Are you looking for a quality paint but are unsure when it comes to chemistry? Read our article below to find out just why polyurethane paints make great finishing coats.
So…What Is So Great About Polyurethane Paints?
Firstly, polyurethane paints make ideal topcoats in a protective system. Many polyurethanes offer a very high gloss level and are on the whole extremely colour fast. This means their colour retention is far superior to products such as epoxies. Also, polyurethane paints tend to be much thinner than epoxies. Therefore, PU paint typical coverage rates will be around 12 – 15 m2 per litre. Epoxies however are known as a high build product. They can typically cover 3 – 8m2 per litre.
Polyurethane paints are often used in combination with epoxies as a system. Professional contractors typically use paint systems for street furniture on UK highways. These systems sometimes consist of a 2 pack zinc phosphate primer, a 2 pack epoxy build coat, and a PU topcoat.
Polyurethanes are incredibly tough. However, the main purpose of PU paints is to give the substrate a nice shiny finish. This in turn results in a more water repellent surface. PU paints give an extra layer of protection against water ingress. They also protect against UV damage, meaning the colour retention is increased.
You can also apply PU paints in places such as sport hall floors that require a hard glossy clear finish. Promain often specify polyurethanes on bar tops and table tops. This is as they are chemical and abrasion resistant.
Polyurethane Paints For Floors
Promain regularly specify polyurethane paints on floors due to their high coverage. This ensures they are an economical solution to our clients. Polyurethane floor paint is an urethane floor coating that offers good abrasion resistance and colour retention. So, if you are painting your conservatory floor on a south facing building, your floor will fade far less rapidly than an alkyd or an epoxy.
Due to the thin build nature of PU floor paints, many people use a high build epoxy underneath them beforehand. This helps to even out any undulations, making them perfect as a garage floor paint.
Promain provide a wide range of polyurethane garage floor paint. Polyurethanes are ideal for garage floors as they do not suffer from hot tyre pick up like an alkyd would. Take a look at this article to find out more:
However, the best garage floor paint would be a 2 pack epoxy. Read our articles on garage floor paint to decide what is best for your circumstance:
- How To Paint A Garage Floor
- Sika Garage Floor Paint at Ferrari Manchester
- What Is The Best Floor Paint For My Garage?
Promain’s Best Polyurethane Floor Paints
Promain’s technical team suggest these products if you are looking for a polyurethane coating floor paint:
- Pronto 300:600 One Pack PU Floorcoat – A relatively fast drying floor paint which dries to a hard durable finish. This floor paint is ideal for general maintenance of floors used for safety areas, pedestrian walkways and more. Pronto 300:600 PU gives good resistance to common garage spills such as petrol, lubricating oils, mild alkalis, dilute mineral acids (including battery acids), grease and water.
- Flag Polyurethane Floor Paint – A hard wearing, economical floor coating that has been designed to seal and colour concrete floors in environments such as factories, warehouses and garages.
- Bradite DP5 Floor Paint – A high performance, hard wearing single pack flexible floor coating for use on interior concrete, wood or steel.
- Blackfriars PU Floor Paint – For use on garage floors, workshop floors and factory floors etc. and externally on paths, drives and paving slabs.
If you would like help deciding which polyurethane paint is best for you, contact our technical team for a discussion.
Polyurethane Paints For Wood
Acrylics are ideal for using on wood as they can expand and contract. However, acrylics such as Bedec MSP or Teknos Woodex Aqua Solid are ideal for painting onto wood as they are elastomeric. This means they last as the timber expands and contracts across the seasons.
Clever chemists have also made acrylic / polyurethane wood paint combinations. The benefit of an acrylic paint that contains polyurethane is that the acrylic will expand, and the polyurethane will make the paint far more durable.
Great polyurethane paints for wood include Rust-Oleum XPE or Bedec Aqua Advanced. If painting indoors, Bedec Aqua Advanced is ideal for internal woodwork. We recommend using it on wooden skirting boards and door frames that often get a bashing from children and vacuum cleaners.
Another great polyurethane wood paint is Tikkurila Everal Aqua. Tikkurila Everal Aqua offers high levels of resistance to UV and is ideal for use internally and externally on wood. This makes it perfect for wooden garden items, door frames and interior wood furniture. This product is tintable to over 13,000 different colours and is available in 3 different gloss levels allowing for maximum choice.
What Kind of Paint To Use On Polyurethane?
Depending on the polyurethane item, it is best to call our technical team for advice prior to applying a paint. We regularly provide specifications for awkward materials. We always recommend to check with us so that you use the correct adhesion primer beforehand.
Conclusion
As always, contact our technical team for any enquiries regarding PU paints application and preparation. Our technical team can provide you with the best polyurethane coating for concrete and any other materials you wish to coat.
Alternatively, take a look at these categories below to see our full range of coatings:
You might have found this article while looking for:
- polyurethane over paint floor
- polyurethane paint black
- or polyurethane paint white
