Everything You Need to Know About High Performance Finishes

When building your home, business, or other structure, you must have a surface that can withstand the elements that they will be exposed to.

Whether those are the outside elements of rain, sleet, hail, or snow, or the inside elements of bacteria exposure and human contact, high-performance finishes can increase the durability of your painted surface.

With most surface cleaners having an increasing amount of harsh chemicals, it is vital that your finish can withstand those chemicals to be properly cleaned. High-performance finishes are made to do just that!

There are several types of high-performance finishes to choose from, so the durability of your structure is easier to maintain than ever! Whether it’s for a commercial building or your home, a high-performance coating can provide peace of mind that your painted object will last and retain its structural integrity for many years!

A High-Performance Coating Can Accomplish Three Tasks

1. Protection from the elements or usage
2. Performance enhancement
3. Aesthetic appeal

When a high-performance coating is applied to a structure, it protects the surface from harsh chemicals, abrasions, corrosion, erosion,  and excessive use. This coating is applied on top of the structure, painted or not.

It increases the durability of the area and decreases the need for the structure to be re-coated in the near future.

Specifically, high-performance finishes can protect your commercial structures, floors, or any other structure highly exposed to harsh chemicals, either through cleaning practices or the purpose for which the structure is used.

This means that it can also protect the item from corrosion from wind, rain, sleet, hail, or any other natural element. This not only protects the surface on which it is applied, but it also protects those who may come into contact with said surface and the area around it.

A high-performance coating can also enhance the surface’s ability to do what it is intended for and more! For example, most construction projects involve drywall, concrete, and/or brickwork.

These can become vulnerable to cracking or chipping over time. However, when a high-performance coating is put on top of these materials, their longevity is increased as well as their durability.

This makes those materials much stronger than if they were not coated in this way. Another example is in a high-traffic pedestrian walkway. If that walkway were to get wet from rain or other liquids, it would become a dangerous fall risk for everyone.

When a high-performance coating is added to that walkway, it can provide a gripped, nonslip surface that is safe for pedestrians. This coating can bring your surfaces or structures to a new level!

This coating has many practical uses for protection and performance, but it can also add to or enhance its look and aesthetic feel. This may not be a feature that you notice right away, however.

High-performance coatings are, after all, a paint product, so their secondary function is to beautify a structure or space. This can include, but is not limited to:

• Fire hydrants: The red color helps them stand out in case of an emergency.
• Bridges: A bright color can help passing vessels visualize the amount of clearance they have.
• Sporting arenas: The coating can match the team colors
• Piping: Color-coding the piping can assist in differentiating between the chemicals within them.

Types of High-Performance Coatings

Several types of high-performance coatings perform differently for different elements and have unique characteristics:

• Pre-Catalyze Waterborne Wall Epoxy: Coating for interior walls that is easily cleaned, even with just water
• Waterborne Amine Epoxy: Coating mostly used on highly trafficked floors that has a lower odor than other coatings but requires a two-step application process of a primer and finish coat
• Alkyd Urethane Enamel: Coating for exterior structures or spaces exposed to harsh natural elements and/or require a bright color appeal, but is less used than other types
• Acrylic Direct-to-Metal (DTM) Enamel: Coating for commercial use that is quick and gets a lot of physical abuse that usually needs to be repainted often
• Aliphatic Acrylic Urethane: This coating is ideal for industrial application because of its resistance to abrasion and chemical exposure, as well as adding durability and shine

If you need a coating for your commercial area or within your home or outdoor space, call JMA Painters! Serving clients throughout Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi, JMA has a reputation for being reliable and communicative.

Our knowledgeable staff can help you find the coating that will best serve you or your company’s needs. Contact us today at 337-534-8665 for the Lafayette area and 504-229-2083 for the New Orleans area!