By Lisa Sciortino, Managing Editor of CoatingsPro Magazine

Questions arise when a coating fails prematurely or unexpectedly. Learn some of the reasons why service life falls short of expectations and how the contributing factors are identified during “Coating Failure Investigation Workshop — Finding the Cause or Repeating the Failure.”

As part of the 2026 AMPP Annual Conference + Expo at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center, this session is scheduled from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, March 18, in room 372 EF.

Valerie Sherbondy and Julie Glover of KTA-Tator, Inc. will present real-world case histories of coatings failure investigations. Workshop participants will be encouraged to use their knowledge to determine paths that led to the failures and develop data to help identify its cause.  

Discussions will feature information gathered from specifications, field visits, and laboratory testing. Once a failure mode is identified, the conversation will shift to focus on what can be done to prevent repeated failures in the future.  

When examining a coatings failure, investigations ideally should engage all parties involved in a project. Interaction between owners, specification writers, paint manufacturers, and applicators is necessary to achieve successful applications. This workshop highlights the importance of good specifications, proper paint selection, and solid communication in creating successful application outcomes.  

‍