OVERVIEW

On many projects that involve Dibond® material, a small quantity of “custom color” panels is often required. Because of the limited quantity, it is often not practical to obtain the “custom color” from the factory and post painting is necessary. Several of the paint manufacturers have tested their products for use with Dibond® material. Following is a list of the paint suppliers, and the materials needed for post painting.

Painting should be done by qualified persons with experience in this type of application.

PREPARATION

The first step in the post painting process is an assessment of the substrate concerning the cleaning, pretreating and priming required prior to application of the finish. There are no standard procedures for all possible situations due to the variety and condition of the surface to be painted. Before painting, testing should be done on a small area to determine that the preparation, application, and adhesion of the finish are satisfactory. The coating adhesion between the post paint finish and the original coating must be carefully evaluated using common coating adhesion testing procedures. Also, color and gloss matching needs to be evaluated to provide an acceptable final appearance. If testing indicates poor adhesion, do not proceed. Contact the coating manufacturer for additional recommendations.

Metallic colors are difficult to repair and special procedures must be followed. Spray applications will not reproduce identical metal flake alignment obtained in the factory-applied finish. This is due to the application differences between coil-coated and post painted finishes.

APPLICATION

Before painting, always check the coating manufacturer’s application guidelines and follow the specific instructions shown on the product data sheet and application instructions. For specific recommendations or questions, contact your coating representative. The surface to be painted must be clean, dry and free of dust, dirt, oil, grease and foreign contaminants. Clean the surface according to the paint manufacturer application guidelines.

If recommended by the paint manufacturer, the curing of some paints may be accelerated through a moderate increase in temperature. For composite material, the temperature must never exceed 140°F. Where sanding is necessary, do not sand through coating to metal substrate.