Tips for Powder Coating Care and Maintenance
Powder coating is a surface coating method and an excellent alternative to wet paint. The method is incredibly versatile, where the powder bonds to any kind of metal surface, including aluminum, steel, stainless steel, and more.
The prime surface finishing and painting choice across a wide range of industries, powder coating outscores liquid paint in many areas, such as durability, longevity, and lesser environmental impact. But where it doesn't differ from liquid coatings is the care and maintenance part.
Without proper care and maintenance, your coated surfaces won't last as long as they should, and you'll soon start seeing chipping and fading powder from the surface.
In this blog, we'll discuss the many benefits of powder coating and tips to maintain your coating that looks good for many years.
Benefits of Powder Coating
Powder coating is widely used in multiple industries around the world. From agricultural to architecture, automotive to outdoor furniture, powder coating has become the preferred choice for almost all industrial applications. From an attractive appeal to superior protection, powder coating is used to fulfill various efficiency and precision needs.
Here are some benefits of powder coating:
Aesthetic Appeal
Powder coating gives an attractive exterior appearance to surfaces, making them suitable for usage by end customers.
Durable and Long-lasting
Powder coating makes the surface durable with many years of excellent performance.
Resistance
It provides superior resistance against corrosion, rust, scratches, abrasions, and chemicals.
Hiding Imperfections
Another benefit of powder coating is its multiple finishing options like smooth, wrinkled, matte, or rough to obscure surface imperfections.
Quick and Efficient
You can achieve a thicker coat more efficiently and quickly with powder coating.
Environment-friendly
In addition to the benefits mentioned above, powder coating is also environmentally friendly as it contains no toxic solvents like liquid paint does.
Why Should you Focus on Maintenance?
Powder coating is applied to indoor items like machinery and railings as well as outdoor products like furniture, automotive parts, and other architectural elements.
When it comes to outdoor performance, the powder coating can be affected by several factors like rain, wind, UV light exposure, cold, pollution, salt water, etc. All of this and much more will happen throughout the life of the coating.
Only with routine care and maintenance can you guarantee the life of your coating to be 15-20 years. In the absence of this, the powder will soon start to chip and fade right in front of your eyes, which will then necessitate another coating job. You can avoid such unnecessary hassles and expenses with due maintenance.
How to Care for Your Powder-Coated Surfaces to Make them Last Longer?
You can extend the life of powder coating in multiple ways. They are as follows:
-
Use a Mild Soap with Warm Water
This is the conventional, at-home cleaning method that you can undertake for smaller parts. Use a mildph-neutral soap along with warm water to remove deposits like dust and salt.
Once you have washed the surface, rinse it with clean water to remove any remaining residues. You can then allow it to dry naturally or use a clean cloth.
Make sure you don't use liquids with harsh chemicals or solvents, as they may damage the coating.
-
Pressure Cleaning
Pressure cleaning is a more effective way to ensure the extended life of powder coating. Use a pressure washer with a low setting to remove dirt and grime from the surface.
Before you proceed, though, make sure to use filtered water at a low-pressure setting for this method. Using a high-pressure setting can damage the surface and the coating, while using unfiltered water may leave stains on the surface.
-
Wax Coating
Finished surfaces that are exposed and come into contact with other objects, like fences, guards, railings, etc., can be treated with wax.
Use a high-grade, non-compound, and non-abrasive wax with UV inhibitors by applying a thin layer of coating over the object. Once you have covered the entire thing, remove any wax clusters that are left on the surface. Leaving them on can permanently stain the surface when exposed to the UV rays of sunlight.
-
Commercial Cleaning
In case of any damage to the surface, you can contact commercial cleaners to restore the surface back to its original condition.
How Often Should You Clean?
The answer to this question cannot be narrowed down to a single timeframe. Much depends on your geographical location. If you're close to the sea, you need to rigorously take care because of the salt-ridden moisture that can severely damage your coating over the years.
However, as a general rule, you should clean and maintain your coatings every three months, especially for protecting commercial coatings. The frequency would depend on factors such as:
- Geographical Location
- Environment (Marine, Industrial)
- Pollution Level
- Wind
- Risk of Airborne Debris
The cleaning should be done every 2-2.5 months for areas with hazardous atmospheres and high pollution levels. For non-hazardous environments, you can enjoy your coating for up to 3-5 months, depending on usage.
Conclusion
With these tips and a dedicated maintenance schedule, you can extend the life of your powder-coated products and make them last for years and years on end.
If you have any custom powder coating finishing requirements in New Jersey, talk to the experts at Rusty Lions for superior powder coating and media blasting services.
