Considerations To Make For Painting Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate is a diverse material that is used for various applications in the construction industry, agricultural industry, security industry, automobile industry, and many others. While polycarbonate roofing sheets are available in a variety of standard shades of colours, there could be a possibility when you would want to paint your polycarbonate another colour. So, is that possible? Oh yes! But wait, there are certain limitations you need to know and considerations you need to make while planning to paint your polycarbonate. Here is all that you need to know.

Polycarbonate has a smooth surface, which is so smooth that it may give trouble while binding the paint to it. But, if you use the right procedure and the right materials, you can successfully paint your material.

Selecting the right materials

You need to follow the recommendations of the manufacturer of your sheet to paint it correctly. You need to use the recommended solvents to thin your paint, because using the wrong solvents can crack or craze your polycarbonate. Keytones, chlorinated, and aromatic solvents are a big NO! Paints based on aliphatic hydrocarbons like mineral spirits, alcohol, hextane, and heptanes must be used.

Using the right procedures

There are a set of rules you must follow before painting your sheet if you want the right results. As a rule of thumb, you must follow the manufacturer’s recommendations regarding surface preparation and painting techniques. However, we here in this blog will let you know about the right preparations and techniques too.

Surface preparation – First and foremost, you need to prepare the polycarbonate surface for the paint before starting your procedure. This is important to remove dust and other contaminants from the surface to ensure proper adhesion of the paint. The right way to clean a polycarbonate surface is to wipe it with a clean damp rag so that the static charge is removed and contaminants are cleaned. Next, you must wipe the surface with a mixture of isopropyl/denatured alcohol and distilled water in the ratio of 25:75 or 50:50. Don't use any stronger solvent or you will craze or crack the surface. If there is any grease or oil on the surface, you can use naptha to clean it, but then allow the sheet to dry completely before painting. You can also use an ionizing air gun to remove the static charge. Whatever method you use, remember to kill the static charge, or the paint will result in a blotchy finish.

Testing your paint – Once the surface is clean and ready, you can start off with painting. But remember, you must first test a small part of your polycarbonate before applying the paint on the entire surface. This will help you check the viscosity of the paint and whether your air pressure setting are appropriate. Use the lowest possible pressure to achieve the best results. Also, make sure to apply a thin coating.  Heavy coating will result in sagging of the paint or crazing of the sheet. Conversely, too thin a coating can also be problematic. Dusting a polycarbonate surface with a very thin coating of paint will make the finish dull or matte. So, make sure to use the right thickness.

Spraying your sheet – While spraying your polycarbonate sheet, remember to keep the nozzle of the spray gun about 12 inches from the surface. Also, move the spray gun in straight horizontal or vertical lines. But, remember to keep the rate at which you spray the paint at a steady pace.

After painting – After painting, you need to check for the quality of adhesion by doing a tape test. After rubbing an aggressive tape over the painted surface, pull the tape to see if any paint comes off. This must also be done during the sampling phase.

If all these procedures are followed in the right manner, you can have an amazingly painted polycarbonate sheet! So, get the best quality polycarbonate roofing sheets from Tuflite Polymers, and get set to get your hands on them to paint them the colour of your choice!