Why Paint and Coatings Matter in Amusement Park Maintenance

The recreational industry is having a major comeback and with that comes the need to protect and maintain its assets. More specifically, amusement parks, theme parks, and water parks, are challenged to maintain their equipment at a high level as they are subject to multiple and ongoing assaults. These can range from extreme weather conditions to exposure to chemicals in the form of acidic soda spills, suntan lotions, and the preservatives in fast foods. This is not to mention that the equipment in these parks are in constant motion which means they are subject to massive wear and tear.

As safety is considered a top priority, proper inspection protocols have become an important part of how parks maintain stringent safety standards. High on the list of safety measures is the control of equipment corrosion. NACE International has developed a Coating Inspector Program and partners with the amusement parks and attractions industry to perform effective visual inspections that enable the identification, repair, and prevention of corrosion.

Addressing Corrosion in Amusement Park Equipment

What, then, is the first line of defense against corrosion on amusement and theme park rides and attractions? If your answer is paints and coatings, you are now the winner of a gigantic teddy bear! Painting and coating is the answer to repairing and preventing corrosion but its application must be efficient in order to provide a very high level of protection and high-quality aesthetics. It also needs to offer a finish that simplifies the cleaning and maintenance of equipment, as well as have the ability to meet health, safety, and environmental standards.

There are, however, various challenges when properly painting and coating recreational parks. For one, amusement park rides are designed to be highly vibrant and attractive so they may be painted in different colors and have multiple substrates present within a single attraction. In many cases each substrate requires different types of coatings—and different preparation and application procedures. The level of complexity magnifies even further for water rides because they are constantly exposed to wet and humid conditions.

Coating solutions designed to address amusement park challenges

Manufactures have developed paint systems designed for specific areas and substrates. They are creating these with the proper combination of surface preparation, paint products, and application, as all three elements play an important role in achieving the highest and most economical performance of paints and finishes for theme parks. These paint systems offer durable coatings with exceptional quality and color retention in high gloss and matte finishes designed to provide long-lasting protection with low environmental impact. Today, contractors have available to them a wide range of products that makes it possible to develop solutions for almost every conceivable application that exists in amusement and theme parks.

It’s important to note that choosing the right system for a given substrate and certain exposure conditions is crucial but not sufficient. Proper surface preparation and application are just as important. For this reason amusement park operators should only hire contractors that have experience in the amusement industry because of all the unique knowledge that’s required when maintaining rides. Alpine’s dedicated team of professionals has worked for decades in this field and has acquired hundreds of hours of experience in coating, painting, and rigging for site access, among many other skill sets unique to the amusement park industry.