Repainting our kitchen
How to Choose a Protective Paint or Coating for Steel and Other Metals
Leonard Davis
Steel and other metals are used for a wide variety of applications, from the frame of a building to car parts and heavy-duty equipment. This is because steel and other metals are very strong and yet easy to fabricate. However, as strong as they are, metals of all varieties may be prone to rust and corrosion.
This is why protective paints or coatings are needed for these materials, especially if they'll be exposed to harsh weather conditions, saltwater, and other high risk factors. Note how to choose a protective paint or coating for any steel equipment or product that you may be manufacturing:
Two-Component Epoxy Finishes
An epoxy is like a very sticky paint, and a two-component epoxy finish involves a base coat and then a top coat for added protection. Epoxy is very resistant to friction, so it's good to use it on any type of equipment or parts that come into constant contact with anything else; this might include equipment that will be used on a factory line, as an example. The parts that run over a conveyor belt can cause friction against this equipment so that another type of finish might wear away. Small tools also suffer constant friction from use, so a two-component epoxy might be a good choice to protect them.
Powder Coating
Powder coating involves a type of colored powder that is applied with an electrostatic charge, and which then looks like a paint once applied. It is known for its impact resistance. If you're coating something that needs to withstand impact and not just friction, such as a metal fence or gate, powder coating can be the best choice. It is also used for automotive parts and for everyday household appliances.
Galvanizing
Galvanizing involves a dip in a bath of melted zinc. The zinc hardens to form a protective coating. This is typically used for any type of metal that will need to withstand prolonged UV exposure, as well as exposure to saltwater. The bath process is also good for very small parts such as paperclips and safety pins. If you're producing a product that would be impossible to spray with a protective paint or coating because of its smaller size, a zinc bath can be the better solution.
Another benefit of a zinc bath is that this material is all natural and completely recyclable. Epoxies and powder coatings may need to be peeled away or otherwise removed before the metal underneath can be recycled, but zinc itself is recyclable, making it an environmentally friendly choice as a protective coating.
To learn more, contact house painters with any other questions you have.
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When we moved into our house the kitchen was a bit yucky. The wall and ceiling around the oven had turned yellow-brown from years of cooking smells, and there was splattered oil all over the walls. It made the whole room feeling uninviting. As soon as we moved in I knew what I had to do: we scrubbed down the walls and repainted the whole room with new white paint. It was such a simple change with a dramatic impact. This blog is all about changing the mood of a room with a new coat of paint and how you can achieve the same effect.