If you are familiar with thermal barrier coatings, then you are likely aware of the many benefits that they offer. However, that does not mean that you have a complete understanding of the thermal barrier coating application process. In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about how thermal barrier coatings are applied, including the ideal tools to use, the application process itself, and more.
Thermal Barrier Coating Application Equipment
In many ways, the application of a thermal barrier coating to the exterior of a building is a lot like the process of painting that same building with normal paint. As such, a standard set of painting tools can be effective for applying a thermal barrier coating.
However, while rollers and brushes will allow you to coat your building in thermal barrier coating eventually, there are quicker ways that you can perform this application. For example, one of the most convenient tools to use when applying a thermal barrier coating is an airless sprayer.
Airless sprayers use high pressure to apply paint and other substances very quickly. These sprayers are excellent when you need to apply several gallons of thermal barrier coating over a large area, as is typically the case.
Keep in mind that the type of thermal barrier coating product you have may require specific sprayer features and characteristics. As such, you should check the requirements of the thermal barrier coating you own before you settle on the ideal airless sprayer for you.
Other than an airless sprayer and the thermal barrier coating itself, there is not much more you’ll need to complete an application of thermal barrier coating. Equipping yourself with other items you would typically use during a large-scale painting job, such as protection for yourself and any areas you do not want to cover with coating, should be enough to get the job done.
Thermal Barrier Coating Application Process
After learning about the items you’ll need in the previous section, you’re now ready to begin learning the details of the thermal barrier coating application process. Below, we will detail the steps that the process involves.
Protect Yourself and Your Application Area
Before beginning the thermal barrier coating application process, it is important to protect yourself and any important items that are near your application area but to which you do not want to apply the coating.
Although many of the best thermal barrier coatings are environmentally friendly and pose no threat to human health once applied, it remains unadvisable to inhale the spray of a thermal barrier coating or any paint involved in the process. That’s why you should wear some form of mask as well as protective eyewear and gloves when applying thermal barrier coating.
Likewise, you’ll want to take time to move any items that you don’t want to get coating on out of the application area. For any item that you cannot move, you should cover it in some way to protect it from the coating. Once you and your surroundings are sufficiently protected, you will be ready to move on.
Prepare Your Sprayer and Thermal Barrier Coating
The manner in which you prepare your airless sprayer for use will vary depending on the model you own. However, you can expect most airless sprayers to have a pump feature that needs to be primed in some way before use.
You should also check the filters of your airless sprayer before you use it. Surprisingly, for some thermal barrier coatings, removing the filters from within your sprayer makes the application process more efficient. Again, you should check the specifications of your thermal coating before deciding what to do with your sprayer filters.
Along with preparing your airless sprayer, you may also need to prepare your thermal barrier coating. For applications to the exterior of a building, this often means mixing your thermal barrier coating with paint.
Once you have prepared your airless sprayer and your thermal barrier coating, you should follow your airless sprayer’s instructions for filling the hose and gun with the coating. After that, you’ll be ready to begin the application stage.
Apply the Thermal Barrier Coating
Once everything is in place and your airless sprayer is full of thermal barrier coating, applying the coating is as straightforward as any other paint job that uses a sprayer. Simply spray the coating over all areas that you want to have covered.
As you spray, feel free to adjust the pressure output that your sprayer generates as needed. As is true regarding a typical paint job, it is often best to apply a second coat of thermal barrier coating after the first one.
Allow the Thermal Barrier Coating to Dry
After you apply thermal barrier coating to the exterior of your building, all that’s left to do is allow it to dry. Once your thermal barrier coating is dry, it will be fully effective for improving the insulation and overall energy efficiency of your building.
How Long Does it Take for Thermal Barrier Coating to Be Applied?
The steps we outlined in the previous section illustrate that the application process for thermal barrier coatings is not only straightforward, but it also does not take too much time to complete. In fact, the total time to apply thermal barrier coating is essentially the same as the amount of time it would take to complete a normal paint job.
If you choose to use an airless sprayer, as is recommended, rather than a roller or brush, the application process will be about as quick as possible. The total time to apply depends on the size of your building, but it is safe to say that most applications take place in a few hours or less.
Do You Need to Reapply a Thermal Barrier Coating?
If you have painted with regular paint before, then you know that you’ll likely need to reapply your paint at some point within the following five years or so. However, one of the greatest advantages of thermal barrier coating is that it is long-lasting. In fact, a typical application of thermal barrier coating may last up to 20 years or more. As such, if you know how to apply thermal barrier coating properly, it will serve you and your building well for years to come.