What generally comes to mind when we think of painting objects for our house or business? Fabric, wood or some other material, right?
Don’t forget about metal, though. And we aren’t necessarily referring to wet painting techniques. In this case, we’re highlighting baked enamel, a technique used for finishing aluminum and steel metals.
In the past, we’ve explained in depth the types of metals we use at Coco Architectural and the types of finishes we offer. Previously, we’ve covered antiqued finishes, anodized aluminum finishes, satin finishes and blackened finishes. Here, we take a deeper dive on baked enamel finishes and how you can use them in your next project.
How it works
For starters, there’s a distinct difference between primed metal finishes and baked metal finishes. When using a baked finish, we apply an enamel coating directly to the metal without any need for a primer. This is where baked coatings differ from wet paint finishes.
Baked coatings provide a one-time hard, tough finish that is stronger and corrosion-resistant. These glossy paints or varnishes are sprayed or painted on aluminum or steel.
The finish is heated, or baked, at temperatures that reach at least 150 degrees in order for the oil or synthetic resin to bind and develop. The result is a dense finish that defends against the traditional wear and tear we see with metals.
What it’s used for
This finish is primarily used in long-term indoor applications since it isn’t as tough or resistant to corrosion as other finishes. Keeping metals with these types of finishes indoors helps with color retention and prevents chalking and fading due to weather.
Typically, you’ll see baked enamel finishes with kitchen appliances, vents and grates, ceiling fans and other home furnishing accessories.
Ever since this finish became popular, powder coatings have replaced some uses of enamel paints. We offer powder-coated finishes and Kynar products, which are baked on wet paint. The powder-coated finish uses a thermal bond to increase the metal’s durability. Powder coating is a strong alternative when attempting to reach a desired thickness. A thicker coating provides for a longer-lasting bond.
Between the powder-coated and Kynar options, these metal finishes allow for exterior uses thanks to warranties that can cover up to 15 to 20 years depending on its use and application.
Coco also provides you with the ability to take advantage of our in-house custom color matches. All we need from you is a manufacturer’s paint spec (part number/name) and your preferred sheen level (flat, satin, semi-gloss, gloss, etc.) and we can customize your order.
Baked enamel benefits
As we previously discussed, you need one coat for baked enamel finishes, thus no priming is involved. This makes it an easy, time-saving way to add value to your metal.
With this cost-effective alternative, the baking process helps with long-term color retention by using infrared reflective pigments. It also provides chemical resistance and gloss retention.
In addition to baked enamel, we let you customize your finishing options from a laundry list of choices ranging from oil rubbed to blackened. These are important aspects to how your metal grille will look and perform. For inspiration or to learn more about us, view our product catalog for a detailed list of our products. For a consultation or to order perforated grilles today, contact us at 631-482-9449 or sales@cocometalcraft.com.
