Keywords: painting metal gates, view fencing, awnings, furniture, light poles, signposts, bollards, dumpster enclosure, playground shade structures, rust, alkydurethane enamel, 2K paint, two component, electrostatic
Anyone who has lived in Phoenix would likely agree that the sun here feels far different from the sun the rest of the country gets. Our sun can destroy both your enthusiasm for the outdoors, and anything not made from concrete, stone, or metal. The cooler months of the year prove a good time to assess and repair the structural damage done during the past summer. Repainting metal gates, fences, metal awnings, metal furniture, light poles, signposts, bollards, dumpster enclosures, playgrounds and shade structures at your HOA and commercial properties should be completed during these cooler months.
MTS Painting offers enhanced surface painting to prolong metal life and facilitate the restoration process. We use coatings that bond to and strengthen rusted surfaces and inhibit new rust to extend the life of metal surfaces. As a rule, we prefer to not paint metal in the summer months. If it is necessary to paint metal in the summer, we schedule the work for the early morning hours. This is because metal structures heated by the sun can get so hot that it adversely impacts the performance of metal paints. It wouldn’t make much sense to apply paint if its performance is negated by the very thing it is trying to protect against.
MTS Painting offers enhanced surface painting to prolong metal life and facilitate the restoration process. We use coatings that bond to and strengthen rusted surfaces and inhibit new rust to extend life.
Prepping Metal for Painting
As with any surface, proper preparation is needed before a quality paint job can be completed. Peeling paint, chalky paint and rust are some common issues that we run into when we prepare to repaint metal. Fortunately, these issues are not difficult to manage. We thoroughly pressure wash the metal and wire brush where necessary. Metal gates and fences around pools and landscaping may become rusted beyond simple preparation and will need to be repaired or replaced. Our estimators can help you to determine that. Use of specialty sub-coats is the final preparation step and will guarantee that the new paint job will perform at peak expectations. If a gate has wood slats, we typically remove the wood, prep and paint the wood parts and metal parts separately, and then reassemble them.
Alkyd Urethane Enamel Paint
When painting metal, we provide an estimate using a water-based alkyd urethane enamel paint with an upgrade option to use a solvent based two-component paint. With the performance and coating characteristics of a traditional oil-based enamel, alkyd urethane enamel brings together the convenience and ease of a waterborne coating. It provides beauty and durability when applied to interior or exterior metal surfaces.
“2K” Paint Systems
Two-component paints, referred to as 2K paints, are products in which the coating dries and hardens through a chemical reaction when the two components are combined. Two-component paints consist of a base paint and a hardener. The two components must be vigorously mixed in the correct ratio and then applied quickly. Hardeners for two-component paints are usually poly isocyanates that combine with the base paint to form coatings that are both highly durable and corrosive resistant.
Electrostatic Painting
2K paints can be applied with the traditional brushing and rolling methods, or with standard paint spraying equipment. MTS Painting offers another application option called electrostatic painting. Electrostatic painting uses precision technology to paint any metal surface with a fine, hard finish. The negatively charged surface and the positively charged paint are drawn together like metal filings to a magnet. This attraction allows for a smooth, high-quality finish. It’s completely safe and environmentally friendly.
Electrostatic painting has been used in controlled factory environments for many years. Mobile equipment is a recent development that allows coatings to be electrostatically applied outside of controlled environments. Just as with magnetic fields, two electrostatic objects with oppositely charged particles will automatically attract one another. This is the core idea of electrostatic painting, harnessing these electrostatic fields to paint metal objects more quickly and cost efficiently. Cleanup is also a breeze.
The first step of the process involves mixing the paint with the proper solvent so the spray equipment will be able to produce a positive charge in the paint. The metal object to be painted will then be grounded through a wire clamp, giving it a negative charge. The positively charged paint is lightly sprayed onto the metal object and easily clings to the surface. The attraction from the opposing charges is so strong that even if just one side of a metal pole is sprayed, the charge will draw the paint around the metal, causing the paint to wrap around and cover its entire surface.
This application process works well with the high end two-component coatings which are more durable than architectural paints. In addition, the process is eco-friendly since it boasts the most efficient transfer rate of all types of spray equipment.
This is the right time of year in the Phoenix area to schedule your metal painting projects. Contact us to set up an estimate walk through.
