Consulting and Inspection

Even the best protective coating system will fail prematurely if not properly applied. The ultimate performance of a coating is largely dependent upon the quality of installation. In fact, the majority of premature failures are attributed to improper surface preparation and coating application, not faulty coating materials.

The role of a Park Derochie coatings inspector is to ensure that the coatings manufacturer's instructions are followed and specified requirements are achieved. In this way, coatings system performance can be optimized and the design service life attained. This quality-assured approach maximizes return on investments by providing the lowest possible life-cycle costs for a coatings system when calculated on a cost-per-year basis.

Park Derochie's NACE International trained and certified inspectors will utilize a comprehensive assortment of state-of-the-art test instrumentation and equipment to verify and document compliance with your specification requirements. The major quality inspection points typically include the following criteria:

• Contamination and structural defects have been removed from the substrate prior to surface preparation operations
• Weather conditions are within the specified tolerances
• Surface preparation and coatings application equipment are adequate to produce the desired results considering the project scope and conditions of work
• Surface preparation is achieving the specified results with respect to cleanliness and surface roughness
• Coatings materials are as specified
• Coatings are properly mixed and applied in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and specifications' requirements
• Coatings system has been applied to the specified dry film thickness and is free from unallowable defects

Other value-added benefits of inspection include problem avoidance through timely identification and resolution of concerns, improved communication through detailed daily reports, tracking of nonconforming work, and complete documented history of the work performed. For most facility owners, protective coatings systems represent a significant financial investment that clearly warrants a dedicated and comprehensive quality assurance effort to ensure that their investment is successful. In contrast, the consequences of premature coatings failures can be far-reaching and generally result in damages several times that of the original installation cost due to impacts on operations, lost revenues, damage to the physical asset, and complete removal and replacement of the failed coatings.

Although coating selection is a critical factor, today's high performance protective coatings systems are complex materials that can be difficult to apply and unforgiving of the many variables associated with their installation. A full-time Park Derochie Coatings inspector is the single best investment that can be made toward preventing costly premature coatings failures.