Veracruz, Mexico – 2013 Recoating an Operational Gas Line Without Shutdown

In 2013, we headed to Veracruz, Mexico to tackle a challenging rehabilitation project involving 20” and 30” operational gas lines.

The issue? A failing external coal tar epoxy (CTE) coating on an active pipeline.

The constraint?
The customer could not shut the line down.

Anyone who has worked around gas transmission lines understands the physics at play.

A cool gas line operating in a warm, humid coastal environment like Veracruz is practically guaranteed to sweat. Once the deteriorated coal tar epoxy was removed, significant condensation formed on the pipe surface.

That immediately eliminated several conventional recoating options:

• Traditional two-part epoxies

• Standard liquid paints

• Systems requiring abrasive blasting and a defined anchor profile

These products demand dry surfaces and controlled conditions. This project had neither.

The solution would need to be:

• Water tolerant

• Able to displace moisture

• Applied without complex equipment

• Installed safely on an active line

The Approved Solution: Stopaq Wrappingband WSH

The system submitted—and ultimately approved—was Stopaq Wrappingband WSH.

WSH is a fascinating viscoelastic coating technology designed specifically for difficult surface conditions.

Why It Worked

1. Water Displacement Technology
WSH actively displaces surface moisture during application. Instead of fighting condensation, it works with it—pushing water away from the steel and bonding directly to the substrate.

2. Minimal Surface Preparation
The pipe surface only needed to be free of loose materials.
No abrasive blasting.
No anchor profile requirement.

3. Simple Application
The system is applied by hand.
No plural-component pumps.
No spray rigs.
No specialized curing equipment.

Hand tension is all that’s required when installing the outerwrap.

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The Result

• No shutdown

• No production loss

• No sandblasting

• No complex logistics

Just a practical, field-applied solution that restored corrosion protection while the line remained fully operational.

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Projects like this highlight an important lesson: sometimes the right solution isn’t the most complicated one. It’s the one designed for the real-world conditions you’re actually facing.

In Veracruz, that meant choosing a coating system that could handle moisture, humidity, and live operation—without compromise.

 

Stopaq Splash Zone Success: An Italian Case Study in Long-Term Pile Rehabilitation

Today we’re looking at a fascinating long-term case study from Italy involving the rehabilitation and recoating of marine piles. (I’ve only had the chance to visit Italy once—but it is one of my favorite places!)

This project began in 2012 and continued for years, ultimately rehabilitating hundreds upon hundreds of pilings. What makes this story especially compelling is not just the scale—but the environment.

Anyone who works around marine infrastructure knows the splash zone is one of the most punishing environments a coating system can face.

Constant wet-dry cycling.

Salt exposure.

UV radiation.

Mechanical impact.

Cathodic protection influence.

In this case, the client was experiencing coating failures within just six weeks of application. The primary culprits were:

• Impressed current interference

• Salt entrapment

• Coating cracking

That kind of rapid failure doesn’t just create maintenance headaches—it drives up lifecycle costs and undermines confidence in the entire protection system.

Before any new coating system was installed, the piles were prepared using high-pressure waterjetting.

This step is critical in marine rehabilitation. Proper surface prep removes salts and contaminants without embedding additional debris into the steel surface—an essential factor when previous failures were partially attributed to salt entrapment.

The rehabilitation utilized products from Stopaq, specifically:

• Wrappingband WSH

• Outerwrap

• Wrappingband CZH

• Outerglass Shield XT

One particularly noteworthy detail: Wrappingband WSH can be applied underwater. That capability dramatically increases installation flexibility and reduces downtime in tidal or continuously wet environments.

Because the project extended over many years, the client had the opportunity to inspect performance across multiple seasons and service cycles.

What stood out?

Flexibility.

In the splash zone, rigid coatings often fail because they cannot tolerate movement, thermal cycling, or mechanical stress. A system that maintains flexibility while continuing to seal against moisture ingress has a significant advantage.

Over time—and across hundreds of rehabilitated pilings—the system demonstrated durability in an environment where previous coatings had failed in weeks.

That kind of field validation speaks louder than any datasheet.

This wasn’t a short-term test patch. It was an ongoing rehabilitation program. The ability to observe performance over years provided meaningful confidence in the system’s durability.

Marine pile rehabilitation is expensive, disruptive, and complex. When a solution proves itself in the splash zone, that’s worth sharing.

If anyone from Stopaq Italy would like to add technical insights or additional field details, please feel free—real-world case studies like this are invaluable to the industry.

 

Stopaq Wrappingband

 Stopaq Wrappingband: The Best Option You’re Probably Not Using (Yet)

If you’ve never used Stopaq Wrappingband on a project, there’s a very good chance you already have applications where it wouldn’t just work—it would be the best possible choice.

Wrappingband often gets overlooked, not because it lacks performance, but because many teams are accustomed to more traditional coating systems. When you step back and look at real-world jobsite conditions—time, labor, surface prep, and shutdown constraints—Wrappingband starts to make a lot of sense.

Why Wrappingband Works So Well

Stopaq Wrappingband was designed to simplify coating work without compromising long-term protection. Some of its key advantages include:

• Minimal surface preparation required
  No sandblasting, no extensive prep—clean and dry is often enough.

• No anchor pattern needed
  Unlike many conventional coatings, Wrappingband does not rely on surface profiling to perform.

• Excellent adhesion
  Bonds to the vast majority of substrates and existing coatings, even on irregular geometries.

• No creep, no cracking
  The visco-elastic nature of Stopaq allows it to remain stable and flexible over time.

• Wide temperature range
  Available options perform from -45°C (-49°F) up to 95°C (203°F), covering nearly any environment.

• Real cost savings
  When you factor in reduced labor, shorter shutdowns, and eliminated blasting and scaffolding, total installed cost is often significantly lower.

Where Wrappingband Excels

Wrappingband is not a niche solution—it’s a highly versatile one. It performs exceptionally well in applications such as:

• Field joints

• Risers

• Rehabilitation projects

• Elbows, tees, and bends

• Reducers and complex geometries

These are exactly the areas where traditional coatings struggle due to access, shape, or schedule constraints.

A Smarter Way to Protect Pipe

The reality is simple: Stopaq Wrappingband is an outstanding coating option for many pipeline and plant applications. It delivers long-term corrosion protection while reducing installation complexity and total project cost.

If you’re curious where Wrappingband might fit into your projects, we’d be happy to talk it through. Let’s set up a call or a lunch-and-learn and explore some real-world use cases.

Stopaq - Groundbreaking Solutions

 STOPAQ Saves the Day (and a bunch of labor hours!)

     A refinery operating in severe environmental conditions was facing frequent coating maintenance — a costly and time-consuming issue. The site’s traditional coating system had to be rehabilitated roughly every five years due to weather exposure, application limitations, and corrosion failures caused by extreme C5-I and C5-M environments. Each maintenance cycle required substantial labor, heavy logistics, and downtime planning, creating both safety and cost challenges.

     To address these ongoing problems, the refinery turned to Stopaq, a proven visco elastic coating system designed for long-term corrosion prevention in even the harshest industrial environments. Stopaq’s visco elastic technology offered a simple, reliable way to rehabilitate the coating system without disrupting the refinery process.

     The Stopaq solution eliminated many of the most time- and cost-intensive steps. There was no need for blasting, tarping, or surface conditioning, and no requirement for high-power diesel generators, compressors, or heaters — meaning no emissions, no complex logistics, and far fewer safety risks. Because Stopaq is a single-component, non-aging, VOC-free coating, it also reduced the need for extensive PPE and breathing equipment. With no abrasive media to handle, scaffolding loads were lighter and worksite efficiency improved.

     In addition to safety and environmental benefits, productivity increased dramatically. The Stopaq visco elastic coating could be applied quickly in a wide range of climatic conditions, reducing downtime and cleanup while leaving no hazardous waste behind.

     The plant successfully restored its coating system integrity, reduced maintenance frequency, and improved long-term performance — all without affecting the refinery’s ongoing operations. Stopaq provided a durable, easy-to-apply, and environmentally friendly corrosion protection solution that continues to perform under the most severe conditions.

Stocked STOPAQ Products (part 1)

STOPAQ Product - IN STOCK - SAME DAY SHIPPING

(part 1)

     As mentioned previously, Joint Specialists is thrilled to announce a new partnership agreement giving us access to the STOPAQ product line.  A natural fit along with Powercrete, Covalence and JSI's own BBS bumper system for bundled road bores.  Over the next few days, I'll be giving a brief overview over the products we will be stocking. Below is simply part 1!  If you happen to have a STOPAQ need and would like to have a stock available to you for fast shipping; let us know.  Stocking and Staging products for projects is right in our wheelhouse.  

Stopaq Wrappingband CZH 100mm x 10m

Wrappingband CZH sold as a roll; 4" wide by 33 feet long

Stopaq® Wrappingband CZH is a corrosion preventing wrap material adhering extremely well to steel and plant applied pipeline coatings like PE, PP and FBE.  

Stopaq Wrappingband CZH 300mm x 10m

Wrappingband CZH sold as a roll; 12" wide by 33 feet long

Stopaq® Wrappingband CZH is a corrosion preventing wrap material adhering extremely well to steel and plant applied pipeline coatings like PE, PP and FBE.  

Stopaq Wrappingband CZHT 100mm x 10m

High Temp Wrappingband 4"x33ft Roll

Stopaq® Wrappingband CZHT is a high temperature corrosion preventing wrap material adhering extremely well to steel and plant applied pipeline coatings like PP, Liquid Epoxies and FBE. It is very suitable for use on buried and immersed pipes, for use on pipes and risers in offshore atmospheric conditions, and for use on pipes susceptible for corrosion under insulation. 

Stopaq Wrappingband CZHT 300mm x 10m

High Temp Wrappingband 12"x33ft Roll

Stopaq® Wrappingband CZHT is a high temperature corrosion preventing wrap material adhering extremely well to steel and plant applied pipeline coatings like PP, Liquid Epoxies and FBE. It is very suitable for use on buried and immersed pipes, for use on pipes and risers in offshore atmospheric conditions, and for use on pipes susceptible for corrosion under insulation. 

Stopaq Outerwrap Flex PE 50mm x 30m Black

Outerwrap PE - 2" x 100 feet

 Stopaq® Outerwrap Flex PE is a flexible tape that is used for the mechanical protection of Stopaq® corrosion preventative coating systems for buried and submerged pipelines that further comprise Stopaq® Wrappingband CZ or Stopaq® Wrappingband CZH. It is made of a flexible Polyethylene backing and a heavy duty adhesive. It has good adhesion to the outer surface of Stopaq® Wrappingband as well as to its own backing, even when operated at its maximum service temperature for long time. It also provides good resistance to impact and indentation to the complete Stopaq® coating system. 

Stopaq Outerwrap Flex PE 100mm x 30m Black

Outerwrap PE - 4" x 100 feet

Stopaq® Outerwrap Flex PE is a flexible tape that is used for the mechanical protection of Stopaq® corrosion preventative coating systems for buried and submerged pipelines that further comprise Stopaq® Wrappingband CZ or Stopaq® Wrappingband CZH

Stopaq Wrappingband WSH 100mm x 9m

4" x 30ft WSH for Wet Surfaces!

Stopaq Wrappingband WSH is a corrosion preventing wrap material that is especially designed for application on wet and submerged  tubular objects, and it can also be applied on dry substrates. It adheres very well to bare steel and existing  coatings. 

Stopaq Outerglass Shield 150mm x 20m

Curable Composite 6" x 60 ft

Stopaq® Outerglass Shield is a composite wrap material consisting of a glass-fibre fabric impregnated with a solvent free moisture curing polyurethane resin. 

     If you have an upcoming project, please reach out so that we can discuss!  steve@jsicoatings.com

Stopaq Viscoelastic

 Stopaq Viscoelastic Material

Stopaq Wrappingband

     Joint Specialists is pleased to announce that our decades long partnership with Seal for Life Industries is expanding to include the Stopaq product line, effective immediately.  We are bringing in a stock of material this week; but ask your patience in the months ahead as we learn exactly what product and inventory levels are required to support the US market.  As you may know, the Stopaq product line is incredibly versatile with excellent corrosion prevention solutions for many US markets; including O&G, Marine, Downstream, Tank Chime Repair, Cooling Towers, and virtually any market where corrosion prevention and leak sealing are needed. 

     Adding Stopaq to Joint Specialists' already deep line of corrosion prevention and substrate protection products is going to be a great fit.  Adding this product line to Powercrete J, Powercrete R65/F1, Powercrete R95, DIRAX, WPCT, WPC100M and JSI's own line of BBS bumper materials that are used to protect pipelines during bundled pipeline road bores gives JSI yet another tool in our belt to help our customers solve challenging corrosion problems.

     As a starting point, we will stock 13 Stopaq products. We have plans place to expand into the rest of the product line, eventually having most products available for expedited shipping.  Our goal is:  100% of orders shipping out same day (if needed).

     If you have an upcoming project where Powercrete, Stopaq, Covalence may apply; please reach out immediately.  In addition, if you will be involved in a bundled road bore; we have the best product on the market for that.  I look forward to hearing from you!

steve@jsicoatings.com                                                                                                         936/321-3333