What is powder coating?

1. It’s environmentally friendly

While traditional paint is arguably easier to source and supply than its powdered equivalent, many major brands can be toxic to the environment if not applied or disposed of in the correct manner.

Powder paint coating, on the other hand, contains no volatile organic compounds, residual heavy metals, or dangerous solvents. Not only that, but powder paint produces minimal waste after application, as the excess spray can be collected once dried and used again.

In fact, powder paint can reduce paint waste by up to 95% if recycled correctly, saving on the cost of emissions produced by supply transportation.

2. It’s highly durable

As we’ve previously mentioned, this method of painting makes our product frames exceptionally tough and weather resistant. With the exception of extreme weather conditions, the frames of our powder coated aluminium windows and doors are essentially immune to scratches, peeling, and paint fading.

Not only that, but because the thick paint layer coats the entirety of the frames, the metal is prevented from being damaged by exterior sources while simultaneously minimising the build-up of rust for multiple years. It’s for this reason that we provide all our customers a 10-year guarantee on our paint’s durability.

3. It’s quick to apply

Another area that powder coated paint excels over its traditional paint counterparts is in its application. Powder coat paint only needs one coat to cover the entirety of a frame before being baked, unlike the multiple layers required of normal paint options.

This means we can produce our products faster and at a reduced cost, enabling us to offer you competitive prices and quick delivery of your doors.

4. It’s smooth and easy to maintain

Following on from its quick application, powder paint also has the advantage of a consistently smooth finish. The single coat and baking process means the paint naturally flattens and hardens under the extreme temperatures it’s exposed to, preventing running and sagging in the paint for a flat finish.

On top of this, you barely have to do anything to keep your frame paint in good condition. All that’s required is a deep clean every six to twelve months.

5. It offers a huge colour range

Last, but certainly not least, powder paints are available in a huge range of colour options, making it very easy for you to find the perfect shade for your home. Here at Express, we offer over 200 different RAL colour options, including metallic and textured finishes.

1. Coatings have to be thick

In order to achieve the desired durability and flat finish that gives powdered paint its edge over other forms of paint, coatings have to be thick. This means, unfortunately, that there’s no way to get a thin coating on your frames if that’s your style preference.

Thin coats of powder paint are too thin to offer protection to your frames from adverse weather, and will often result in a bumpy and uneven finish when attempted.

2. Frame materials are limited

Another area where this type of paint shows its limitations is in the use of compatible materials. As the baking process requires temperatures as high as 200 degrees, the materials used must be heat resistant to avoid warping or melting.

However, thanks to aluminium’s favourable properties, this limitation is not an issue for the team at Express.

3. Textures can be rough

As we just mentioned, a thin coating of powder paint often results in a bad finish. Besides the limited durability this will offer, another issue that might arise is the rough texture or patchy coating this finish can provide if done incorrectly.

4. Powder paints can’t be mixed

Finally, although we offer a huge range of powder coat colours, the nature of this type of paint means that these colours can’t be mixed together, which means you might not be able to get a specific shade if it’s not available in our RAL range.

Of course, while these disadvantages can prove troublesome, at Express, our elite team have plenty of experience coating the frames of all of our bespoke products, meaning you get the benefit of this paint’s advantages, with none of the drawbacks. Download our product brochure today to learn exactly which products can be paint this way.

If you’re interested in coating your doors and windows in this type of paint, or want to renovate your home with a new set of bi-fold or sliding doors, why not get in touch with us today to discuss your plans?

Don’t forget that you can visit our blog as well for more related news, as well as other detailed articles like this one.