Metal surface painting is by no means an easy task, and many professionals find themselves facing unexpected problems. Seeing as the paint affects not just the appearance but also the durability and functionality, getting it right the first time is essential.
Understanding how to paint metal surfaces will save you a huge amount of time, stress and money. As leading industrial paint manufacturers, we’re sharing the top 5 challenges of metal surface painting and the best ways to get around them.
We’re mainly discussing traditional paint applied with a brush, roller or spray rather than other finishes and coatings. Read our previous article on paint vs powder coating for metal fabrication if you want more information on powder finishes. Otherwise, let’s look at how to paint metal.
#1. Selecting Appropriate Metal Painting Products
Commercial metal surface painting is notoriously difficult due to the chemistry involved. Therefore, working with a paint manufacturer that understands the complexities of the surface is crucial. By this, we mean thorough knowledge of the chemistry, material and condition requirements for ensuring thorough adhesion.
At BC Paints, we formulate, manufacture and test all of our paints at our fully equipped laboratory in Wolverhampton. We work closely with experienced chemists to ensure the formulas withstand the intense demands of commercial and industrial metal applications.
#2. Metal Surface Preparation and Masking
Preparing the substrate is essential when using metal paint. This includes the usual cleaning and degreasing, but also masking. This task is often tedious and underappreciated, yet detailed masking is a crucial factor for ensuring the correct areas of a surface are coated.
For example, when painting components that will go to assembly lines, the tolerance can be as small as .001 inch. If the item is painted beyond this threshold, it can have disruptive consequences. Therefore, detailed masking is just as important as the painting itself. We’d always recommend investing time into getting this task right.
#3. Adhesion Failure in Metal Surface Painting
If you’re new to painting metal, you may be experiencing adhesion failure. The most common reasons for this are poor preparation of the substrate or using the wrong paint.
If you don’t sufficiently clean, degrease and abrade the surface, your paint won’t last for long. Likewise, if you don’t use suitable primers and topcoats, it can reduce the adhesion and longevity of the products.
There’s no set answer for how to avoid this. Exactly what you’re painting and the environment it’s in affects the choice of the most appropriate product to use. For example, metal used in marine environments will need a different approach than those used in agriculture.
Thoroughly checking instructions and manuals on all products is essential. At BC Paints, we’re always happy to help you find the most appropriate paint for your project.
#4. Metal Paint Blistering
If you find your metal paint is blistering, it means parts of the paint are no longer directly attached to the substrate. In short, this means the paint won’t offer the long-term protection it should. There are a few reasons blistering happens:
- If the metal has not been degreased and cleaned
- Paint was applied when the substrate was wet
- If the paint has been applied over mill scale
In these cases, the solvent in the paint gets trapped and expands, causing the blistering effect. Less commonly, blistering happens because the substrate was too warm or because moisture has penetrated the top layer of paint. When planning how to paint a metal substrate, factor in temperature and weather for the best results.
#5. Customer Expectations
Finally, customer expectations are a potential challenge. As a painter, you can only do so much with the surface you’ve got to work with. If a customer wants a particular finish, such as a high polish, you may not have the in-house equipment to facilitate this. For example, you may have to send metal work elsewhere for pretreatment, such as sandblasting.
While you can prep, prime and paint a surface, paint does have its limitations. It’s better to be aware of this from the start rather than face pushback at the end of the metal surface painting process.
Alleviate the Challenges With BC Paints
At BC Paints, our team of experts have all the knowledge to help you with precision metal painting. We understand appearance is important, but so are protection and durability. That’s why we manufacture the highest quality metal paints for use in commercial or industrial applications.
Browse our metal paint range today or contact us to discuss your bespoke requirements.
