Steel Structures Painting Council Specs

These surface preparation specifications are made available from the Steel Structures Painting Council. Click the logo on the left to visit their web site.



      SSPC-SP-1 - SOLVENT CLEANING
Solvent Cleaning is a method for removing all visible oil, grease, soil, drawing and cutting compounds, and other soluble surface contaminants. It is intended that solvent cleaning be used prior to the application of paint and in conjunction with surface preparation methods for the removal of rust, mill scale, or paint. Prior to solvent cleaning, remove any heavy deposits of oil, grease, etc., with a scraper. Remove remaining oil, grease, etc., by wiping/scrubbing the surface with rags or brushes wetted with solvent. It is important that the final wash/rinse be made with clean rags/brushes and solvent so that a film of oil/grease, etc., won’t be left on the surface when the solvent evaporates.

      SSPC-SP-2 - HAND TOOL CLEANING
Surface preparation before and after Hand-Tool Cleaning entails that you follow SSPC-SP-1. Remove all loose mill scale, loose rust and other detrimental foreign matter with non-power hand tools. Under SSPC-SP-2 it is not intended that adherent mill scale, rust, and paint be removed by this process. Mill scale, rust, and paint are considered adherent if they cannot be removed by lifting with a dull putty knife. “Feather” edges of all remaining adherent material so that the repainted surface can have a reasonably smooth surface.

      SSPC-SP-3 - POWER TOOL CLEANING
Surface preparation before and after “Power-Tool Cleaning” entails that you follow SSPC-SP-1. Remove all loose mill scale, loose rust and other detrimental foreign matter with power assisted hand tools. Caution: Care is necessary in order to prevent any excess roughening of the surface. See remaining discussion under SSPC-SP-2 “Hand-Tool Cleaning”

      SSPC-SP-5/NACE No. 1 - WHITE-METAL BLAST CLEANING
A white metal blast cleaned surface is free of all visible oil, grease, dirt, dust, mill scale, rust, oxides, corrosion products, paint, and other foreign matter. SSPC-SP-5 will result in the highest performance of a paint system since all surface contamination is completely removed. SSPC-SP-5 should be conducted at a time when no contamination or rusting will occur, and when prompt painting is possible. A good rule of thumb: no more surfaces should be blasted than can be painted within the same day.

      SSPC-SP-6/NACE No. 3 - COMMERCIAL BLAST CLEANING
Same as SSPC-SP-5 with the exception that stains from the removed rust and other surface contaminants are not completely removed. In addition, the surface will not necessarily be uniform in color as it would under SSPC-SP-5.

      SSPC-SP-7/NACE No. 4 - BRUSH-OFF BLAST
A brush-off blast cleaned surface, shall be free of all visible oil, grease, dirt, dust, loose mil scale, loose rust, and loose paint. Tightly adherent surface matter (including rust, mill scale, and paint) may remain. Caution: Not intended for surfaces subject to severe conditions.

      SSPC-SP-10/NACE No. 2 - NEAR-WHITE BLAST
Same as SSPC-SP-6 with the exception that any staining which remains should be “minimal and occur uniformly over the surface;” not be concentrated in spots or areas.