The area to be coated should be thoroughly powerwashed to remove salt deposits and loose rust. Commercially available cleaners designed to remove soluble salts may be recommended on certain projects. All remaining loose rust must be removed by wire brushing or other suitable methods. It is important to note that more complete rust removal will result in better performance of the coating system.

Any bare metal should be prepared with a rust inhibitive primer such as PC-125 or PC-535. Commercially available rust converters can also be effective for some applications.