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Yes... We Have No Bananas
Project: Banana Ripening Coolers
Client: Chiovitti Banana
Type of work: Coating system for cement and galvanized metal walls and ceilings in the banana ripening coolers.
PROBLEM
Mould growth - Porous cement walls provided an ideal environment for mould and mildew to grow in a dark, cool and humid environment Poor visibility - Deep and tall coolers provided poor visibility when stocked with cartons of produce Constantly humid environment - Ripening of bananas requires dark, cool and humid conditions. Ordinary paint would delaminate and/or permit continued mould growth
ANALYSIS
Our initial site visit revealed that the uncoated cement walls and ceilings in the coolers were harboring mould and mildew as a result of the dark and humid conditions.
Lighting within the tall, long coolers also made visibility poor when loading and unloading the stock.
The walls and ceilings would have to be power-washed to remove all dirt, mould and mildew that had accumulated on the surface.
Once clean, a high performance, low-odour system would have to be implemented to meet CFIA requirements.
RECOMMENDATION
In consultation with Tnemec Coatings, Indu-Kote Systems provided a specification that was both low-odour and high performance. As a result of the hustle and bustle of the banana distribution business, and the close proximity of packaged produce, a coating specification that avoided aromatic solvent-based coatings was necessary.
Primer Coat: Tnemec, Typoxy Series 27 WB - This inorganic hybrid water-based epoxy primer is an advanced generation, low odor, high solids, water-based epoxy coating for protection and finishing of steel and concrete. The coating has portland cement in its composition (as do most of Tnemec’s products: their name spelled backward is Cement) which provides tenacious grip to multiple substrates, including the galvanized metal back-wall in the coolers. Finish coats: Tnemec Enduratone, Series 1029 - This finish is a water-based, low VOC, high dispersion pure acrylic polymer coating providing excellent long term protection in both interior/exterior exposures. It is mildew resistant and exhibits very good gloss and color stability.
RESULTS
A bright, mold and mildew resistant coating system that is washable and approved by the CFIA for a food-related industry.
Mold and mildew resistant – By sealing the porous concrete with this coating system, mold & mildew growth will be inhibited. Low maintenance – The coating system is low maintenance. Virtually no further maintenance will be required, other than routine washing of air-borne dust. Low environmental impact – relative to their solvent-borne brethren, the waterborne epoxy and acrylic-polymer coating are lower in VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) and HAP’s (hazardous air pollutants).
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Welcome to Indu-Kote System's quarterly newsletter. Each quarter, we feature an industrial or commercial coating project completed by IKS. This quarter, we present a coating project for cement and galvanized metal walls.
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