Paint Question

[waterway]

I have a wash in south Florida with a paint problem. The problem is that the local code enforcement seems to think I need to paint over the ceramic tiles on my self-serve walls. I recently cleaned the walls with New Wall cleaner which I thought had done an excellent job, however the village that the car wash is located in has an over zealous code enforcement department that loves to make business owners lives miserable. Any suggestion of what paint to use or how to paint the bay? Everything I read says don't paint ceramic walls if there in a wet area.

 

[Mr. Clean]

Before you spend time researching paint, research the local codes to see where this guy is coming from. The last thing you want to do is to paint walls that will be impossible or very expensive to maintain based on a subjective reaction to aesthetics. How old is the wash? Presumably, it was built to code initially and therefore should remain so or be grandfathered.
Good Luck.
MC

 

[pitzerwm]

I think that I would call a press conference invite the Mayor of your city and hand over the keys to the wash to him. Telling him that when a city can tell you to paint tile walls you are through doing business in that town.

What a bunch of dumb asses. You can bet they voted for the latest administration.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

^LMAO, that's great Bill!

 

[MEP001]

The whole point to ceramic tiles is that they're non-porous. It's just about impossible to get paint to stick to a non-porous surface under the best conditions. You'd have to etch the tiles with something, which of course will ruin them.

 

[robert roman]

I have 3 years of experience as an enforcement agent in Florida. I would avoid the tile painting argument altogther, waste of time.

Instead, provide evidence of compliance.

To my best knowledge, you would have to do something, respond or take action, after you recieve an official notice of alleged violation.

Evidence could be as simple as providing a short letter with your response to the notice that describes how you have complied with the specific code violation.

For example, if the tile walls were included in the permitted conditions when the wash was built, you probably have sufficient evidence to demonstrate that you comply with the code. Etc.

 

[petitemoose]

Gov't

Rational Thought and common sense has no place in government and especially building inspectors and or code enforcement. This being said, You cannot use intelligence or any type of rational thought if you hope to get anywhere. The ONLY thing you can do is beat them with a conflicting statute or let them think they have won by showing compliance or the illusion thereof.
What specifically have you been cited for? If it was dirty walls, take a picture of the clean walls on a bright shiny day and attach a copy of the receipt for the cleaning chemical. If you paid someone to do it for you, attach that as well. If you don't find it, Go to the hearing and ask those seated at the round table what the basis for this citation is and what can be done besides painting the tile walls to bring you into compliance, assuming you aren't exempt in the first place. They will most likely ask the idiot that wrote the citation to prove you are not exempt and then ask what the "out" is. They ask him because they don't know!
Good Luck!