can cause the materials to break down over time if not cared for properly.
The Tri-state climate isn’t particularly kind to steel. Its seasons can feature high humidity, rain, snow, and constant freeze-thaw cycles. When you add road salt mixed with coastal air, your facilities may experience highly corrosive conditions if you’re not careful.
If you don’t properly protect your structural steel, there’s a lot at stake: the safety of your employees, extended downtimes hurting profits, expensive repairs, and a shortened asset lifespan.
Alpine Painting and Restoration Services can help you manage all your corrosion protection needs. With more than 35 years of experience, we know what works to help you reduce the effects of the Tri-state climate on your assets.
Common places corrosion starts on structural steel
Structural steel is strong, which is why it is used in most industrial and commercial facilities. However, even it can’t escape the dangers of corrosion. As a result, there are some common places that you should keep an eye on to stop corrosion in its tracks.
- Exposed exterior steel: Canopies, stair towers, platforms, mezzanines, loading docks, etc.
- Interior “wet zones”: Near wash bays, process areas, mechanical rooms, and rooftops/units with condensate
- High-risk details: Weld seams, edges, bolts, joints, standing-water areas, under insulation, and around penetrations
You and your team should be completing regular maintenance inspections. This will help you identify early warning signs of corrosion. These can include:
- Discoloration
- Bubbling
- Peeling
- Orange staining
- Flaking
- Pitting
If you notice any of these signs, they may indicate corrosion. With prompt attention, you may be able to mitigate the effects of rust on your structural steel.
What makes the Tri-State climate especially tough on steel
Moisture and humidity fuel corrosion. It causes a constant chemical reaction called oxidation that will break down the surface over time.
Depending on the conditions within your facility, you should care for the impact of the Tri-state climate in different ways.
- The freeze-thaw cycle can cause microcracks and coating breakdown over time.
- De-icing salt and airborne chloride can accelerate corrosion, as these can be extremely harsh on most surfaces. This is especially an issue near highways and along the coast.
- UV exposure on exterior surfaces can degrade some coating systems faster than others. This can make the surface vulnerable to corrosion faster than expected.
- Industrial pollutants, especially wet ones, can increase corrosion rates on structural steel, machinery, and other surfaces.
Which climate conditions you should consider depends on where you live. We can help you identify your corrosion risks during a walk-through and develop rust-mitigation plans, including appropriate coatings to promote safety and extend the lifespan of your investments.
Best practices that prevent corrosion
While corrosion happens, it doesn’t have to be devastating. There are steps you can take to prevent corrosion and protect your assets, maximizing your return on investment.
Start with a thorough and realistic condition assessment
Identify the severity of any current corrosion, including light surface rust, scaling, pitting, etc. Based on your findings, determine if structural repair is needed before you start any new coatings.
Make a plan to address your findings, prioritizing critical areas first to reduce risk and cost. You don’t have to tackle everything at once.
Don’t skip the surface prep
This can be a breaking point for many projects, determining whether they succeed or fail. Be sure to choose the right surface prep.
Hand and power tool cleaning can be sufficient for cleaning minor rust, while abrasive blasting may be necessary for heavier corrosion or long-life systems. Cleaning and profiling matter because they will allow the coating to properly adhere to the surface.
You want to remove all salts, grease, and contaminants before priming. Don’t just slap thicker coats of paint on the surface if you want to have long-lasting results.
Use a coating system designed for the exposure
You experience all four seasons – and then some – in the Tri-state area, so make sure that you match your coating to the environment. Interior surfaces tend to be drier, while the exterior may experience more moisture and exposure to salt.
Common system types to consider include the following.
- Zinc-rich primer systems provide corrosion resistance
- Epoxy intermediate coats for durability
- Urethane topcoats for UV/weather protection.
In some cases, specialized coatings may be needed, especially in chemical splash zones, high heat areas, and immersion points.
Create controlled application conditions
It’s critical that you do what you can to create a controlled environment when you are applying your coatings. Otherwise, they may not properly adhere.
Temperature, humidity, and dew points can all impact whether a coating will be successful or not. You can do your best to schedule around weather windows in the Tri-state area; however, that may not be possible. Skilled commercial painters in Pennsylvania can create ideal conditions, utilizing tents, fans, heaters, and more to help.
Lastly, you want to plan your application around your operations to minimize disruptions. Cure times and return-to-service expectations should be clearly communicated to all involved to help you limit exposure while expediting cure times (where applicable).
Complete quality control checks and finalize documentation
You’re not done, even when the coating is dry. You have to conduct quality control testing to ensure your coating will perform as expected.
Especially when it comes to corrosion control, you need to complete a dry film thickness check. This will help you determine how thick the coating is and whether it meets minimum standards for corrosion control. If the coating is too thin, it will not be effective. Instead, it will cause your coating to fail sooner than expected.
Adhesion checks ensure that your coatings have bonded to the surface, and holiday testing is used on conductive surfaces where applicable. Be sure to check EPA, OSHA, and state and federal regulations to ensure there are no other tests you need to complete to maintain compliance.
Once you’re done, create a photo library with your facility records. This will help with future maintenance planning and create a history of the services your building received.
Maintenance tips: extend coating life without full recoats
Full recoats are not always in the budget, and there are simple maintenance tips that you can follow to help extend your coating’s lifespan.
- Routine inspections. Check system components and safety features on a quarterly basis, while you should complete a comprehensive review of all surfaces in your building annually.
- Establish a touch-up strategy. Address chips and scrapes quickly to stop the spread. If you notice something, take action immediately for the best results.
- Keep drains and gutters clean. You want to do what you can to prevent standing water, which can cause corrosion over time.
- Clean areas exposed to salt and pollution. Wash down the surface to remove the salt. Extended exposure can lead to corrosion.
It’s important to understand when recoating is possible as opposed to full replacements. Recoating is great for surface staining and cosmetic issues. You can recoat areas that haven’t experienced significant structural damage due to corrosion. When you experience holes, putting, and other serious damage to a surface, it may need to be replaced in its entirety.
Planning a corrosion-control project with minimal disruption
Corrosion-control projects don’t have to shut down your facility. In fact, our team of qualified professionals excels at executing projects with minimal impact on the business. Here’s how.
- Sequence the work. Coat high traffic areas during off-hours, weekends, and shutdowns. Phase the work so that no areas are inaccessible.
- Leverage containment protocols. Contain the things that you’re working on. That way, you don’t have to worry about people walking onto your job site. It helps protect surrounding equipment and people.
- Implement safety considerations. Where applicable, utilize lifts, fall protection, ventilation, and dust control in line with industry and local requirements.
Facility managers can speed up the process, reducing access points, communicating with employees and tenants, and staging the workspace with generous clearances.
Why Alpine Painting & Restoration
Alpine Painting and Restoration is at home navigating complex sites, including structural steel, industrial coatings, and more. We have proudly served the Tri-state region, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.
We employ robust safety measures on each site to ensure we are maintaining compliance while meeting all job scope requirements. Our teams leverage a safety guide that outlines all our procedures, which are fully in line with EPA and OSHA requirements.
We have been a trusted partner and industry leader in industrial coating and restoration for more than 35 years. Contact us today to request an assessment or estimate, schedule a site walk, or talk to a coatings specialist to understand what’s right for you.
