Calgary industrial coatings — surface prep through manufacturer-warranted application
Epoxy warehouse floor systems, polyurethane structural steel top-coats, specialty secondary containment coatings — applied to Sherwin-Williams Protective, Sika and Tnemec manufacturer specification. Surface prep is the largest cost component and the largest determinant of coating life; we don't take shortcuts on prep or cure time. Plant-downtime-aware scheduling for production environments. Custom per-project proposal.
Epoxy floor coatings are the most-applied system — warehouse floors, light-manufacturing bays, food-grade facilities, automotive service bays, distribution centre floors. Applied 2-4mm thick depending on traffic profile (foot-traffic light, forklift-traffic heavy, racking-load points heaviest). Chemical-resistant to common workplace contaminants (oils, hydraulic fluid, light acids), abrasion-resistant to forklift wheel and pallet drag, available with slip-resistant aggregate additives for safety compliance. Typical scope $8-$25/sqft installed depending on system thickness and finish.
Polyurethane top-coats are applied over epoxy base systems for UV-stable structural steel and exposed concrete. Polyurethane resists the yellower-tone shift that bare epoxy develops under sunlight; longer service life than epoxy alone in exterior environments. Common applications: exterior structural building steel, bridge components, exposed exterior concrete walls, industrial equipment with sun exposure. Polyurethane adds 30-50% to bare epoxy cost but doubles service life in UV environments.
Specialty containment coatings handle chemical storage, fuel pads, transfer stations and similar secondary containment areas. Chemical-impervious lining meeting Alberta Environment secondary containment standards. Application is more demanding than floor or structural work — multi-coat systems with strict cure times between coats, mandatory inspection sign-off at each stage. The premium is justified for the regulatory compliance and the chemical-spill containment that the coating provides. Pair this page with industrial pressure washing for the broader industrial service line and sealing services for related protective surface treatments.
Pre-bid through manufacturer sign-off — surface prep is the load-bearing phase
Pre-bid walk + scope definition
Site walk with plant engineer or facilities lead. Substrate assessment, coating system recommendation, manufacturer specification confirmed, schedule proposed around plant downtime windows.
Surface prep (60-70% of project)
High-pressure water blast, mechanical grinding to surface profile, vacuum, moisture testing. Substrate readiness signed off before any coating goes down.
Coating application to manufacturer spec
Multi-coat system applied per written procedure. Each coat thickness verified with wet-film gauge. Cure time observed between coats.
Bad prep voids warranty and shortens life — the savings aren't real
Surface prep is 60-70% of any industrial coating project's cost and time. The temptation across the industry is to cut prep time to save labour cost — but cutting prep voids the manufacturer warranty (you're now wearing the warranty risk) and dramatically shortens coating life. A floor coating rated for 10 years over proper prep typically delivers 3-4 years over inadequate prep, with delamination starting in high-traffic zones within 18-24 months. The 'savings' from cutting prep show up as a complete recoat 6-7 years sooner than necessary.
The prep specification depends on the substrate. Concrete: high-pressure water blast (3,500-4,000 PSI) for surface contamination removal, alkaline degreaser for any oil-saturated zones, mechanical grinding to achieve manufacturer-specified surface profile (typically CSP 3-5 per ICRI standards), final vacuum to remove all dust, moisture testing to confirm substrate readiness (concrete moisture above the manufacturer's spec causes coating bubble and delamination). Steel: SSPC SP-3 to SP-10 abrasive blast prep depending on the service environment — light prep for interior climate-controlled, near-white blast for exterior or chemical-service.
Hartford treats prep as the load-bearing project phase — over-resourced compared to other contractors precisely because that's where coating life is made or lost. The proposal line-itemises prep separately from coating so plant management sees what they're paying for. Cure time after application is the second non-negotiable: foot traffic 24-48 hours, full service 5-7 days. Cutting cure time creates premature wear that voids warranty. Pair this page with industrial pressure washing for the standalone surface-prep service line.
Written quotesPricing
Annual + as-neededCadence
Hartford industrial coatingsWhat you get
Related industrial services
Six services that pair with Calgary industrial coatings
Surface prep is the largest pairing; standalone industrial cleaning often precedes coating projects.
Five questions about coating systems, surface prep, warehouse and structural, cure time, and manufacturer warranties.
Three main systems. Epoxy floor coatings for warehouse and light-industrial floors — chemical-resistant, abrasion-resistant, applied 2-4mm thick for forklift-traffic durability. Polyurethane top-coats over epoxy for UV-stable exterior structural steel and exposed concrete — yellower-tone-resistant in sunlight, longer service life than bare epoxy. Specialty containment coatings for secondary containment areas (chemical storage, fuel pads, transfer stations) — chemical-impervious lining meeting Alberta Environment secondary containment standards. We work with major coating manufacturers (Sherwin-Williams Protective, Sika, Tnemec) on systems warranted to those manufacturers' specifications.
Substantial — surface prep is 60-70% of any industrial coating project's cost and time, and the largest determinant of coating life. Standard prep for warehouse floor concrete: high-pressure water blast (3,500-4,000 PSI) to remove surface contamination, alkaline degreaser pre-treatment for any oil-saturated zones, mechanical grinding to achieve manufacturer-specified surface profile (typically CSP 3-5 per ICRI standards), final vacuum to remove all dust, moisture testing to confirm substrate readiness. For structural steel: SSPC SP-3 to SP-10 abrasive blast prep depending on service environment. Prep cost is folded into the project total but is the largest line item.
Yes — both are core service lines. Warehouse floor: high-traffic logistics warehouses, light manufacturing, food-grade facilities, automotive service bays. Typical scope $8-$25 per square foot installed depending on coating system, prep requirements, and finish complexity (slip-resistant additives, line-painting integration, decorative aggregate). Structural steel: bridge components, industrial equipment, exterior building steel, secondary containment grating. Typical scope priced per square foot of steel surface area with surface prep complexity (rust grade) as the major variable.
Cure time varies by system but typically: epoxy floor 24-48 hours to foot traffic, 5-7 days to full forklift/equipment service. Polyurethane top-coat 12-24 hours to foot traffic, 48-72 hours to full service. Specialty containment coatings 7-14 days to chemical exposure depending on the manufacturer's specification. Plant downtime planning is part of the proposal — Hartford typically schedules coating work in plant shutdown windows (annual turnarounds, weekend service breaks) to minimise production impact. For phased work where part of the floor stays operational, we coordinate barricading and traffic management.
Yes, when applied to manufacturer specification — which is part of why we work with major manufacturers (Sherwin-Williams Protective, Sika, Tnemec) and follow their written application procedures. Standard manufacturer warranties run 5-10 years on epoxy systems, 10-15 years on polyurethane top-coats over properly prepped epoxy, varies on specialty containment depending on chemical service. The warranty is between you and the manufacturer; Hartford's role is correct application to spec (we provide manufacturer-recognised inspection sign-off after application). Failure to follow spec voids the warranty — which is why we don't take shortcuts on prep or cure time.
Calgary industrial coatings clients
What plant engineers and facilities leads say
★★★★★4.9· 75 reviews on Google
★★★★★
Warehouse floor epoxy on 18,000 sqft logistics facility. Hartford line-itemised the prep separately from the coating — first time I'd seen a contractor be upfront about why prep dominates the cost. Five years in, zero delamination.
Plant Engineer
Calgary · NE Industrial
★★★★★
Secondary containment coating on a chemical transfer station. Alberta Environment-compliant system, manufacturer inspection sign-off, full warranty paperwork. Smooth project, no shortcuts on cure time.
Facilities Director
Calgary · Foothills Industrial
★★★★★
Structural steel polyurethane top-coat on exterior building steel. UV-stable as promised — three years on, still the original colour. Hartford ran the work during our annual shutdown window so no production impact.
Maintenance Manager
Calgary · SE Industrial
★★★★★
Forklift-traffic warehouse epoxy with slip-resistant additives and line-painting integration. Hartford coordinated with the line-painting contractor so the colours and layout matched our racking layout exactly. Zero punch-list items.
Logistics Manager
Calgary · NE distribution centre
Industrial coatings proposal
Request a per-project proposal with surface prep line-itemised
Site walk with plant engineer or facilities lead, substrate assessment, coating system recommendation, manufacturer specification confirmation, schedule proposed around plant downtime. Proposal separates surface prep cost from coating cost so you see what you're paying for.
