The Inspector Isn't Holding You Up

The Wet Edge, No. 011. Short field notes for coating crews.

Nobody likes waiting on the inspector with a crew on the clock. But a hold point isn't the inspector slowing you down. It's the owner agreeing that the step you just finished is done.

Most coating specs list them: surface prep before the primer goes on, each coat before the next, and holiday testing before a lining goes into service. Once a hold point is signed off, that work is accepted. Skip it, and you're coating over something nobody agreed to.

Think of a signed hold point as a receipt. If a failure shows up two years later and there's no record the prep passed, the argument starts with your crew. With a signature and your own readings, it usually ends there.

The practical move: at the pre-job meeting, get the hold points and the notice times in writing. Keep your own daily log of surface temperature, dew point, humidity, WFT and DFT, even with an inspector on site. Call for the inspection before the crew needs it, not once they're standing around. And when an inspector flags something, fix it or get the disagreement on paper. Don't just coat over it.

Bottom line

A signed hold point is a receipt for work accepted. Get them in writing up front, call for them early, and keep your own readings every day.

Further reading: Your project's coating specification, inspection and hold point sections.

Talk to a consultant. Questions on a job? Atlantic Coating Consultants supports contractors in PA, NJ, DE, MD, DC, WV and OH with product recommendations, field support and crew training. Call 484-644-5303 or email atlantic@tnemec.com.