Specialty & Protective Coatings

Specialty coatings in Burnaby and Metro Vancouver serve specific protection functions that standard commercial paint systems aren't designed for: waterproofing, fire retardancy, anti-graffiti protection, thermal barrier, and corrosion resistance on steel structures. Burnaby Commercial Painting Co applies these systems to commercial buildings where the coating's performance function is as important as its appearance.

Elastomeric Waterproofing Coatings

Elastomeric waterproofing coatings are applied to exterior building surfaces where water infiltration is a documented or anticipated problem: stucco and EIFS façades with hairline cracking, concrete tilt-up panels with exposed aggregate and surface porosity, concrete block above-grade walls in wet-exposed locations, and parapet capping where standard flashing is inadequate. We apply elastomeric systems at the specified wet-film thickness (typically 20–40 mils wet, 10–20 mils DFT) to ensure the membrane continuity required for waterproofing performance. Two coats minimum, with a reinforcing mesh embedded in the first coat on crack-prone areas. The product must be a breathable membrane — a completely impermeable coating on a concrete or masonry substrate traps internal moisture vapour and leads to delamination and blistering.

Intumescent Fire-Retardant Coatings

Intumescent coatings are applied to structural steel and sometimes wood to provide passive fire protection. When exposed to heat above a threshold temperature, intumescent coatings expand to many times their dry thickness, creating an insulating char layer that protects the substrate from heat transfer during a fire event. In commercial and industrial buildings in BC, exposed steel structural elements in non-compartmentalized spaces are often required to achieve a fire resistance rating (typically 30, 60, or 90 minutes), and intumescent coating is one accepted method of achieving this rating without encasing the steel in drywall or spray-applied fireproofing. We apply intumescent systems to the specified dry-film thickness for the required fire resistance rating and can provide product data sheets and Underwriters Laboratory (UL) listing documentation.

Anti-Graffiti Coating Systems

Anti-graffiti coating systems are available in two categories: sacrificial systems (a coating layer that is stripped along with the graffiti during cleaning, requiring periodic re-application) and permanent systems (a coating that allows graffiti to be cleaned off with solvent or pressure without removing the coating itself). Permanent anti-graffiti systems are more expensive upfront and require careful surface preparation and application, but their long-term cost on heavily tagged surfaces is lower than repeated sacrificial re-coats. We apply both systems to concrete, masonry, metal, and wood surfaces on commercial buildings in Burnaby that experience recurring graffiti vandalism.