Paints & Varnishes

The coating surveyor should be conversant with the International Standards and Test Methods used in the protective coatings industry, which have relevance to coating condition assessment.

Wherever possible the Standards and Test Methods should be used in the coating survey and report writing.

The use of Standards and Test Methods will ensure a consistent method of evaluation and should minimise any misinterpretation of the findings.

There are numerous documents that a coating survey should be aware of when conducting a coating survey.

One of the most valuable documents to reference is ISO 4628 Paints and varnishes — Evaluation of degradation of coatings — Designation of quantity and size of defects, and of intensity of uniform changes in appearance.

This document has a number of sections that detail the assessment of coating defects, specifically blistering, rusting, cracking and flaking.