Last month we had an article about Quality Assurance and Quality control and the lack thereof in the industry. The supplier’s responsibility is to train and equip their representatives with the technical knowledge to ensure the correct paints are specified on the substrates to be coated. We came across this interesting article from Deryck Spence, executive director of the SA Paint Manufacturing Association (SAPMA) released by Jan de Beer.
Spence suggests paint contractors, retailers, and sales personnel should ask themselves the following questions to determine if they really are qualified to make a livelihood centered around paint:
* What exactly goes into a can of paint?
* What are the differences between oil-based and water-based paints – and the measures needed when working with these two types of coatings?
* How must substrates be prepared for paint application?
* What paint product is right for a specific job? “All too often, retailers don’t even ask customers what they are buying a can of paint for,” Spence observes.
* Does the customer have the necessary tools and equipment for proper application?
* Is he or she know aware of the need for protective gear when painting?
* As a retailer, can you advise consumers when they are faced with paint blistering, cracking, flaking, chalking, fading, fungal growth, and cheesing? “More importantly, do the suppliers know exactly what all these ailments mean? You cannot help an applicator or property owner solve a paint problem without knowing what it is and what caused it.”
* Do you know what’s important in a paint’s safety data sheets (SDS) – “or have you, as retailer and applicator, even read it?”
Dekro Paints is a member of SAPMA and we take pride in ourselves in the knowledge our representatives and staff have with regards to the coatings we supply.
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