Types of paints for metal: comparison and which is better

Gusevsky Andrey Anatolyevich

White metal paint applied to wrought iron railings

Among all the painting works, painting of metal and metal surfaces is considered to be one of the most difficult. No, the point is not the difficulty of applying the paint itself, here the process is no different from any other. Simply, the external paint for metal should be very stable and not lose its properties after several seasons. We will talk about what types of paints for metal are, their characteristics and which one is the best, in this article.

Nitro paint

Normal marker, also filled with nitro paint

The marking name of nitro paint is NTs, but for most it is more familiar as paint in spray cans. This is ideal when you need to paint a small product, and there is no desire to buy and breed a whole can. In addition, paint in spray cans is applied by spraying, therefore, stains from a brush or roller are excluded on the surface.

Paint is diluted with any brand of chemical solvent, and the higher the number in its name, the stronger the gloss of the painted surface will be.

As for the application of nitro paint, then you can use any available method, from a simple brush to a pneumatic spray gun. The only limitation is the foam rubber coat on the roller, which nitro paint instantly corrodes.

Of course, using such paint when working with large volumes is at least impractical, and there are more disadvantages to this material than pluses.

Minuses

It:

• Low adhesion to the surface, as a result, the paint becomes unusable after a few years.
• Very unpleasant and toxic smell, which is quite capable of harming health.
• Low resistance to ultraviolet rays. Simply put, the paint quickly fades in the sun.
• High consumption per square meter of area.
• Does not interact with other types of paints and dissolves them.

pros

It:

• Relatively low price especially if you buy paint not in aerosol cans, but in standard cans.
• Quick drying. You can work with nitro paint even at a negative temperature, and the time for complete drying will be only a couple of hours. And in the warm season, the complete drying of one layer takes several minutes.
• Ease of application in any way.
• If necessary, nitro paint can easily be removed with a normal solvent.

Important! It is absolutely impossible to work with nitro paints indoors. Caustic and toxic smell of chemical solvents, very harmful to health.

PF

PF 115 paint of a famous brand

Even 30 years ago, this was the most popular brand of paint, which covered almost everything. In fact, it can’t be called concrete paint on metal, as it is suitable for any surfaces, and due to its base, does not conflict with most types of primers and paints.

Paint is diluted with white spirit or solvent (see The better to dilute the paint pf 115), you can also use regular gasoline, but it will not give the coating a shine and gloss.

By the way, the widespread use of PF paints in the past is due not to their very high quality, but to the lack of an alternative. In fact, this material has a number of disadvantages that you need to know about when choosing PF brand paint for work.

Minuses

It:

• It dries for a long time.Full drying of each layer can take up to a day, and this is at room temperature, if you work in the cold, the paint may not dry at all.
• Work with PF paint is necessary only on the appropriate soil, since self-adhesion with metal is low.
• Poor quality paints very quickly fade in the sun and lose their luster.
• After drying, a slight discoloration of the coating is possible.

pros

It:

• High-quality paint can last for many years and not lose its qualities.
• Do-it-yourself paint can be applied in any way, and unlike nitro dyes, it does not corrode foam rubber coats.
• A huge variety of colors, and even if it was not possible to choose the right shade, the paint can always be tinted.

Important! Tinting the paint yourself, you need to make a small margin, since subsequently repeating the shade will not work.

Rubber paint

Rubber paint for metal, can be used even on the roof, creating additional protection

At one time, bitumen paint for metal, which was made on the basis of natural bitumen resin, was very popular and created a dense coating on the metal surface, which is not afraid of any effects.

A significant drawback of such paints was their ugliness, which is why rubber paint for metal was developed, which retained all the positive qualities of bitumen, but at the same time acquired a nice appearance and a whole series of positive qualities.

Minuses

• Quite expensive.
• High consumption per square meter.
• Difficulty applying. Not all application methods are suitable for rubber paint, but with any method, the coating should be uniform and without gaps.

pros

• High degree of metal protection from any environmental influences.
• Low degree of mechanical damage.
• Easy to remove if necessary.
• It can be used on a galvanized coating, and on the roof, as shown in the photo above.
• It lays on any surface and does not conflict with other paints.

Learn more about the process of applying rubber paint, you can watch the video.

Important! When working with rubber paints even in the open air, it is necessary to use personal protective equipment, since the paint itself is very toxic and even if it comes into contact with the skin can cause an allergic reaction.

Hammer paint

Brown hammer paint for metal, ideal for both hot and cold water pipes

Hammer effect paint, is considered to be one of the most persistent and durable. She is not afraid of the sun and water, and she does not give in to corrosion at all.

In fact, this is a three-component paint for metal, creating a specific pattern on the surface that resembles the potholes from hitting a metal with a blacksmith hammer. The paint is diluted with chemical solvents or xylene, but gasoline can also be used if desired, this will not affect the quality of the coating, especially if an unknown manufacturer is selected.

Finding the disadvantages of hammer paint is very difficult, but, unfortunately, they still exist.

Minuses

It:

• High price.
• Great expense.
• Certain application difficulty, especially if you need to paint a flat surface and a large area.
• If necessary, remove the old coating, it will be very difficult to do.

pros

It:

• It does not require preliminary priming and surface cleaning.
• High adhesion to metal.
• Resistant to mechanical damage.
• It is not afraid of ultraviolet rays and moisture, which allows you to fearlessly use hammer paint on the street.
• The texture of the paint is able to hide defects and bumps in the metal.
• A huge variety of colors.
• It retains all its qualities even after many years.
• It does not require regular refreshes.

Important! Hammer paint instructions require only solvents of the same grade.

Polymer blacksmith paint

German brand blacksmith paint

Of all the types of paints listed above, blacksmith enamel has the highest rates in all respects. Of the minuses, one can single out only the high cost and the need to use soil of the same brand, but given that the coating will last at least 20 years and at the same time do not lose its qualities, the price is high and more than compensated.

Outwardly, blacksmith paint resembles rubber, as it has a similar consistency, but in reality they have a completely different composition and binder component.

Of course, using such paint on surfaces with a large area is unprofitable, especially considering the high paint consumption, but if the financial issue is not so acute, then this is an ideal choice in all respects.

To summarize

Summarizing all of the above, we give for clarity a small table:

As you can see, the indicators for different types of paints are very different, so choosing them, you should be guided by personal preferences and financial capabilities.