Touch-Up Material

The best touch-up on AESS projects is NO touch-up, which is why a large focus of this guide is on inspection of items before galvanizing and maximizing process practices to avoid it. However, the galvanizing standards do allow for touch-up and repair of uncoated areas within established size limitations. In these instances, it is important to discuss the type of touch-up material and in particular its initial and long-term color compatibility with the HDG coating. Although the initial appearance may contain a mixture of matte gray paint and shiny hot-dip galvanizing, exterior AESS members will weather and more closely match the repair paint over time. The use of a shiny or silver repair paint will result in a permanent mixed appearance upon natural weathering of the galvanizing.

Discussing touch-up during the bidding process is critical for the galvanizer to account for any additional costs in the bid. To manage expectations, some galvanizers find it helpful to provide color samples of available touch-up materials to manage expectations regarding appearance and/or accommodate requests for color matching within practical limits. After confirming the material selection, it is critical to apply them with care to minimize the surface area(s) touched-up and to apply and blend the materials into the surrounding coating as smoothly as possible.