Pre-treatment

Pre-treatment is half the job – without thorough pre-treatment, the result will never be satisfactory and the paint will not be able to provide the desired corrosion protection. Read more about pre-treatment.

Cleaning

Metal surfaces can be full of welding spatter or slag, joints, pores, and edge tears. In addition, there are cut edges and drains. All these imperfections must either be ground down or rectified so that the paint can penetrate. Edges must be rounded. In case of rust or previous paint, loose parts must be removed and the transition to the metal smoothed. After the metal surface is ready, it must be cleaned – normally with a high-pressure washer, but depending on the surface. For washing, Power Coat Universal Cleaner, Power Coat Combination Thinner, Power Coat Washing Thinner, or another soap is used; in some cases, dish soap suffices. If old paint is to be removed, Power Coat Paint Remover can be used. The surface must be free of oil, grease, and silicone, and it is important that the cleaning agent is rinsed off thoroughly. Remember that it is the amount of water that cleans, not the pressure.

Grunning

When the surface is clean and smooth, it should often be primed. We offer many products that can be used as both primers and topcoats, such as Power Coat 3 in 1, or water-based anti-corrosive paints like Monoguard. However, some surfaces are extremely smooth, for example, and require a special primer, or you may be uncertain and want generally better adhesion. In such cases, it may be advisable to use Power Coat Adhesion Primer. Steel and iron can advantageously be primed with Power Coat Rust Inhibiting Primer, which is also ideal for manual application with a roller or brush. Unlike lead primers of the past, Power Coat Primer is completely harmless and free of heavy metals.
In addition, we offer Power Coat Nitrofest, which is an extremely high-coverage primer and dries quickly. Nitrofest is somewhat more affordable than Power Coat 3 in 1 and therefore an excellent alternative for the first coat.

Thinning and cleaning of equipment

In some cases, thinning the paint is desired to achieve a smoother finish. Power Coat Special Thinner evaporates slowly, thereby extending the drying time. Therefore, it is ideal when the paint is to be applied with a roller or brush, as the surface has more time to flow out and become smooth. Power Coat Combi Thinner is the alternative for spraying. It also regulates the viscosity of the paint and is suitable for solvent-based products. While both thinners can be used for cleaning painting equipment, the combi thinner is the more economical option.