What is a coating? According to Means Illustrated Construction Dictionary, it is “a covering layer of any type of material, such as paint, plaster, stain, or surface sealant.” When we think of coatings, it is important to think of function as well as style. Function can vary from waterproofing CIP concrete foundations and coating high-traffic public walkways, to anti-bacterial epoxy marine paints and preservatives on piers and boats.

There’s an enormous variety of customized paints for all the specialized purposes:

• Architectural — interior and exterior applications
• Marine and industrial epoxy coatings, also used for pipeline coating and repair
• Exterior structural steel coatings

Surface Preparation
Preparation is always the key to any successful coating project. Along with masking and shielding, we also must prepare surfaces. Indoors, this can involve removing wallpaper, scraping, sanding, wire brushing, patching, caulking, and priming. Outdoors, power washing is frequently used. Sometimes, a primer coat will be required on wood, concrete, and other surfaces.

Once we have determined the coating for the project, we must select our tools for application. We can select from brushes, rollers, and spraying equipment. For indoor sprayers, electric and gas airless sprayers are popular. Outdoors, electric or gas air sprayers or texture air sprayers are recommended.

Exterior Concrete Surfaces
For exterior concrete surfaces, such as cast-in-place, tilt-up, lift slab and pre-cast panels, it is crucial to select the right coating to prevent the flow of moisture into, as well as out of, the concrete surface. Start by cleaning the surface and filling any cracks. This can be done with abrasive blasting, hydroblasting, or shotblasting. Next, select the coating that best meets the service, exposure, and installation conditions. Coating products such as Ultra-Crete preserve as well as enhance these surfaces and will hide irregularities and seal any cracks.

Cost Considerations
One of the best analyses of the labor cost for painting is the RSMeans Reference Table R099100-20. For each specific surface to be painted, we can determine:

• S.F. covered per gallon
• S.F. covered per 8 hours of labor.
• Labor hours per 100 S.F.

Let’s look at some costs.

Basic drywall painting, including material, 2 coats: roller applied: $.55/S.F.

Exterior smooth wood: primer & 1 coat latex: sprayer applied: $.46/S.F.

Just remember, when selecting a coating, consider both function and style.

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