What are industrial coatings?
You’ve probably painted something around the house before. It might have been a wall, a ceiling, a cabinet, or a deck—something that needed aesthetic appeal or some protection from the elements.
Commercial coatings are on a different level, however. If your commercial house paint were a housecat, industrial coatings would be a tiger: same family, but radically more powerful and capable. So what exactly makes a coating industrial?
The difference between industrial and residential
A residential coating is designed to withstand wear and tear but is relatively limited. It might keep the dirt off the walls and stop the rain from cracking and swelling the wood on the deck. It’s meant to stand up to one family’s traffic.
Industrial coatings are much more substantial. They must take a beating: regular use, day in and day out, year after year.
Some industrial coatings are designed to keep the elements out. These are used on roads, on the exteriors of buildings, or in areas of high traffic, whether on foot or in a vehicle. These are meant to keep water or chemicals (like engine oil or antifreeze) from seeping into the concrete. More specialized coatings may be used for industrial tanks and other industry-specific applications.
Residential coatings are easy to apply for the average person. They don’t require a lot of specialized knowledge or equipment to use. Most industrial coatings are less straightforward. Some of them come in multiple parts (for example, epoxy). Some may require specialized spray equipment or an individual trained on how to best apply the coating for maximum effect.
Do you really need industrial coatings?
Some people try to get away with using residential-style coatings for industrial applications. This is a bad idea for several reasons. First, the coating won’t last the way it should, so you wind up spending more money over the long term. In addition, since the coating wears out so fast, the material underneath becomes vulnerable to wear and tear much quicker. This can shorten the life of concrete, metal, and other building materials.
Commercial properties need industrial coatings, not residential ones. Need a coating applied to your commercial property? We can help. JKI can advise you on what’s best for your situation and ensure you get the right industrial coating for your application. Contact us today for a free consultation.