Ask the Expert Question-and-Answer Archive

by Ron Joseph

March, 2003

Coating for a Marine Environment

Q. We are looking for a coating material for some new steel railings to be installed on our waterfront. We have used a thermal nylon coating for other sections of railing in the past but that is expensive and difficult to apply and very difficult to repair in the field. It does resist abrasion, vandalism and weathering very well and it holds its colour well. Is there a type of coating that is easier to apply and repair that will require little or no maintenance for many years? We have found that simply priming and painting does not stand up very well. Thanks.

A. Polyurethanes are available in a wide range of colors and gloss levels and they hold up to sunlight extremely well. If you need to recoat them after several years of exposure, you need to scuff sand the affected areas and then do the repair job. In some cases you will be able to apply the topcoat directly over the roughened surface. In other cases you might want to solvent wipe the scuffed surfaces before topcoating, and the third alternative is to reapply the primer before applying the topcoat.

I always recommend that people experiment with a new system before using it to satisfy themselves that the system will work for their purposes.