Monthly Archives: January 2010

Concrete Lessons in Prep: When the Cure Is the Problem

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Fire StationConcrete can be a challenging surface to coat, but the continuous traffic of heavy (3,000- to 5,000-pound) vehicles, plus the friction from tire starts, stops and pivots on a garage floor calls for heavy-duty finishes. Add in the dirt, salt, leaks and spills, and we’re talking industrial finishes. But as with most finishes, it often comes down to the universal truth that a finish is only as good as the surface beneath. Translation: Spray, brush or roll, applying a coating over oil, dust, mold, grease or anything other than a squeaky-clean substrate, means the paint (or epoxy, in this case) is merely coating residue, not the actual surface. Nothing illustrates this better than a job we visited a couple of years ago. Continue reading →

Zero- and Low-VOC Paints: Separating Fact from Fiction

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When latex paints were first introduced 50 years ago they revolutionized the industry, but many skeptical painting contractors swore they would never replace oil-based paints. ‘Not durable enough,’ they complained. ‘Too hard to apply.’ ‘Too…well, different.’ Exactly the same comments are being made about green paints in many quarters. Unfortunately, for many so-called ‘green’ paints put out by our competitors, those criticisms are valid. Some do require multiple coats just to get the same coverage as one or two coats of conventional latex, and they dry fast, so brush strokes can be a problem. Some haven’t proven to be very durable, and require recoating after only a year or two. Worst of all, after they’ve been tinted at the store most aren’t even zero- or low-VOC. Continue reading →

Mauna Kea: Working on Top of the World

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Every professional has at least one story they like to tell of an exceptionally challenging project. The job typically involves one or more of the following: scaffolding, lifts and tall ladders, unpleasant and unpredictable weather conditions, extremely rough substrates, super-size surfaces, awkward reaches, poor access, environmental restrictions–and sometimes, unusual requirements of the property owners. Sound familiar? Well, contractor Gerald Yamada faced all of the above (and at an altitude of more than 13,000 feet above sea level) to paint two observatories on the summit of Mauna Kea on Hawaii’s big island. If you think you’ve had some rough days on the job, read on. Continue reading →