Painting over Powder Coated Aluminium

Powder coating became commercially viable in the 1960’s as an alternative to liquid coatings which
were considered environmentally damaging. Nowadays, various aluminium items are powder coated in
huge numbers and many of these are found in the construction, architectural and interiors industries.
Although powder coating is a durable finish, sometimes it fails in that it may chip, bubble up, crack and
flake off or the colour may fade over time. In these instances painting over powder coated aluminium is
necessary, but in other cases the powder coating may be in perfectly good condition, but in the wrong
colour, so a re-spray is still the best option.

WHAT IS POWDER COATING?

Powder coating is a dry powder that is applied electrostatically to a metal substrate such as aluminium.
Once the base metal has been coated in the powder it is heated in an oven which causes the coating to
melt. The intense heat transforms the powder elements into a slick and continuous layer that adheres to
the aluminium. Often the properties of the powder coating are enhanced through a chemical reaction
during the curing process.

WHY PAINT ON TO POWDER COATED ALUMINIUM?

The beauty of spray-applying a fresh coat rather than re-doing powder coating is that the painting can
take place on site which eradicates the inconvenience of having to transport large or immovable objects.
Painting over powder coated aluminium saves money too. A re-spray is much cheaper than replacing the
items and this new coating protects the aluminium from corrosion as well as improving the appearance.

HOW TO PAINT OVER POWDER COATED ALUMINIUM

1. Clean the Substrate

Any dirt or grease on the metal surface will prevent the subsequent coating from clinging, so all
contaminates and debris must be removed. The aluminium can be hand washed using a soft brush or jet
washed if the aluminium is extremely dirty. Any alkaline degreasing detergent used for cleaning needs
to be rinsed off with water and left to dry.

2. Remove Corrosion

The powder coated aluminium may have corroded and the resulting corrosion deposits need to be
mechanically stripped off. If powder coating appears chalky this white rust had better be removed and a
scouring nylon pad should suffice. A power sander can be used to get rid of any red rust and to reveal a
smooth metal surface. Then next stage is to wipe down the substrate with tack cloths to clean off any
dust resulting from the removal of corrosion.

3. Abrade the Metal Surface

One of the most difficult obstacles in painting over powder coating is ensuring the new coating adheres
to the aluminium. Sanding the substrate removes the gloss from the original powder coating in order to
provide a key so that the fresh coating will stick. It is worth noting that anodised aluminium will require
more abrading than usual. If parts of the powder coating still remain it is important to feather the edges,
so that there aren’t any bumps or ridges on the surface. As with the process of removing corrosion,
residues resulting from abrading must then be cleaned off.

4. Mask off Adjacent Surfaces

Mask off the adjacent areas that need to be protected from primer or paint. Plastic sheeting, decorators
tape and masking paper can all be used to stop finished surfaces from being ruined through overspray.

5. Prime the Substrate

Once the metalwork is clean and dry it can be primed and then left to cure. This is best done as soon as
possible, so that the substrate doesn’t oxidise or get dirty. There are primers appropriate for different
alloys, so in this case a primer for aluminium should be used and it is best to consult with professional
sprayers. To check whether the primer will adhere to the abraded surface it is a good idea to apply a
small amount of it to the aluminium. If it can be wiped off or smears then the aluminium should be
abraded further.

6. Spray Apply the Top Coat

There are a range of top coats available on the market to suit the wide variety of objects that can be re-
coated. A top coat can be selected in a choice of colours and gloss levels appropriate for painting over
powder-coated aluminium, but it is crucial to select the right one. The top layer needs to be chosen to
adhere to the primer or directly on to the aluminium if a primer hasn’t been used. Again, a professional
spray painting company will ensure the most appropriate product is used. Vanda Coatings have been
offering this service for over twenty years. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.
KAKO FARBATI ALUMINIJ FARBAN BOJOM U PRAHU

1. Očistite podlogu

Svaka prljavština ili masnoća na metalnoj površini spriječit će naknadni premaz od prianjanja, tako da svi
zagađivači i ostaci moraju biti uklonjeni. Aluminij se može oprati ručno pomoću meke četke ili mlazom
vode iz mašine za pranje auta ako je aluminij jako prljav. Bilo koji alkalni deterdžent za odmašćivanje
koji se koristi za čišćenje treba isprati vodom i ostaviti da se osuši.

2. Uklonite koroziju

Praškasto obloženi aluminij je možda korodirao i rezultirajuće korozijske naslage treba mehanički skinuti.
Ako se u praškastom sloju pojavi kreda, bolje je da se ta bijela rđa ukloni uklanjanje se vrši najlonskom
krpom. Brusilica može se koristiti za uklanjanje crvene hrđe i otkrivanje glatke metalne površine. Sledeća
faza je da se supstrat obriše sa oštrom krpom kako bi se očistila prašina nastala uklanjanjem korozije.

3. Preraditi metalnu površinu

Jedna od najtežih prepreka u nanošenju boje na praškasti premaz osigurava da se novi premaz prianja uz
aluminij. Brušenje podloge uklanja sjaj iz originalnog praškastog premaza je ključan, tako da se svježa
prevlaka zadrži. Važno je napomenuti da će eloksirani aluminij zahtijevati više abrazije nego obično. Ako
dijelovi praškastog premaza i dalje ostanu, važno je da se izblijede rubovi, tako da nema nikakvih
izbočina ili rupa na površini. Kao i kod procesa uklanjanja korozije, ostaci koji nastaju pri brušenju moraju
se očistiti.
4. Zaštititi susedne površine

Maskirajte susedna područja koja treba zaštititi od prajmera ili boje. Plastične folije, trake za dekoraciju i
papir za maskiranje mogu se koristiti za zaustavljanje rušenja gotovih površina zbog prekomjernog
raspršivanja.

5. Prajmer za podlogu

Kada je obrada metala čista i suva, može se prajmirati i ostaviti da se očvrsne. To je najbolje uraditi što je
prije moguće, tako da se podloga ne oksidira ili se ne zaprlja. Postoje primeri za različite legure, tako da
u ovom slučaju treba koristiti prajmer za aluminijum i najbolje je konsultovati se sa profesionalnim
farbarima. Da biste proverili da li se prajmer prianja uz abraziranu površinu, dobro je da ga nanesete na
površinu. Ako se može obrisati ili razmazati, onda aluminij treba dodatno ostrugati.

6. Nanesite gornji sloj

Postoji širok asortiman vrhunskih premaza dostupnih na tržištu koji odgovaraju velikom broju objekata
koji se mogu premazati. Gornji sloj se može odabrati u raznim bojama i razinama sjaja koji su prikladni za
bojenje preko aluminija koji je obložen prahom, ali je presudno odabrati onaj pravi. Gornji sloj treba
izabrati tako da prianja na prajmer ili direktno na aluminijum ako se prajmer ne koristi. Ponovo,
profesionalno preduzeće za farbanje sa sprejom će osigurati da se koristi najprikladniji proizvod.