Powder coating is an advanced process of electro-statically applying powder consisting of finely ground resin and pigment to any surface that can withstand a temperature of 400ยบ F. The coated item is then placed in a curing oven where the powder "melts" to the surface resulting in a high quality, long lasting finish. Items that are powder coated last longer because the finish is far more resistant
to scratching, chipping, harsh chemicals, fading, rusting and wearing than other finishes. It also is usually a much thicker coating than you would obtain with paint. This thicker coating can provide a pleasant "feel" to an item. This is especially noticeable on hand railings. Color choices are virtually unlimited, with high and low gloss, clear and metallic, as well as textured finishes. Finishes can range from smooth to wrinkled, matted finishes, or rough textures which hide surface imperfections. It should be noted that while almost any color can be obtained, the same color matching limitations that apply to liquid paints apply to powder coating colors. Most notably, is that of exactly matching one lot of powder to a previous lot cannot be guaranteed. An additional issue is that if a color is not a commonly "standard" stock item, customizing the color may result in extra charges. You can be assured that our powder coating process is environmentally friendly and, unlike paint, there is no drying time. We recommend that when possible, coated items should be unused for 6 or 7 days after powder coating to ensure a complete "cure." Any item to be powder coated must be clean to ensure a beautiful high quality finish. This is accomplished by various methods, such as sandblasting, phosphate washing and burn-off. The method of cleaning is determined by the type and condition of the metal. We include sandblasting and cleaning in our estimate to you so there are no "extra" cleaning or preparation fees. The next step is the electrostatic application of the powder to the item. This is accomplished by a special gun that gives the powder an electrical charge as it is sprayed onto the item to be coated. The charged powder particles adhere to the item until they are melted, bonded and fused into a smooth coating in the curing oven. After the baking is finished the item is removed from the oven to cool and the powder coating process is complete.
