The industry standard and rule of thumb for the life cycle of a typical parking garage deck coating is five years. If a contractor says it’s less or says they can’t get any more life out of a deck coating beyond five years, facility managers and owners should look for a different contractor, according to the coating experts at Western Specialty Contractors.
“Five years is the industry standard for membranes. Even on a driving surface, you need to look for the five-year warranty and it all ties into the maintenance. The better you maintain it, the longer it’s going to last,” said Carter Pogue, Project Manager at Western Specialty Contractors. “Warranties can be extended if deck coatings are properly maintained and kept in good condition.”
The impact of traffic
Pogue recommends that facility managers get familiar with the traffic environment of their parking structure. This is an important step in order to properly maintain deck coating. Facility managers should take note of whether the traffic is minimal. They should also note if more or less individuals come in daily and if they leave daily. Additionally, indicate if it’s a very high-volume traffic area. A coating system can last as long as six to 10 year. However, this is only if it was installed correctly, maintained properly and the traffic flow is minimal, says Pogue.
“I’ve seen them last anywhere actually upwards of 15 years, but in rare conditions. On average a low-impact deck with low traffic can last six to 10 years. Deck coatings that receive high traffic last until about that five-year mark, then you’re really starting to look at another wear course,” said Pogue.
Pogue recommends at the four-year mark to have a contractor who specializes in deck coatings evaluate the parking structure so facility managers have plenty of time to make any warranty corrective measures prior to the warranty expiration.
When you need repairs
If any repairs are necessary, the contractor will contact the manufacturer to come out and inspect the deck’s condition and provide a repair detail. At that point, the contractor can recommend a re-coat procedure and pricing.
“So if it wasn’t in your budget from previous years and you have it a year in advance, the work would consist of cleaning the deck. It also consists of checking for any delamination nd installing the primer. Additionally, installing a single top coat in lieu of a double top coat and the base coat,” said Pogue.
Pogue stresses that property managers and maintenance staff should always protect their investment when it comes to maintaining a parking structure’s deck coating.
“It’s relatively cheap insurance,” said Pogue. “The coating can run anywhere from $3 to $5 a square foot depending on the system you select and the region you’re located in. However, if the deck goes unprotected and it gets damaged, the cost to repair that damage grows 20 percent annually. Concrete repairs, depending on the slab thickness and the structure type, whether it be double, double-tee or post-tension, can run anywhere from $35 to $70 a foot. It doesn’t take very many square feet of repairs to justify a preventative maintenance program.”
For help creating a parking deck maintenance plan, contact the Western Specialty Contractors branch location nearest you: www.westernspecialtycontractors.com/western-locations/.
About Western Specialty Contractors
Western Specialty Contractors is family-owned and operated for more than 100 years. It is the nation’s largest specialty contractor in masonry and concrete restoration, waterproofing and specialty roofing. Western offers a nationwide network of expertise that building owners, engineers, architects and also property managers. These individuals can count on to develop cost-effective, corrective measures that can add years of useful life to a variety of structures including industrial, commercial, healthcare, historic, educational and government buildings, parking structures and sports stadiums. Western has its headquarters in St. Louis, Mo. It also has 30 branch offices nationwide. Additionally, it employs more than 1,200 salaried and hourly professionals who offer the best, time-tested techniques and innovative technology. For more information about Western Specialty Contractors, you can also visit www.westernspecialtycontractors.com.
