of the Seas project, the company had | ||
already completed coating work on seven | ||
Mein Schiff vessels as well as on the Icon of | ||
the Seas, the sister ship of Star of the Seas. | ||
“ Icon of the Seas is practically identical | ||
to Star of the Seas. There are some | ||
minor differences in colours and certain | ||
details, but otherwise the ships are almost | ||
the same,” Suikki says. | ||
The experience gained from the Icon | ||
of the Seas project has made work on the | ||
subsequent ships in the series easier. | ||
“ It has definitely been beneficial that | ||
we already had experience from Icon. As | ||
Kerabit Pinta’ s workmanship can be admired on the sun decks and swimming pool areas of the Star of the Seas. |
they say here at the shipyard, the first vessel in a series is essentially a prototype ship, |
|
|
Examples of Kerabit’ s workmanship can be seen on the ship’ s sun decks and around its swimming pools.
A wide range of different coatings was installed on the outdoor decks. The majority consists of teak imitation surfaces made from polyurethane, designed to look and even feel like real wood.
“ In addition to teak decks, we also completed running tracks, sports courts, and various poolside and recreation areas. These mainly utilise different polyurethane compounds whose properties are tailored to the intended application. For example, the surfaces used on running tracks and sports courts must be more flexible and resilient than those on ordinary walking decks,” Suikki explains.
Inside the ship, Kerabit Pinta was responsible for coating floors in areas exposed to heavy wear, such as entrance lobbies. Naturally, a sophisticated appearance is essential in creating the impression of luxury-class quality. Fortunately, polyurethane surfaces can be produced in virtually any appearance desired by the customer.
“ There are practically no limitations when it comes to the appearance or colours of the surfaces. One example would be the brown gradient floors in the interior spaces, whose appearance resembles hardwood flooring. They have been sanded slightly rougher than usual and finished with a protective lacquer coating to
|
As is well known, carefully considered details complete the overall impression and emphasise high quality.
“ One of the more distinctive features is the colourful stripes running along the edges of the gradient floors. These are actually colour-changing LED strips embedded into our polyurethane compound, helping to shape the atmosphere and visual identity of the interior spaces.”
EXPERIENCE BRINGS EXPERTISE
Kerabit Pinta is no newcomer to luxury cruise ship deck coatings. Before the Star
|
where everything is new and solutions such as water drainage systems still need to be developed. Building the next one proceeds much more smoothly when you already know the best ways to approach each area,” Suikki explains.
CONDITIONS MUST BE OPTIMAL
In principle, installing polyurethane coatings always follows the same process. First, the steel deck is sandblasted and roughened to ensure proper adhesion for the primer. After priming, the deck is levelled, followed by the installation of the base layer onto which the surface materials are applied. To achieve a successful
|
improve durability.” |
Polyurethane coatings can be produced in virtually any desired colour or appearance. |
|