Sometimes, fabricated and welded metals are left as is, shiny and metallic. Other times, you want to dress them up a little more. Maybe you need to match a color scheme.

While the most popular method of dressing up metal has been liquid paint, an alternative method has become increasingly popular in recent years: powder coating.

Powder coating promises to add a colorful finish while increasing durability, all for an affordable price. But its it as great as promised?

We work with many companies and partners in the industries who have used both powder coating and paint to coat their metal materials. Today, we’re going to take a look at what they have to say about powder coating.

Pros of Powder Coating

For starters, powder coating looks great. It provides an even finish across the entire surface that can either be smooth or a little more textured. Either way, there’s no runs, streaks, or brush lines. It’s also customizable, from colors to sheens. A powder coating can have a flat finish, or it can have a more glossy look.

The choice is yours.

Best of all, powder coating is highly durable. Compared to paint, its longer lasting, more scratch resistant and flexible, and it won’t noticeably fade over time.

Other advantages of powder coating include environmental friendliness, insulating properties, resistance to chemicals, and it can hide imperfections in the surface of metal that you’re coating.

Disadvantages of Power Coating

Though powder coating is flexible when it comes to colors and styles, it can be difficult to color match exactly. Alternatively, custom paint colors are easier to find, or you can even make mix them yourself. A color match powder coating might have to be specially ordered and produced, which takes both extra time and extra money.

Speaking of money, while powder coating is typically cheaper in the long run, it can come with a higher up front fee.

Lastly, powder coating might not produce quite as smooth of a finish when applied very thinly.

Is Powder Coating Right for Me?

To a degree, it’s situational. That said, many find powder coating to be the superior choice overall. When in doubt, you can always investigate both options for a specific job and compare cost and time involved.

A Coating is Only as Good as the Metal Beneath

Of course, powder coating poorly fabricated materials is a waste of money. If you’re using tubes, springs, and wire rings, you want the most durable.

At Ever-Roll, we produce the highest quality welds, wire rings, and tube bending production services available. Contact us today.