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Galvanizing provides a natural finish for long maintenance free life. However, if you decide to pain the item after galvanizing three windows exist for applying the aesthetic finished coat. The three options are:
- The first window of opportunity and the easiest application window is approximately one year after galvanizing. The Galvanizing coating ages with time, this chemical process stabilizes with carbonates and is stable after 12 months. The only requirement for preparation of the surface is to high pressure wash with soapy water prior to painting. This painting can be completed in any shop with painting capabilities.
- The second window of opportunity to apply paint is immediately after dipping with a primer coat. This coat is applied at the galvanizing operation and is a primer coat only.
- The final opportunity to paint is from day one to one year. During this window the surface must be processed with a character blasting agent, or chemically etched. After the surface has received the character finishing, finished coats can be applied directly to the surface.
In general, galvanized coating used alone provide the most economic corrosion protection for steel. When a galvanized coating is painted over, the normal reason is aesthetic reasons, identification or warning, camouflage, or for added corrosion resistance under severe service or exposure conditions. This duplex process is very very durable in non abrasive applications.
In many applications duplex systems of combining galvanizing and paint are considered a top of the line solution to long product life. However, not every business can justify the additional efforts required to achieve the maximun benefits, nor is it required for the condition or required life. The paint film protects the zinc coating to give a synergistic effect in which the combination lasts considerably longer than the total of each coating alone.
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