10 Ways to Ensure Your Tank Lining Project is Successful - Part 2

Continued: 10 Ways to Ensure Your Tank Lining Project is Successful

As discussed in the previous blog, to guarantee the structural integrity of storage tanks facility managers should call on the most qualified painting contractors to implement tank lining projects successfully. Aside from hiring certified painting contractors and designing the best project plan, listed below are more of the critical ways to ensure tank lining project success:

3. Conduct accurate inspections

Exterior and interior tank inspections should be performed by qualified third-party and in-project inspectors to determine the structural condition of the tank at all stages of the tank lining project. The inspections should be comprehensive and follow industry guidelines for safety compliance.

4. Implement an updated and accurate documentation

All information on the work done on the tank, including inspection and test results, should be recorded in writing. The value of conscientious documentation is that facility managers and painting contractors get a complete view of the tank's structural condition at all stages of the tank lining project, thereby providing better interventions that can be implement to prevent a possible tank failure.

5. Determine tank specifications

Gather relevant details about the tank, such as the material it is made of, its purpose, content, location, and size. The information about the tank is useful in coming up with the most appropriate processes, materials and equipments to use in lining the tank.


The next blog will discuss three more ways to guarantee a successful tank lining project, from the right tools and materials, project preparations, and the tank lining process itself.

10 Ways to Ensure Your Tank Lining Project is Successful - Part 1

Storage tank installation, repair and maintenance are often considered high-profile facility projects because of the possibility of tank failure should inferior methods are used. Structural defects in the tank can lead to leakages that can potentially harm the environment and, worse, put human lives at risk. Tank failures can accumulate large amounts of direct and indirect costs, and even lead to civil and criminal penalties to facility owners who can be charged with possible non-compliance with tank safety regulations.

To safeguard storage tanks and uphold their structural reliability, tank lining projects should be effectively implemented for remedial and maintenance reasons, taking into account several critical success factors listed below:

1. Hire only the most qualified tank lining contractors

Entrust critical tank lining projects to experienced and certified painting contractors, preferably with industry-recognized licenses and certifications, to ensure the proper design and implementation of the project.

2. Put together the most optimal project implementation plan

The tank lining project should be designed with the best strategy appropriate for the project. This involves an in-depth planning taking many factors into consideration, from tank specifications, materials to be used, and tank lining procedure, among others.

The next blog will discuss three more ways to ensure that the tank lining project is a success, from diligent inspections, proper documentation, and tank specifications.

Coating Supplies and Equipments for Your Business

For coating application projects aimed at improving the quality and performance of the facility, the facility manager and the exterior painting contractor recognize the importance of using only the most appropriate tools and equipments when doing coating projects.

The tools of the trade are diverse and varied – from simple tools like sponges, brushes, rollers and sprayers, to more complex equipments’ like electrocoaters and spinners. Whatever the device, it is essential to purchase only coating gears that are of the best quality, preferably from certified or reliable suppliers, to avoid poorly-performing equipments. Most often, the exterior painting contractor is most knowledgeable on the finest supplies and materials in the market, and can give relevant advice on what tools are suitable for the project, as well as the best suppliers to purchase the products from.

The exterior painting contractor strictly implements safety standards during coating projects. That is why safety equipments such as headgears and eye wears are also necessary during coating application projects. Many coatings suppliers provide protective clothing, face protection gears, and even respirators and fresh air during industrial coating applications. The protective attire and accessories help prevent on-the-job accidents and lessen the health and safety risks to the personnel on the job.

Coating supplies and equipments can either be purchased or rented. Some suppliers even provide value-added services such as repairs, maintenance and training on industrial coating applications.

Types of Coating Products for Your Business

For the exterior painting contractor, the identification of the correct type of coating product to use for a particular facility project is very critical because the quality of the finished work relies heavily on the type of coating product that was applied and whether or not it was suited to the coating application required by the project.

Various coating products exist for a wide array of applications. Be it for aesthetic or repair reasons, or to allow the facility to conform to building safety standards, the exterior painting contractor need to evaluate the requirements of the project and the condition of the facility surfaces in order to successfully apply the right coating and bring in the highest gain to the business.

In applications specific for corrosion control and remediation, fluoropolymer coatings are the most suited for resistance to caustic and damaging chemicals. The mix of resins and lubricating solutions in fluoropolymer coatings reduce abrasions and prolong the life span of coated surfaces.

Polyurethane industrial coatings, on the other hand, provide a glossy finish that offer heavy-duty protection when applied by the exterior painting contractor to building surfaces prone to weathering and erosion brought about by continuous exposure to the natural elements.

Phosphate coatings are typically used by the exterior painting contractor in surface preparation prior to the actual coating application. The lubricating property of phosphate coatings reduce friction and are also corrosion-resistant. Thermal epoxy coatings, on the other hand, provide strong protection from damages due to exposure to alkaline substances and harsh and caustic chemicals.

Coating Products and their Applications to Business

As part of the business’ operational activities, assets like the building property, vehicles, tools and equipments serve as inputs to enable the business to reach its income-generating objectives. The repair and maintenance of these assets should be one of the top priorities of the business in order to sustain its profitability.

As part of the maintenance and repair of important business assets, facility managers recognize the value of coating products in keeping assets in good shape. Coating products applied correctly by a skilled exterior painting contractor can provide long-lasting protection to building properties and assets.

Since the demands of the business can dictate what type of coating products to use for any particular coatings project, the exterior painting contractor often relies on the various product formulations now out in the market, offering wider choices appropriate for the different coating applications needed by the business.

These days, coating products research have made major breakthroughs in coating formulations to such an extent that the exterior painting contractor now routinely performs facility projects for all purposes and applications, from decorative painting projects to protection and repair projects. Coating products for all types of surfaces are also available in the market, suitable to metal, concrete, steel, even wood, ceramic, and glass surfaces. Moreover, the exterior coating contractor now has a wider selection of coating products for a variety of functions ranging from corrosion control, fire resistance, building preservation, heat deflection, surface cover, sealant, among others.

Be it for aesthetic or restorative reasons, or for compliance to local and state building safety codes, the exterior painting contractor leverage the right coating product for the business requirement, with the end goal of bringing in the highest benefit to the business.

Coating Products Will Protect Your Valuable Business

Industrial coating products serve a very important function in providing protection to building properties and assets. Exterior painting contractor companies recognize the unique and flexible role that coating products play in diverse areas of building protection, such as in controlling corrosion, fire prevention, and even for compliance with building safety codes. Coating products assure protection of properties and at the same time guarantee the continued high-quality performance of said facilities.

Coating products provide protection not only to building surfaces but also to other building assets such as vehicles, equipments and appliances. As with building surfaces, the correct application of the most appropriate type of coating products to these surfaces and properties extend their useful life, assuring sustainability and durability of building assets.

For facility managers, sustaining the high-performance of building assets for longer periods of time through protective coating products brings in huge cost benefits. Building assets contribute to the viability and profitability of the business, and extracting the most value and performance from long-performing assets is a major objective.

Because of the important role that coating products play in the growth of the business, exterior painting contractor companies often advise facility owners to learn the basic aspects of industrial coating products and their various applications, to obtain the most benefit from the use of these products.

Benefits of Roof Coatings

The high performance and overall quality of roofing systems in industrial and commercial facilities is attributed largely to the roof coatings applied to the roof's top-most layer. The proper application of the right roof coatings products, like elastomeric coating, to the roof system yields many benefits to the facility.

First, facility managers and industrial painting contractors value the role of roof coatings to the longevity and sustainability of the roof. With the protection provided by elastomeric coating, roof deterioration caused by the weather and natural elements is delayed and even prevented, thereby extending the roof's life span.

Second, roof coatings such as elastomeric coating products also contribute to decreasing energy and power utilization of the facility due to its function in efficiently deflecting heat and lessen exposure to the elements

Elastomeric roof coatings are also very useful in preventing leaking roofs, discarding the costly need for replacement. On top of that, elastomeric coatings are also environment-friendly, generating minimal waste and low-VOC emission.

As roofing system technology continue to improve in response to the growing demand for high-performance yet cost-efficient facilities, enhancements to roof coatings and applications also become a major priority for paint manufacturers, industrial painting contractors and facility managers.

Roof Coating Application

One of the major contributors to a high-performing roof system is the roof coatings product that serves as the top-most protective layer of the roof. Roof coatings often receive the full impact of natural elements like rain, sunlight, hail, among others. The constant exposure to the harsh elements require that roof coatings are applied on the roof in the most appropriate manner in order to achieve the best results and quality from the roofing system.

Roof coatings application commonly begins with industrial coating contractors thoroughly examining the roof for cracks or tears, and, if any defects exist, these are fixed and sealed to eliminate any source of roof leaks. The roof is then subjected to cleansing, wherein any dirt or dust is removed through pressure washing. These roof surface preparations aim to improve the roof quality in readiness for coatings application.

Primers are subsequently applied on the roof surface to improve adhesion. Top coatings using the appropriate elastomeric coating formulation are then applied in 2 or 3 layers, made at appropriate time intervals to ensure complete drying between each coat.

The careful preparation, cleaning and application of the roof coatings ensures that the roof performs durably and with high-quality. Only the roof coatings contractor with certifiable skills and equipments can deliver this quality to roofing maintenance projects consistently and effectively.

Types of Roof Coatings

The type of roof coatings that can be applied to roofing systems is heavily dependent on a variety of factors ranging from the climate to the cost and schedule of the facility’s maintenance program. Roof coatings contractors also factor in the technical aspects of the roofing system, such as the roof slope and roof surface condition, to come up with the appropriate roof coatings product to use on a project.

Roof coatings contractors prefer to use Elastomeric or Polyurea roof coatings for many roof projects. Elastomeric coating and Polyurea products are known for their flexible capacity to repair and protect the roof from damages.

The most widely-used roof coatings product is the acrylic elastomeric coating. This type of elastomeric coating can extend the lifespan of the roofing system through a dependable protective finish. Acrylic elastomeric coating is also preferred by green building enthusiasts because of its environment-friendly coating formulation.

While acrylic elastomeric coating is best suited for sloped roofs, butyl elastomeric coating is more often used for flat roofs that are commonly exposed to water ponding. Other elastomeric coating formulations are polyurethane roof coatings that are very effective in coating rubber and single-ply roofing systems, and silicone coatings which are useful in silicone-coated roofs.

Polyurea roof coatings, on the other hand, provide a strong and seamless coating layer for metal and concrete.

Roof Coatings for Industrial and Commercial Facilities

Facility managers and industrial coating contractors have come to recognize the important role that roof coatings play in the total performance of the roofing system. Roof coatings contribute significantly to prolonging the longevity and sustainability of a facility’s roof system.

Nowhere is this critical role of roof coatings more evident than during roof maintenance and repair projects. Whenever roof problems arise, facility managers are often at the crossroads of decision-making, either to replace the roof or opt for root coatings applications. Often, the end result is that financial considerations become the major yardstick in the decision-making, because roof replacement is far too expensive when compared to roof coatings applications.

For affordable yet effective roof coatings, Elastomeric or Polyurea roof coatings are the popular choices. An elastomeric coating, in particular, enhances the roof by keeping it watertight for longer periods of time. Polyurea roof coatings, on the other hand, are rapid-setting and highly-reflective coatings that are useful as fire retardants.

Industrial and commercial facilities benefit much from roof coatings that provide protection from roof damages, extending the useful life and sustain the performance of roof systems. The accurate implementation of roof coatings translates to concrete monetary benefits to every facility maintenance projects.

Green Building from Green Paint

As the green building construction boom becomes widely popular due to the large cost savings and environmental benefits that can be achieved, green paints and coatings are also becoming a necessity for painting contractors who want to deliver quality green building projects.

What constitutes a green building? According to certification standards, green buildings are environment-friendly structures that use only ecologically-friendly materials in construction, and releases non-toxic hazards and substances that may cause harm to the environment and to human beings. Furthermore, green buildings are sustainable structures that are efficient to maintain, using lesser power, energy and water consumption to operate. Green buildings are therefore much more cost-beneficial compared to non-green buildings.

Painting contractors adopt the use of eco-friendly paints and coatings in their green building projects. Paints that have lower VOCs or volatile organic compounds are preferred by painting contractors and facility managers because green paints not only deliver the same high-quality performance as regular paints, but they are also less hazardous to building tenants and are more cost-efficient and viable in the longer term.

The green building trend and the green paint requirement for green buildings cascades down to the need for green raw materials. Paint manufacturers and supplier respond with low-VOCs formulation that makes the process of paint manufacturing, application, and post-application more environment-friendly.

With such a layered response from all major stakeholders, the green building movement is really fast becoming a reality. And with the green building boom, the future is bright for the environment.

Green Raw Materials for Paints

Green paints for green buildings are becoming more popular to painting contractors, spurred by the green building construction boom. As paint manufacturers research and develop new paints and coatings that are eco-friendly and non-threatening to the environment, suppliers of raw materials for paints are also compelled to follow suit to supply green materials needed to create green paints.

Raw material paint suppliers have developed a new line of emulsion polymers, for instance, that help paint manufacturers develop low-VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and low-odor paints. This innovation on emulsion polymers eliminates the need for detrimental coalescent agents when paint is manufactured.

Raw material suppliers also developed a wide selection of low-VOC zero-formaldehyde solutions, neutral-PH wet-state preservatives, multi-purpose additives and dry films to aid the manufacture of green paints. Paint manufacturers use these raw materials to formulate paints and coatings that do not emit harmful toxins to the environment and pose health risks to painting contractors and building users.

Suppliers' efforts to lessen VOCs emission and comply with environmental standards produced green ingredients that are suitable for all types of coating applications and shorten the application and drying time of paints, to the advantage of painting contractors who are at risk of exposure to harmful chemicals during application time, and building residents exposed constantly to released toxins in the air in their day-to-day lives. Some raw materials even have biocidal characteristics that make paint manufacturing safer and easier to apply by painting contractors.

Environment-Friendly Paints and Coatings

As the green building trend in the construction industry generates wider attention due to its cost-savings benefits amidst the current economic downturn, painting contractors are one with facility managers in using green paints and coatings in building construction and maintenance projects. The increasing interest in green paints for green buildings urges paint manufacturers to keep up with the demand and redesign or create environment-friendly paints and coatings.

The result of the paint reformulation efforts is a wide array of green paints for painting contractors to choose from. Many years of polymer research produced an improved latex paint that do not use toxic solvents, improving air quality during and after painting application projects. The absence of toxic solvents protects painting contractors and building tenants from damage caused by unintentional inhalation and absorption of these toxic substances.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are another threat to the environment that leads to air pollution. These compounds are often emitted by ordinary paints, putting painting contractors, building residents and the whole environment in grave risk. To counter the threat posed by VOCs, paint manufacturers have developed new products that contain little to near-zero VOCs.

Another coating innovation is the external coatings product with water-repellent qualities, a very useful “self-cleaning” ability to prevent dirt and water particles to take hold in painted surfaces. This unique feature leaves the building surface clean and more resistant to soiling and the weather. Buildings with water-repellent paint and coatings remain dry and maintain their surface color much longer.

Green Paint Technology for Painting Contractors

With cost-savings becoming a top priority because of the current economic crisis, facility managers are appreciative of the environmental and cost benefits of maintaining a green building. The decline in the construction industry brought about by the financial downturn has made green building a very viable alternative, getting wider attention from construction stakeholders who welcome the idea of a non-polluting and environment-friendly method of construction, that at the same time provide significant cost reductions to construction and maintenance projects.

The green building boom encourages painting contractors to use green paints and coatings using inventive green raw materials. Painting contractors know that paint and coatings act as the first layer of protection in green building surfaces, and thus play a crucial role in making any building green. For green projects, painting contractors often prefer to use paints that emit zero toxic hazards to the environment and lessen the health risk to humans.

The construction industry’s interest in green building projects provides impetus to paint manufacturers and raw material suppliers to develop environment-friendly paint products and materials that comply with environment-safety standards and do not lose the expected quality performance. The results of these development efforts lead to a wider choice of green paints and coatings out in the market today for painting contractors and building owners to choose from.

Green Building Certifications

Fully responsive to the growing consumer understanding of the advantages of environment-friendly buildings and materials, building owners, commercial painting contractors, paint manufacturers, and building industry stakeholders willingly undergo qualification tests and certifications to ensure their compliance to existing environment-safety building and material standards.

The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings system has the most definitive standards for a “green building. LEED comprehensively examines factors like the building’s energy consumption and water usage, as well as the source and quality of building materials used in building construction. The overall quality of the environment in and around the building is also examined in the LEED system.

The LEED rating system has a point-earnings mechanism from which different certification levels are based on. LEED looks for the appropriate level of compliance and sustainability in building and commercial painting contractor projects, be they new or existing constructions, either commercial or residential in nature. LEED has rated nearly 3.9 billion square feet of commercial property since 1990. This translates to roughly 7% of the commercial construction market, and still increasing. Residential projects are also gaining ground, with LEED certifications already awarded to some 1,000 properties. The interest to participate in the LEED rating system is huge, with nearly 13,000 registered projects awaiting certification.

LEED also has a specific rating system for paints and coatings. This is the Indoor Environmental Quality Credit 4.2, aiming to reduce VOCs in paints, coatings and primers. Commercial painting contractors and facility owners prefer to use LEED-accredited high-performance paints that have low-emission capabilities and leave as little environment damage as possible in their building projects.

Green Paints and Coatings for Green Buildings

One of the major reasons why a green building is eco-friendly is the type of paint applied on its surface. The most visible aspect of any building, and one that often comes in close contact with building occupants, is the building’s painted surfaces. Green buildings need green paints and coatings to be completely environment-friendly because green external coatings provide protection and safety against environmental risks and toxic emission hazards.

Commercial painting contractors and building owners turn to green paintings and coatings to turn their buildings green, and paint manufacturers and suppliers respond by coming up with the most innovative painting solutions and methodologies. Commercial painting contractors and building owners can now choose from a wide variety of paint formulations that feature zero volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions, dirt resistance, and green manufacturing processes.

Raw material paint suppliers have also made green breakthroughs with products ranging from enhanced emulsion polymers that produce low-VOC, low-odor, APE-free, UV-resistant paints, eliminating the need for dangerous coalescent agents. Other green product enhancements are quick-apply and low-wastage paints that lower the health risks to commercial painting contractors during the application process. IR-reflective paint pigments for heat-transfer reduction also result to lower heating and cooling expenses.

Driven mainly by consumers’ growing awareness of the advantages of eco-friendly buildings and materials, commercial painting contractors are also going undergoing tests and certifications to become compliant with environment-safety standards and regulations.

The Role of Paint and Coatings in a Green Building

The “green building” approach is gaining popularity mainly because of the increasing interest of commercial painting contractors, facility managers and building owners in realizing savings in construction and post-construction costs. That green buildings provide the added benefit of being environment-friendly is another strong factor resulting in its increasing viability. As a result, new green building construction projects are on the rise despite the general decline in the construction industry, and an estimated 20% return on investment is forecasted by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Greener buildings naturally equate to the use of green paints and coatings. Commercial painting contractors have recognized the vital role of eco-friendly paints and coatings to make the building green, hence have began adopting green paints for green building projects. As the demand by commercial painting contractors and facility managers for green paint and coating products increased, paint manufacturers turn to their drawing boards to redesign existing paint formulations and develop new paints that are eco-friendly and promote sustainability. Suppliers of raw materials for paints have joined the trend to advance the green paint technology.

The result of the green trend is a wide array of environmentally-safe products and methods that are now offered in the market. Commercial painting contractors and facility owners now have the choice of green products like latex paint formulations releasing zero volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and toxins to the environment during manufacturing and application, and water-repellent exterior coatings that are dirt-resistant, making cleaning and re-coating more efficient and economical.

The Demand for Green Buildings

The concept of “green” buildings is catching on in the commercial painting contractors business, despite the economic crisis that is gripping the country and the whole world these days. Even as new construction projects are declining, the demand for green buildings is increasing. Building owners and commercial painting contractors are more and more interested in the significant benefits that a green building can bring.

Green buildings use environment-friendly materials and methods to construct. Green buildings are not only sustainable and eco-friendly, but also provide huge savings during its construction and post-construction phases. Once the building is operational, long-terms savings continue to be realized in terms of lesser utility bills and maintenance costs. With green buildings, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) estimates an average ROI of 20%.

For facility managers and building occupants, green buildings offer more personal benefits in health and safety. The reduced amount of pollution that the green building is giving off is also a significant advantage. Lesser natural resources consumption is another benefit in maintaining and operating a green building.

The green building construction trend is fueling commercial painting contractors into adopting greener paints and coatings that leave little environmental damage to buildings and their occupants. For commercial painting contractors, the demand for greener buildings means applying paints and coatings that not only beautify and protect but also provide a more eco-friendly place to live and work in.