A Closer Look At Powder Coating

A fascinating element to making steel barn-style lights is the additional variable of powder-coating. For any steel fixture, powder coating is something we feel should come as an industry standard. However, for wall and ceiling steel fixtures, the need for powder-coating cannot be overstated – it’s crucial, especially if you plan to have your fixtures situated outdoors. 

But just what are the benefits of powder coating, and what goes into the process? Unfortunately, it’s tricky to answer quickly as powder-coating is not entirely straightforward compared to other techniques. 

The results of powder coating are, however, easy to see. You will never see a more rigid fixture for the home or business quite like powder-coated steel. Whether it’s the biting wind and snow of the coldest winters or the blistering heat of warm summers, a well-applied powder-coating will stand up to the best that can be thrown at it.

In this blog, we’re going to break down some of the best features of powder-coating and the process of application. This should give you a better idea of its usage and how it can best be utilized to maximize your home or business!

So, without further ado, let’s get to it!

A Lasting Impression

Starting things off, we’re going to emphasize just how tough a powder-coated fixture can be. By that, we mean really tough. So tough that when durability is spoken about as a general concept – people use powder-coating as an example. 

A lot of this comes down to how powder-coated materials adhere to surfaces. Rather than the simple application of paint that we know and love. Powder-coating takes the process to a new level. Whereas regular paint will simply stick to the surface of the object it’s applied to, powder-coated paint bonds to the surface, gelling together to form a single material during the curing process essentially. 

This bonding allows powder-coated materials to be used in new ways not possible with regular paint. For example, powder-coated steel can be bent and flexed as much as you want, with the powder-coating bending and changing with the steel. 

The ability to bend and change with the steel surface of our farmhouse-style lights means that scratches and corrosion become far less of an issue. Thus, making our steel wall and ceiling fixtures unbelievably durable, whether outdoors or indoors. 

Maintain Your Good Looks

While we’re on the subject of durability, it’s also worth mentioning how great powder-coating is for maintenance. 

There are many materials and techniques out there that are super tough and can withstand all sorts of punishment. While things like Teflon and aluminum come to mind, of course, the problem with a lot of these types of materials is that maintenance is a constant issue. 

As it turns out, maintenance is not so much a  problem for powder-coating. In fact, it’s kind of the opposite. Cleaning powder-coated steel is as simple as wiping a wet cloth across the surface, with some soap as well, if you’re feeling fancy. This is a pretty big deal to us because it means you don’t have to worry about potentially dangerous cleaning agents or specific chemicals that can damage your steel light fixtures. 

Instead, with just a little bit of elbow grease,  you can keep your powder-coated fixtures in tip-top condition. 

All The Colors

While durability and maintenance are essential elements of any purchase,  let’s be honest here for a minute and admit that powder-coating looks pretty nice as well. 

Powder-coating your steel fixtures affords you all of the same aesthetic benefits of regular paint, but with the added benefit of being seriously tough. However, at its core, powder-coating is still a method to apply paint to a surface.  This makes it fantastic for finding the right shade or tone for whatever design idea you might have. So, while the business of steel can be tedious on the surface, making a move to powder coating can be fascinating. 

We’re not joking either; the nature of powder-coating means that customization is a massive part of any process. Even better, customization of features can happen at every level of your build, ensuring that decision-making is as easy as possible. 

As a supplier and manufacturer, this level of customization and aesthetic appeal means that our customers get to have a complete experience with their steel barn-style fixtures while avoiding premium charges simultaneously. 

Cost Management

If everything we’ve written above didn’t already indicate where this is going, then we’ll just have to say it directly. Powder-coating is a godsend for ensuring the cost-effectiveness of your steel fixture. 

Powder-coating is applied using an electromagnetic charge that courses through the powdered pigment and bonds the pigment to the material. All the while, no chemicals or solvents are required for the bonding to occur. As a result, powder-coating leaves behind a relatively small amount of wasted pigment and does not incur any additional costs. Even better, when done well enough by a professional, powder-coating usually doesn’t require more than a single coat to be effective, thus reducing application cost even more!

Going Green

Carrying on from cost, a final aspect to powder-coating that hasn’t been touched on is, of course, the environment. It’s an inconvenient truth about the steel industry that pollution can be a significant issue. 

As we previously mentioned, powder-coating is solvent-free and chemical-free in its application. This runs counter to traditional painting methods, making it the ideal choice for environmentally conscious consumers.  Additionally, the waste that results from powder coating is much less than conventional paint, with the method usually only requiring a single coat to be effective. This makes powder coating a much faster technique. 

Less waste and less time spent on application mean that powder-coating is far superior to traditional paint methods when it comes to being environmentally aware. The lack of dangerous chemicals and solvents also make powder coating far cleaner in the long run. 

It also carries on to maintenance, with the lower need for special cleaners and solutions, making powder-coating a cheaper and more environmentally conscious solution. Throw in the fact that steel-barn style fixtures are also tough enough to last far longer than regular lights, and you have the perfect solution for your home and business. 

Steel Lighting Co. has an awesome selection of colors for powder coating that will suit any style or purpose, whether it be for business or the home! If you need help making the right choice then contact our friendly team at Steel Lighting Co., as we have experts who are more than happy to give some advice and recommendations on what kind of steel barn light can best suit your needs based on your preferences/requirements.