Coating standards, in plain English.

• ISO 12944

  ISO 12944 explained: protecting steel with paint systems

  The standard behind most protective coating specifications for steel. Corrosivity categories, durability classes and what each part covers.

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• ISO 8501-1

  ISO 8501-1: surface preparation grades Sa 2½, St 3 and more

  The visual standard for steel cleanliness before painting. Rust grades, blast cleaning grades and hand or power tool grades.

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• ISO 8502

  ISO 8502: dust, soluble salts and dew point before painting

  The tests for what you cannot see: dust, soluble salt contamination and the risk of condensation on the steel.

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• ISO 8503

  ISO 8503: blast profile, comparators and replica tape

  How rough the blasted steel is, why it matters for adhesion and film thickness, and how profile is measured.

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• ISO 19840

  ISO 19840: measuring dry film thickness on rough surfaces

  The method most protective coating specifications use for measuring and accepting dry film thickness on blast-cleaned steel.

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• ISO 4624 and ISO 2409

  Adhesion testing: ISO 4624 pull-off and ISO 2409 cross-cut

  The two common ways to test how well a coating is stuck on, and what the results really tell you.

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• NORSOK M-501

  NORSOK M-501: coatings for offshore and marine structures

  The Norwegian offshore coating standard that sets the bar for surface preparation, systems and qualification in the harshest environments.

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• Qualicoat and Qualisteelcoat

  Qualicoat and Qualisteelcoat: quality labels for finishers

  The international quality labels for coatings on aluminium and steel, and what an approved applicator has to prove.

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These guides summarise the standards for general understanding. Always work to the current edition of the standard and the project specification, which take precedence.