Tank & Water Tower Painting

What we paint

We paint the exterior of aboveground steel storage tanks and water towers in place, without emptying them when possible. Tank painting protects the steel first: roofs hold water, plate seams and welds rust first, and the bottom of the shell stays damp. Painting is part of our industrial and protective coatings, our core business.

• Tank shells: courses, welds, nozzles and manways, bottom course near the foundation.
• Tank roofs: fixed roofs and floating roofs (deck, seals, drains), where water ponds.
• Appurtenances: ladders, spiral stairways, platforms, handrails, pipe supports.
• Fuel and diesel tanks: storage tanks, generator tanks, day tanks.
• Propane tanks: exterior painting of stationary tanks, under the owner's procedures.
• Water and process tanks: fire water, process water, chemicals, silos.
• Water towers: bowl, riser, balcony and support structure.

Tank interiors fall under tank lining. The service is for industrial, commercial and municipal sites only, not residential tanks. Work is carried out by our crews and qualified subcontractors.

Paint systems and when to choose each

The exterior tank coating system is chosen from the site's ISO 12944 corrosivity category, the tank contents and its temperature (ISO 12944 explained). For a water tower, AWWA D102 on coating steel water-storage tanks groups the recognized exterior and interior systems.

• Zinc-rich primer, epoxy, polyurethane: the common system on a blasted exterior steel tank, in industrial atmospheres or near de-icing salts.
• Epoxy and polyurethane without zinc: when full blasting is not possible and power tool cleaning is used.
• Spot primer and full overcoat: when the existing paint is still bonded, on a partly rusted roof or shell.
• High-reflectance finish: on fuel and propane tanks, a light colour limits heating of the contents. The required colour comes from the owner or its insurer.
• Product-resistant system: around fill nozzles, where fuel or product runs down the shell.

For the interior of a water tower or potable water tank, the coating must comply with NSF/ANSI/CAN 61. That work belongs to interior lining, covered on the tank lining page. The thickness of each coat comes from the manufacturer's data sheet and is stated in the quote.

How a tank painting job runs

A tank painting job follows six steps, from the survey to the file handed to the owner.

• Survey: paint condition, rusted areas, roof, appurtenances, access, tank contents and operation, possible lead.
• Technical quote: system coat by coat, preparation grade, access method, containment, planned inspections.
• Preparation: protection of nozzles, vents and instruments, degreasing, blasting to the specified grade, or hydro blasting when dust or salts justify it.
• Application: stripe coat on welds, edges and bolting, then full coats with dew point monitoring.
• Thickness checks: dry film measured to SSPC-PA 2, thin areas recoated.
• Records: readings, data sheets, batch numbers, photos, map of repaired areas.

Inspections, standards and API 653

Paint inspections tie to published standards and are recorded in the file.

• ISO 12944: corrosivity category and system selection.
• AWWA D102: coating systems for steel water-storage tanks, exterior and interior.
• SSPC-SP 6 and SSPC-SP 10: blast cleaning grades depending on the system.
• SSPC-PA 2: dry film thickness measurement.

On a petroleum or fuel tank subject to API 653, the tank inspection belongs to the inspector appointed by the owner. We coordinate the painting with that inspector: areas to blast for thickness readings, plate repairs to complete before painting, a shared schedule. Painting comes after the inspector's findings, not before. For third-party coating inspection, see our coating inspection service.

Access, containment and work in operation

Access and tank operation set the work method; both are settled in the quote.

• Access: lifts for low tanks, scaffolding for heavy repair areas, rope access for tall shells and water towers.
• Containment: tarps and enclosures to hold abrasive and overspray, especially near neighbours and waterways.
• Lead paint: older tanks and water towers often carry it. Removal follows our lead paint removal service.
• Tank in service: exterior painting is often done with the tank full. Blasting near vents and classified areas requires a site work permit and non-sparking methods.
• Gas freeing: when hot work or interior work is planned, the tank is emptied, cleaned and gas-freed under API 2015 before any entry.
• Propane tanks: work follows the owner's and supplier's procedures and the CSA B149.2 code.
• Insulated tanks: corrosion under insulation is dealt with before painting (corrosion under insulation).
• Winter: the steel must stay within the product's application range; large outdoor tanks are mostly painted in season.

Pricing: by quote

Tank painting is priced by quote. Six factors drive it:

• Area: shell, roof and appurtenances, and the height of the tank.
• Condition of the existing paint and presence of lead.
• Preparation grade and system.
• Access: lift, scaffolding or rope.
• Containment required by the site and neighbours.
• Operation: tank full or empty, permits, work window.

Send photos, the tank's diameter and height, its contents and the location with your quote request: we reply within 24 business hours.

Where we work

Induscoat paints tanks and water towers across Quebec and in Ontario, working from LaSalle, Montreal:

• Montreal and Montérégie
• Quebec, for the province as a whole
• Abitibi-Témiscamingue
• Côte-Nord
• Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
• Mauricie–Centre-du-Québec
• Ontario

When exterior painting is not enough

Exterior painting is not enough when corrosion comes from inside or the plates have lost thickness. A leaking bottom, pitting under the roof or a thinned shell first call for the inspector's opinion and plate repairs.

If the problem is inside (aggressive contents, water at the bottom of a fuel tank, potable water), the answer is an interior lining: see industrial tank lining selection. If the plate is attacked locally, rebuilding falls under our maintenance and rehabilitation service. Painting follows, on sound steel.

Typical Problems We Solve

• Rust on tank roofs where water ponds and at plate seams and welds
• Corrosion at the bottom of the shell near the foundation
• Chalked, faded topcoats that no longer reflect heat on fuel and propane tanks
• Old lead-based paint on older tanks and water towers

What You Receive

• Technical quote stating the system coat by coat, preparation grade, access and containment
• Painting coordinated with the owner's API 653 inspector where applicable
• Ambient condition and dry film thickness records per SSPC-PA 2
• Close-out file with data sheets, batch numbers, photos and a map of repaired areas

Timeline

Standards & Certifications

• AWWA D102: coating steel water-storage tanks
• NSF/ANSI/CAN 61: drinking water system components (interior potable water linings)
• API 653: tank inspection, repair, alteration and reconstruction (coordination with the owner's inspector)
• ISO 12944 and SSPC-PA 2: system selection and dry film thickness measurement

Industries We Serve

• Energy and fuel storage: diesel, fuel oil and generator tanks
• Municipalities and water: water towers, potable and fire water tanks
• Mining: process water, reagent and fuel tanks
• Chemical and processing: product tanks, silos and propane storage

Service FAQ

Technical guides

• Industrial tank lining selection
• ISO 12944: corrosivity categories and system selection
• Maintenance painting of steel structures
• Corrosion under insulation (CUI)
• Industrial painting cost: the factors

Related applications

Concrete industrial use cases where this service is applied.