For multiple reasons, patio furniture refinishing is an entirely different beast from refinishing indoor furniture. Outdoor furniture receives the worst that Mother Nature has to offer: sun, rain, hail, snow, and humidity, especially if you’re in Houston. Refinishing a furniture piece yourself can be a fun and interesting DIY project, but there are times when it’s just not worth it; it could be due to extensive damage of the piece or the amount of time and effort required to perform the job in a non-professional setting. In these cases, it’s better to work with a professional outdoor furniture refinishing company that is capable of restoring your furniture to its former glory.

Companies that offer patio furniture refinishing services should have a detailed restoration process that they are capable of explaining to the customer; this shows that they understand the process from top to bottom, and is a good indicator of experience and expertise in the process. A professional outdoor furniture refinishing company should perform the necessary preparations, including the removal of previous coatings to clear the surface of contaminants as well as to prepare it for the new coating to be applied.

Once the surface preparations are complete, the actual refinishing process can begin. An experienced and patio furniture refinishing company will understand the value of multiple coats, thoroughly coating the entire piece, to ensure that it’s fully protected from the elements. Processes like powder coating involve moving the piece back and forth between coating areas and curing ovens to ensure a uniform flow of the coating material, which ultimately results in a more equal and level finished coat. Quality control is also an important part of the process. An experienced outdoor furniture refinishing company, like Houston Powder Coaters, will ensure that each step of the process is monitored to provide the highest quality product.

Outdoor furniture refinishing services are especially important in an area like Houston. Although we love the outdoor life, we also have to be mindful of the threats that the elements pose to outdoor furniture: sun, rain, and near-constant humidity combine to make Houston, and the Gulf Coast in general, a difficult place to keep up a good set of outdoor furniture. No one wants to go to a barbecue or a simple patio get-together to be greeted with rusty or corroded furniture.

That’s where outdoor furniture refinishing comes in, and specifically powder coating in Houston services. Although there are a few options for refinishing your lawn and patio furniture, powder coating offers one of the most consistent and high-quality finishes compared to other processes like painting.

Professional outdoor furniture refinishing services that utilize powder coating begin with robust, thorough, and effective methods of surface preparation, including removal of previous coatings through burn-off, abrasive blasting, or hand-etching techniques. These processes are more effective in removing contaminants than any DIY process like using wire brushes in preparation for a coat of paint. Having a clean surface free from impurities is one of the most important aspects of getting a long-lasting and high-quality finish; therefore, if the longevity of your furniture is important, it’s worth the investment in professional outdoor furniture refinishing services.

In the pursuit of bringing hydrocarbons to market, there are many obstacles, both natural and man-made. Some of these difficulties can be circumvented, but others, like corrosion, are unavoidable. As much as oil and gas production companies would love to dodge this process altogether, it’s a natural part of chemistry and physics, and it’s not going anywhere any time soon. Over the decades, many technologies have been created to resist or prevent corrosion-damage to pipelines. These pipelines are essential to the delivery of hydrocarbons, but are susceptible to corrosion damage from the heat, moisture, and abrasives that are often present in these working conditions. One such technology used in the battle against corrosion is fusion bonded epoxy coatings (FBE).

FBE coatings are supplied by multiple manufacturers. Axalta is a leading provider of protective coatings throughout North America, offering an array of high-tech FBE options. Axalta Nap-Gard® 7-2500 Fusion Bonded Epoxy is one such coating, designed to provide corrosion protection in the demanding oil and gas production environment. In addition, Nap-Gard® 7-2500 is used in transporting wastewater and saltwater, each of which present their own challenges that must be addressed.

Nap-Gard® 7-2500 is designed to provide protection for both internal and external surfaces of pipeline. The protection of both surfaces is important: internal surfaces are exposed to chemically-active hydrocarbons, while outside surfaces can be exposed to high heat, high pressures, and abrasives such as salt. The 7-2500 specification is formulated to withstand high temperatures of 107°C (225°F)—vital heat protection in the unforgiving oil and gas production environment. In addition to providing this protection for oil and gas applications, the product complies with NSF-61 specification, meaning that it’s approved for transporting potable water.

Powder coating has been around for several decades—specifically since the 1940s. For most of its history, the technology and materials used in the process are widely utilized in industrial applications that require specialized protective coatings. However, multiple fusion-bonded systems are now available to the average consumer who find simple kits for surprisingly cheap prices.  Since powder coatings are more effective at protecting surfaces than simple paint, using it for the purposes of outdoor furniture refinishing (or other hobbyist projects) can be very attractive to the DIY-minded.  However, there are several reasons why professional powder coating services are worth a little extra investment.

Whether you’re looking to powder coat something yourself or send it to a small shop that promises big results, be aware that there are many factors that can and will affect the final quality of the finish. Commercial/industrial powder coaters operate under strict regulations, work with high-end and expensive commercial equipment, and bring decades of experience with them.  A DIY home powder coating kit might claim to offer safe application, but it’s naive to overlook the many protections that professional powder coaters put into place.  Proper ventilation, respiration, and handling/disposal of the powder & media all require careful consideration.

Also, professional coaters follow surface preparation and quality control standards that far exceed the capabilities of amateurs.  The removal of rust, grease, and other contaminants ensure a clean surface for which the powder will adhere to.  Furthermore, deep anchor patterns created by these processes allow for the powder to sink further into the metal to better protect against dings, chips, and abrasions.  As you can guess, these services cannot be offered by anyone other than a professional powder coating facility.