TMI Coatings Blog

A food manufacturer in Minnesota recently hired TMI Coatings to remove the existing paint from the ceiling of their plant.  They wanted to remove the existing paint, which was chipping, peeling and flaking.  The first step was to protect the sensitive equipment, including fragile gauges and electronic control panel boxes. The team used CO₂ to blast the ceiling using dry ice particles, an air compressor and a dry ice machine.

CO₂ blasting is often used to remove  loose and flaking paint or simply to clean a substrate without damage to delicate parts such as gauges, control panel boxes, or lights.  With CO₂ blasting, there is no need to use additional chemicals for the cleaning. Dry ice blasting is safe and adds no moisture/water to the area being prepared. For this project, the clean up consisted of paint chips only. The dry ice evaporated and the chips, dirt and grime came off in a powder form, allowing for quick cleanup.  There is almost no secondary waste to clean up and dispose of when CO₂ blasting.

In another area of the plant, the TMI team applied a unique food grade approved elastomer coating to encapsulate the existing flaking paint and to provide a more sanitary food preparation area.

TMI Coatings Team

TMI Coatings recently installed cementitious urethane flooring at a fully automated, state-of-the-art frozen vegetable processing facility in Minnesota.

The existing epoxy flooring in the plant was peeling and flaking.  The Operations Manager said that he didn’t think the epoxy flooring was the right material for the environment.  They have cementitious urethane flooring in other areas of the plant and it was working well. Cementitious urethane flooring is commonly used in areas exposed to high temperatures. Additional benefits of this type of flooring include easy maintenance and superior chemical resistance.

To prepare the floor, we used hand-held grinders with vacuum attachments and vacuum steel shotblasted the floor.  After the floor was prepared, the crew installed a 45-degree cant at the floor/wall juncture around the perimeter of the room, followed by the cementitious urethane flooring system at approximately ¼” thickness.  This heavy-duty industrial floor topping is trowel applied and is resistant to impact, heat and thermal shock.  Call TMI today to provide a competitive quote to refurbish your plant floor.

The TMI Coatings Team

TMI Coatings recently repaired and coated a 6’ wide x 38’ high brick chimney for Shapco Printing in Minneapolis, MN which is located blocks from the new Twins stadium.   After relocating all vehicles to avoid damage from any possible overspray, we removed any loose, disbonded bricks on the top of the chimney. The team tuckpointed the areas that were missing mortar. After routing out any loose, disbonded mortar, we replaced those areas with new mortar.

After the repairs to the chimney were complete, we applied a two-coat system to the entire area. The first coat is a chalky surface primer followed by a top coat of an elastomeric waterproof coating. With the coating completed the final step was to install the Shapco logo and the letters in their name to each side of the chimney.

Completed Chimney Repair and Re-Coating at Shapco Printing

The TMI Coatings Team

TMI Coatings, Inc. has teamed up with Cargill Deicing Technology and is an approved installer for their SafeLane® surface overlay product .

The SafeLane® HDX product is a surface overlay designed for increased safety and infrastructure protection. This two-coat polymer epoxy significantly reduces ice and frost formation on surfaces while protecting infrastructure from corrosion and chloride intrusion.  the SafeLane® technology creates an anti-skid surface that helps prevent slips and falls.  SafeLane® overlay helps prevent slippery conditions by storing and releasing anti-icing liquids.

The SafeLane® CA-48 product offers the same benefits as the traditional SafeLane® in a 50% smaller profile for use on sidewalks, parking decks, parking ramps, and pedestrian walkways.

SafeLane® surface overlay has a proven track record and, in most cases, installation can be completed in one day. The SafeLane® products complement the current TMI product line and allow TMI to offer even more advanced products to their customer base. Many of the TMI jobs are parking decks, flooring and outdoor areas and the SafeLane® product is the perfect solution for increased safety and surfaces that are more durable.

Tracy Gliori, CEO of TMI Coatings, is pleased to offer their customers SafeLane® surface overlay, with the reputation of Cargill Deicing Technology and the experience of TMI Coatings, as a solution for reducing ice or frost formation.

TMI Coatings Team

A correctional facility in the Midwest was experiencing problems with their entryway floors and stairwells in one of the buildings housing their inmates.  Snow, water and mud tracked into the entryways resulted in making these areas extremely slippery. They looked to TMI Coatings for a solution.

Our TMI team applied a traffic deck coating with aggregate incorporated for a slip resistant finish. After preparing the existing surfaces, the team applied CHEM-RESIST Traffic Deck Coating over the existing terrazzo. Because the correctional facility is highly secure, TMI worked with the facility staff and developed a schedule to accommodate the facility; we were able to complete the work during weekend evenings.

The evaluation received from the facility was excellent in all categories and included the following comment regarding TMI’s work for them.

“Your company has excellent staff at all levels and we have already made recommendations to other state facilities”.

TMI Coatings Team

TMI Coatings recently completed roof coating work at a Co-Op facility in North Dakota.  The roof areas were leaking, corroding and in need of repair.

The team began by pressure washing the roof and abrading rusty areas using stiff bristle brooms.  When the prep was complete, the project team applied a urethane elastomer coating around all seams and penetrations to provide a watertight seal. The team then coated the entire roof with a premium grade asphalt based aluminum roofing material, comprised of asphaltic oils, fiber reinforcement and aluminum pigment. The coating reflects heat and prevents corrosion. TMI provided a long term leakproof and rustproof warranty on this job.

When asked to provide feedback on the job, the customer said, “Crew was prompt and tidy and explained what they were going to do and what to do after their completion.  Thank you.”

For the 6th consecutive year, TMI rode in the MS150 bike ride from Duluth to the Twin Cities.

The ride found the team starting their trip early morning in the fog, biking on trails all day until reaching Hinckley late afternoon.  The second day was spent riding on trails, through neighborhoods and beside Forest Lake and White Bear Lake.

This year 3,400 riders raised $2.5 million for Bike MS.  Donations help raise awareness, fund MS research and support programs for nearly 10,000 people affected in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

Start Line for the MS150 Twin Cities Bike Ride

Ben and Heather after biking 150 miles.

Join TMI’s team the second weekend in June.  The hard work is worth the reward.

TMI Coatings, Inc., received national re-certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC), a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC).

WBENC’s national standard of certification implemented by the WBDC is a meticulous process including an in-depth review of the business and site inspection. The certification process is designed to confirm the business is at least 51% owned, operated and controlled by a woman or women.

By including women-owned businesses among their vendors, corporations and government agencies demonstrate their commitment to fostering diversity and the continued development of their supplier/vendor diversity programs.

The TMI Coatings Team

TMI Coatings was contracted to prepare interior and exterior surfaces of two tanks and the structural steel frames around the tanks. Our customer had concerns about dust and paint chips traveling to adjacent rooms. We used poly to section off areas to reduce this risk and installed ground covering.

The TMI team mechanically abraded the tanks and structural steel using hand-held grinders with vacuum attachments to minimize the dust. We then installed a black urethane elastomer lining, which is suitable for CIP and cooling tower water, on the interior of the tanks. Finally, we applied an epoxy on the exterior of the tanks and on the structural steel.

The project team was able to successfully complete the project within a very tight time frame to comply with the owner’s schedule.

The TMI Coatings Team

TMI Coatings received a contract award to remove and encapsulate the existing lead based paint on block walls and a wooden ceiling inside of a food plant.  Our crews receive specific training for lead removal and abatement. We submitted a lead program to the owner’s representative before beginning the project.

To collect all hazardous chips and ensure that any lead dust would not escape from the room where the crew was working TMI hung poly over doors and around the perimeter of the site and installed ground cover. Then we prepared surfaces using grinders with proper vacuum attachments. The project team collected all chips, vacuumed all dust and disposed of all debris daily.

Below are pictures taken at the site showing a portion of the wall and ceiling prior to work and the completed project.

This project was scheduled during a critical plant shutdown and completed on time. The customer was very happy with TMI’s workmanship and safety.

TMI Coatings Team