Menu
Whilst many of us dream of living close to the ocean – just be careful what you wish for. Those spectacular vistas and cooling breezes come with a heavy building, maintenance and replacement cost from acidic salt-air eating away at every part of your home and your appliances.
Not to mention the relentless though very necessary cleaning required to remove the salt from windows and external cladding, fences, and railings.
Whilst the Building Code of Australia and Standards Australia have requirements that houses and commercial buildings must use materials that can withstand the harsh environment of seaside living, those living within 5km of the ocean are often not aware of these requirements.
Airborne salt particles are highly corrosive for normal powder coatings and over time the salt will permeate the coating causing it to powder and break down.
Hideaway Covers, one of Australia’s largest suppliers of aluminium slat enclosures and covers for outdoor storage and concealment solutions, recently asked its international powder coating supplier, Interpon, to comment of how effective powder coated aluminium is against the harsh Australian coastal environment.
“Understanding the risks of specifying powder coatings in marine and coastal environments can ensure your project and reputation stand the test of time,” explained Gareth Connell, Regional Specification, Interpon Powder Coatings.
“Harsh marine and coastal environments expose projects to winds and chemicals such as sea salts, which can have a long-term impact on the performance of most finishing systems.
Understanding the project scope, range of building elements and specifying certain grades of powder coat technologies and systems in order to resist these influencers will have a positive impact on long term performance and durability,” Connell added.
If the product used is unsuitable, water, dirt and salt particles can potentially permeate the film and corrode the aluminium or steel.
To choose the right powder coating for the job, follow these three steps:
Not all powder coatings are created equal and different products are designed to withstand different environments. Determine which specification standard you require for your project.
The American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA), a globally recognised voluntary performance standard for architectural finishes, recommends performance criteria standards AAMA 2604 or AAMA 2605 for multi-density and commercial projects and is the mainstay topcoat performance specification for harsh environmental conditions. Both of these American standards represent two very different levels of warranty performance offered by Interpon.
AS3715 – Australian Metal Finishing Standard
AS3715 is the Australian standard for Metal Finishing – Thermoset powder coating for architectural applications of aluminium and aluminium alloys. It sets out the Australian standards required for pre-treatment, application, and performance of powder coatings on aluminium substrates.
All Interpon powder coatings meet the performance requirements set out in AS3715 and all of Interpon’s approved applicators are guaranteed to meet the pre-treatment and application standards.
The American standards, which Interpon can supply, are performance requirements to a higher specification than AS3715.
A top-grade powder coating can only be expected to perform if the metal it is protecting is prepared correctly.
Depending on the base metals, particularly in a marine or coastal environment, coating systems may require an element of metal preparation, metal pre-treatment, use of primers and a specific grade of a top coat powder coat technology in order to provide protection, durability and performance.
“There is a general presumption that if a single top coat is deemed “durable” then little, if any metal pre-treatment is considered, or for that matter understood for aggressive environments,” Connell says.
“This presumption is incorrect and will often lead to catastrophic in-situ failures such as fading, flaking, delamination or severe corrosion over a relatively short period of time when exposed to aggressive atmospheres.”
Furthermore, in order to guarantee performance, often the product must be prepared and applied by an Interpon approved applicator for the warranty to apply.
Specifying a product with a coastal serviceability warranty is a sure-fire way to ensure your project will remain up to scratch over time. However, as this is a custom order specification, there will be a significant difference in cost, usually reserved for major commercial projects. Often a project’s eligibility is dependent on environmental conditions and if it was applied correctly.
This means if the product is not designed to hold up in marine and coastal environments, neither will its warranty. After conducting your research, it’s time to choose a product.
A good way to start is by getting in touch with the largest powder coating manufacturer in the world, Interpon Powder Coatings.
The Interpon Ultriva™ D2015 and Interpon Fluoromax® D3020 ranges are suitable for marine and coastal environments, and both exceed the AAMA’s recommended performance standard and pass ISO 2815 and ISO 3231 standards.
Interpon offers solutions for both aluminium and steel and has the most extensive choice of colours and finishes in the industry.
When applied by an Interpon D Approved Applicator, the Interpon Ultriva D2015 range comes with the assurance of a 20 Year Performance Warranty, while the Interpon Fluoromax® D3020 range is guaranteed for 30 years’ film integrity and 20 years’ colour performance.”
Hideaway Cover’s powder coating warranty as provided by its Interpon accredited powder coat company is in accordance with AS3715 which codifies the distance from the ocean and the corresponding performance of external finishes for warranty purposes.
In basic terms, 0-1.5kms from the ocean is the harshest marine environment with the shortest product life expectancy and warranty, followed by 1.5–5kms from the ocean having a slightly longer warranty. Those living more than 5kms from the ocean receive the full six year warranty on powder coating finishes.
Summary: According to Hideaway Cover’s Managing Director, Robert Fuller, “whilst living close to the ocean is a dream for many, the reality is that you have to accept either significantly increased costs of materials that are specified for harsh marine environments in the first instance; or be prepared for the replacement costs much sooner than people living more than 5kms from the ocean.”
For more information: www.Hideaway-Covers.com.au or www.interpon.com
If you like our Hideaways, be on the look-out for new trends, updates and special offers. Sign-up today!
