Six Key Points You Should Know about Concrete Surface Preparation before Coating Application July 2012 - Fred Goodwin, BASF Construction Chemicals

The case of…too many choices January 2012 - Eric S. Kline, KTA-Tator, Inc., Richard A. Burgess, Series Technical Editor

Remedying excessive profile September 2011

Characterizing Surfaces after UHP Waterjetting in New Ship Construction

May 2011 - Philippe Le Calvé, DCNS, France; Jean-Pierre Pautasso, Direction Générale de I’Armement, France; and Nathalie Le Bozec, French Corrosion Institute

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News

May 2011

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Top of the News

May 2011

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Angels and Demons in the Realm of Protective Coatings: The Underworld of VOCs

April 2011 - Mike O’Donoghue, Ph.D.; V.J. Datta, MS; and Russell Spotten, International Paint, LLC

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Abrasive blasting: Achieving efficiency and profitability

November 2010 - Patti Roman, Clemco Industries

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Stucco Unstuck

November/December 2010 - Rick Huntley

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The Weather Factor

November/December 2010 - Kenneth A. Trimber

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What's New in Equipment for Protective Coating Work

August 2010 - JPCL staff

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Coating on Thames Barrier Assessed after 25 Years

June 2010 - Martin Earlam, UK Environment Agency

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Supporting the Troops: Complex Strategy Worked for Repainting Ft. Lewis Water Tank

June 2010 - Susan Drozdz, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, with contributions from Mike Hasbrook, Washington Industrial Coatings

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On safe surface prep for offshore platforms

April 2010

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Laboratory Testing of Candidate Coating Systems for Protecting A 490 Bolts in One World Trade Center Construction

March 2010 - John Bullard, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, and William D. Corbett, KTA-Tator, Inc.

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Maintenance Tips: Passive fire protection application with plural-component gear

February 2010

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Soluble Salts beneath Coatings - An Overview

February 2010 - Kenneth B. Tator, P.E., KTA-Tator, Inc.

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How Does Waterjet Cleaning Affect the Surface and Surface Preparation?

January 2010 - Lydia M. Frenzel, Ph.D., Advisory Council

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New Product Spotlight

January/February 2010

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Trowel-Applied Mortar Systems for Floors: Tips for Specifiers and Installers

January 2010 - Casey Ball, The Sherwin-Williams Company

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2 Metals, 1 Failure

December 2009 - Rick Huntley

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Making History

December 2009 - John Leeke

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New Product Spotlight

December 2009

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The Case of the Shop Job: Coated Equipment Sent North but Coating Performance Went South

September 2009 - Jayson L. Helsel, P.E., KTA-Tator, Inc.; Richard Burgess, KTA-Tator, Inc., Series Editor

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Regulations and Coatings Work: Key Developments over 25 Years

August 2009 - Alison B. Kaelin, CQA, KTA-Tator Inc., and Karen A. Kapsanis, JPCL

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Rescuing an iconic symbol of the WWII home front

August/September 2009 - Burt Olhiser, Vantage Point Consulting

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Spotlight on coatings removal / surface preparation

August/September 2009

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Surface Preparation: Practices, Equipment, and Standards through 25 Years

August 2009 - Daryl Fleming and Jodi Temyer, JPCL

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2009 Equipment Buying Guide - Surface Preparation

June 2009

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Department of defense: Protecting wood exteriors

June/July 2009 - Jayson L. Helsel, P.E., KTA-Tator Inc.

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Gray? No way!

June/July 2009 - Joe Maty, Editor, JAC

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An Overview of Preparing Concrete for Coatings: What to Ask, What to Do, and Where to Find Help

May 2009 - Fred Goodwin, Fellow Scientist, BASF Construction Chemicals

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Coating concrete: double-check your specs

May 2009 - Kevin Morris, Market Development Director, Water and Wastewater, The Sherwin-Williams Company

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Product News

March 2009

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Resource Guide to Green Surface Preparation

November 2008

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Making the call on the concrete wall

June/July 2008 - Deborah Slaton and Paul Gaudette, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc.

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The war against water

March/April 2008 - Allen Zielnik, Atlas Material Testing Technology, LLC

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A firm foundation, part 2

January/February 2008 - Charles H. Holl, Dayton Superior Corp.

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Maximizing roof-coating performance in the emerging era of the cool roof

January/February 2008 - Jim Leonard, ERSystems Inc.

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Solutions that stick

January/February 2008 - Jayson L. Helsel, P.E.

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Concrete Protection and Decoration - A firm foundation

October/November 2007 - Charles H. Holl, Technical Specialist, Dayton Superior Corp.

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Paint Removal: Having a blast, gently

June/July 2007 - Joe Maty, JAC Editor

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Peeling Away the Years: Taking on the job of getting old coatings off

March/April 2007 - Deborah Slaton, Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc.

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Some hard truths on concrete coatings and coverings

January/February 2007 - Jayson L. Helsel, PE., KTA-Tator, Inc.

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What works with wood

June/July 2006 - Jayson L. Helsel, P.E.

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Sealers and coatings for masonry and concrete: The essentials

January 2006 - Deborah Slaton, James D. Connolly, and Leonard L. Phelps

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The cold, hard truth on concrete sealers and coatings

January 2006 - Jayson Helsel

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Surface Preparation Products

October 2005

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The Spec- Blueprint for success

April 2005 - Jayson Helsel

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Coating selection, surface preparation hold key to successful painting of galvanized steel

January 2005 - Jayson Helsel

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ARMEX® Cleaning and Coating Removal Systems

Selecting Coatings Under Insulation Recorded on July 18, 2012

Safety in Abrasive Blasting Recorded on March 27, 2013

Coatings Inspection Instruments: A PaintSquare Video Education Series Presented by KTA-Tator

How to Determine Blast Cleanliness - SSPC VIS 1 Guide and Reference Photographs Posted on November 1, 2012

Phil Calvo on Changes in the Coating Industry Posted on August 21, 2012

Revelations of the Magic Hammer From Paint Dude by Tim Race Posted on 4/15/2013

EPA’s Ruling Process: Ash Backwards From On the Other Hand by Mary Chollet Posted on 1/8/2013

Too Much Rust for the Weary From Editorial License by Karen Kapsanis Posted on 10/11/2012

Standard Practice for Preparation of Zinc (Hot-Dip Galvanized) Coated Iron and Steel Product and Hardware Surfaces for Painting ASTM, August 4, 2010

Standard Practices for Preparation of Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Surfaces for Painting ASTM, May 27, 2009

Standard Practices for Preparation of Hot-Dip Aluminum Surfaces for Painting ASTM, May 27, 2009

Is there a place for using “rust convertors” in heavy-duty maintenance projects? Question posted April 22 to April 28, 2013

What is most effective treatment for steel contaminated with MIC before painting ? Question posted March 18 to March 24, 2013

How do you strip paint from a cementitious substrate if you can’t alter the surface texture? Question posted November 12 to November 18, 2012

Is it cost-effective to pressure wash a bridge or other structure before abrasive blasting? What pressures, flow rates, and procedures are recommended?

Question posted November 12 to November 18, 2012

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Is it cost-effective to grind steel edges before coating for atmospheric service? Why or why not?

Question posted October 29 to November 4, 2012

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What is the proper surface preparation for stainless steel before coating to resist a salt-laden atmosphere?

Question posted September 3 to September 9, 2012

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How long after blasting can stainless steel be left before painting? If this time is exceeded, what further surface preparation is required?

Question posted August 20 to August 26, 2012

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When blasting cast-iron structural steelwork, what type of defects might be found, and how do you address them?

Question posted June 18 to June 24, 2012

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How do you remove all traces of an uncured internal coating from a tank when abrasive blasting is not an option?

Question posted June 4 to June 8, 2012

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What is the best way to achieve proper surface preparation in areas with limited access, such as interior box beams on bridges?

Question posted May 14 to May 20, 2012

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How long can a blasted surface be left before priming under different temperatures/relative humidity environments?

Question posted April 16 to April 22, 2012

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When should you specify UHP waterjetting on bridges?

Question posted October 17 to October 23, 2011

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Specifications often state that glossy surfaces must be dulled before overcoating. What are some methods for doing this, especially when sanding isn’t feasible or desirable?

Question posted August 29 to September 4, 2011

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What is the remedial action if a blaster produces too high a surface profile for the required primer thickness?

Question posted July 18 to July 24, 2011

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When a specification calls for removal of only loose coating rather than complete coating removal from a masonry substrate, what surface preparation methods are most likely to work without damaging the intact coating that is left on the surface?

Question posted May 23 to May 29, 2011

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How should surface preparation be conducted in non-sparking atmospheres?

Question posted January 17 to January 23, 2011

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How much detail should be included in a specification for the surface preparation and painting of a parking garage exterior that includes tilt-up and structural concrete substrates?

Question posted December 13 to December 19, 2010

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What is the clearest way to specify the degree of smoothness that you want to be achieved by surface preparation on an exterior wood substrate that is covered with deteriorated, uneven, and built-up layers of paint?

Question posted November 29 to December 5, 2010

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What kind of surface preparation prior to coating will be effective and at the same time economical for the aluminum window frames on a large commercial office building? The aluminum was coated originally with a baked-on fluoropolymer which has lost most of its gloss. Maintenance recoating will be with an air-dry fluoropolymer.

Question posted September 14 to September 19, 2010

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What kind of coating system, including surface preparation, should be used to protect a steel factory roof that is subject to hydrochloric acid vapors and other industrial pollutants and particulates in a hot, humid environment?

Question posted September 7 to September 12, 2010

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What are the alternatives for removing mildew from previously uncoated concrete block exteriors before coating?

Question posted August 30 to September 7, 2010

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What industry trends do you follow most closely? February 18 to February 24, 2013

The economy is pressuring many contractors to bid as low as possible, which has led many to cut corners wherever possible. As a contractor, how often do you attempt to meet only the minimum specifications for surface preparation and coatings application? Submitted by Jesse Chasteen Kalispell, MT August 2 to August 8, 2010

According to JPCL author David Dorrow, what makes an abrasive “green?” Monday, April 29, 2013

True or False: Sponge blasting employs particles of sponge as abrasive. Wednesday, April 24, 2013

True or false: SSPC visual standards showing degrees of cleaning of steel take precedence over the descriptions of required cleanliness in SSPC’s written surface preparation standards. Tuesday, April 16, 2013

True or false: All the SSPC surface preparation standards are issued jointly with NACE.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

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Determining the particle size distribution of blast abrasive is achieved by what method?

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

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What organization does not produce standards for the surface preparation of concrete?

Thursday, February 7, 2013

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True or false: In air abrasive blast cleaning of steel, a venture nozzle generates a deeper blast profile than a straight bore nozzle with the same diameter opening.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

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True or false: Some experts recommend that a weathered TPO roof be prepared for coating by cleaning with an aqueous cleaner followed by power washing.

Friday, February 1, 2013

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What organization has a standard for the surface preparation of concrete?

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

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True or false: Dry ice blasting produces a lesser volume of debris than the amount produced by air abrasive blasting using slag abrasive.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

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True or false: The USDA Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) recommends special surface preparation prior to painting if bare wood is exposed to the atmosphere for more than three to four weeks.

Friday, January 4, 2013

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Which of the following cleaning techniques is most likely to remove soluble salts from a heavily pitted steel surface?

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

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True or false: There is an SSPC power tool cleaning surface preparation standard describing a degree of cleanliness that falls between Power Tool Cleaning, SSPC-SP 3, and Power Tool Cleaning to Bare Metal, SSPC-SP 11.

Monday, December 24, 2012

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True or false: SSPC published a surface preparation standard, now discontinued, describing flame cleaning of steel.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

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True or false: UHP waterjetting at 35,000 to 40,000 psi is typically used for surface preparation of stucco before painting.

Friday, November 30, 2012

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Which of the following is an environmentally benign material sometimes used to etch concrete before application of coatings?

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

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When water under pressures of 30,000-40,000 psi is used to clean steel before painting, what is this form of cleaning called?

Monday, October 22, 2012

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If you’re a contractor concerned with meeting the end condition appearance requirements for steel after blast cleaning, what precaution might you take?

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

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According to SSPC's Surface Preparation Commentary for Steel and Concrete Substrates (SSPC-SP COM), final dry blast cleaning should not be conducted when the steel surface is less than how many Fahrenheit degrees above the dew point?

Thursday, September 27, 2012

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True or False: SSPC’s recent revisions to SSPC-SP 11 and SSPC-SP 15 changed the standards’ requirements for surface cleanliness and minimum surface profile.

Friday, September 14, 2012

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What kind of abrasive was used to remove the failing baked-on gold enamel from 30,000 square feet of clay tiles on the New York Life building in preparation for applying gold leaf?

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

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Which of the following is an abrasive media used in a blasting system on delicate substrates?

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

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“Surface Preparation and Cleaning of Metals by Waterjetting Prior to Coating” is a newly revised standard by:

Monday, August 6, 2012

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Which of the following statements about SSPC-SP 11, Power Tool Cleaning to Bare Metal, is true?

Friday, August 3, 2012

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If a specification requires one of the following–brush-off blasting (SSPC-SP 7), commercial blasting (SSPC-SP 6), or near-white blasting (SSPC-SP 10), what other cleaning standard is invoked?

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

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What organization recently issued a standard for measuring the profile of concrete after surface preparation?

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

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True or False: The Australasian Corrosion Association is licensed to teach SSPC’s C7 Abrasive Blasting course.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

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True or False: Dehumidification equipment is sometimes used to “hold the blast” after surface preparation of the interior of a storage tank.

Monday, May 7, 2012

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What is a typical particle speed for abrasive in an air abrasive blast system that utilizes a venturi nozzle?

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

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True or false: If you are removing a soft, pliable coating from a steel surface, a rounded abrasive will be more productive than an angular one.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

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What is the name usually given to a robotic surface preparation machine used in the field on ship and tank exteriors?

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

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When acid etching is used to create a profile on concrete in preparation for painting, why is it important to rinse the concrete thoroughly after the etching is completed?

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

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Why is crystalline silica sand more likely to cause silicosis when used as an air abrasive blasting material than it is in its natural state, for instance, as beach or river sand?

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

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True or false: All the SSPC surface preparation standards are issued jointly with NACE.

Monday, October 31, 2011

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Which of the following is most likely to be the result of excessive profile depth on steel after blast cleaning?

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

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True or false: ISO Sa2.5, describing very thorough abrasive blast cleaning, gives a more comprehensive written description of the end condition of the steel after blasting than SSPC SP 10/NACE No. 2, Near white metal, which requires a similar end condition.

Monday, September 26, 2011

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Which of the following factors influences the appearance of steel after blast cleaning?

Friday, September 23, 2011

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In general, which of the following coating types or conditions is easiest to remove by blast cleaning?

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

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The ISO surface preparation standard Sa 3 most closely resembles what SSPC/NACE surface preparation standard?

Thursday, September 15, 2011

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Which of the following cleaning techniques is least likely to remove soluble salts from a steel surface?

Monday, August 8, 2011

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True or false: In abrasive blasting, the harder the abrasive, the deeper the profile it is likely to generate.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

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A White Metal Blast, SSPC-SP 5, allows what to remain on the surface after blast cleaning?

Thursday, July 28, 2011

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To totally remove coatings from brick and at the same time to minimize substrate damage and avoid generation of airborne dust, which of the following surface preparation methods makes the most sense?

Friday, June 17, 2011

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Which of the following surface preparation methods for concrete produces the largest surface profile?

Monday, May 9, 2011

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True or false: The SSPC surface preparation standards were numbered according to the chronological order in which they were adopted, not according to their degree of thoroughness.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

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True or false: In surface preparation operations, hackles are most likely to be formed on steel substrates when the blast abrasive is steel shot.

Friday, January 7, 2011

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Rotating flaps with hard metallic tips is a component of what piece of surface preparation equipment?

Friday, December 10, 2010

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Common surface imperfections, as opposed to contaminants, in newly placed concrete that deserve attention in surface preparation operations include all but which one of the following?

Friday, September 10, 2010

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