The paint systems used on all UniCote® products are highly durable and decorative finishes.
Simple maintenance of these finishes by regularly washing with fresh or collected rain water will enhance the service life of the product, and help maintain good appearance over time. It is good practice to establish a regular routine for washing UniCote® steel products (water restrictions permitting – check with your local council). This is particularly important on “unwashed areas” on applications that are sheltered from general rain washing. Condensation can also be absorbed by the dust and dirt that build up in these areas, leading to dissolution of potentially aggressive compounds that may initiate corrosion. This effect is exacerbated in the vicinity of any salt marine influence, where any build-up will also include marine salts and/or other pollutants (e.g. industrial fall out).
For these reasons, regular cleaning of UniCote® steel products in unwashed areas is essential to prolong service life. Examples of applications requiring cleaning include, but are not limited to, fascia, wall cladding under eaves, garage doors, and the underside of eave gutters, carports and patios. Washing should be done six monthly as a minimum, or three monthly in locations such as coastal areas where marine salt spray is prevalent, or in areas where high levels of airborne dust/dirt or industrial fallout occur.
In cases where regular maintenance using fresh water does not remove all dirt from the surface of the product, the surface can be washed with a mild solution of pure soap or non-abrasive dish washing kitchen detergent in warm water. Washing should be conducted with a sponge, soft cloth or soft bristle nylon brush (no abrasive scourers, steel wool etc.), and be performed gently to reduce the possibility of scuffing the product surface.
NOTE: Selection Steel does not recommend the use of hard, mineral rich ground waters (e.g. bore water) in the maintenance of coated steels.
We do not recommend the use of touch-up paint on any roofing and/or cladding products. Air-drying touch-up paints have different weathering characteristics to the oven cured, baked-on finish of pre-painted coating systems that are used during the UniCote® manufacturing process. Over time, touch up paints will fade differently to the UniCote® material, producing a differential and unacceptable aesthetic appearance.
It is important to also note that the overpainting of UniCote® steel will void any warranties issued by Selection Steel.
In terms of repair, the general recommendation is that if a scratch is obviously visible from 2m under normal lighting conditions, then the sheeting should be replaced. If these are not visible from this distance then they should be left alone. Minor surface scratches become less noticeable as the coating weathers, and will not affect the corrosion inhibiting properties of the material. Widespread damage caused by rough handling or accident should not be corrected by repainting but by replacement of the affected material.
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UniCote® is a registered trade mark of Selection Steel.