Flour silos taken back from rust, Delta food plant

Area

Delta, British Columbia

Surfaces

Exterior steel silos, access platforms and railings

What we found

The silos had been in service a long time and rust had spread across the shells, worst around the seams and fittings. On steel, rust does not stay in the coating: left alone it eats into the plate, and then it is no longer a painting job but a replacement.

How the work was done

1. Grind the rust back until bare metal shows, using power sanders with abrasive discs and wire wheels where the corrosion had taken hold.
2. Prime the cleaned steel with an oil-based rust-inhibiting primer, so the corrosion does not start again underneath.
3. Roll the top coat on by hand. A tank of that shape, in that position between the buildings, cannot be sprayed.

How it turned out

The silos went back to a clean, even finish and the steel is protected again. On plant equipment the point of the work is maintenance: deal with it while the problem is still in the coating, rather than waiting until a tank has to be replaced.

Described by Mayda Painting from its own record of the job. Scope and method are as carried out on this project; every property is assessed on site.