06 — Electrostatic Spray
Electrostatic Painting
Metal refinished in place — balustrades, partitions, shutters, lift doors, kitchen equipment. Charged paint wraps around the object rather than landing only where the gun points.
nothing dismantled, removed or transported
the charge draws the paint to the earthed object
The paint leaves the gun with an electrical charge and the metalwork is earthed, so the atomised paint is drawn to the object and wraps around the back of it instead of passing it. That is the whole point: a balustrade, a shutter or a lift door frame can be refinished from one side, in place, to a sprayed finish.
What it replaces is removal. The alternative on a lift lobby or a partition system is to dismantle it, send it out to be stripped and powder-coated, and reinstate it — with the cost, the programme and the reinstatement risk that carries. Refinishing in place avoids all three, which is why it is specified on occupied buildings more often than on new ones.
The preparation still governs the result. Degreasing, abrading and the right primer for the existing coating are what make it hold; the electrostatic gun improves the transfer and the wrap, not the adhesion. We identify what is already on the metal before quoting, because that decides the primer.
Specification
| Equipment | Wagner 3-in-1 electrostatic · Aircoat · airless |
| Substrates | Steel, aluminium, cast iron, galvanised and existing powder-coated metal |
| Typical items | Lift doors and frames, balustrades and handrails, office partitions, shutters and roller doors, lockers and storage, commercial kitchen equipment and canopies, plant and machinery |
| Preparation | Degrease, abrade, spot-prime to the existing coating |
| Overspray | Contained; adjacent finishes masked and the area handed back the same shift where the programme allows |
| Delivered | In situ — no removal, no transport, no reinstatement |
| Warranty | 10-year workmanship |
Service life depends on the environment and the duty the metalwork sees. We specify the system against the existing coating and the exposure rather than publishing a single figure.
Questions
Is it cheaper than replacing the metalwork?
Materially cheaper in most cases, because the cost of replacement is rarely the item — it is the dismantling, the transport, the reinstatement and the time the space is out of use. We quote the refinish against your replacement price so the comparison is on your numbers, not ours.
Can it be done while the building is occupied?
Yes, and that is usually why it is chosen. Overspray is contained and the work is staged by lobby, level or zone. Low-odour systems are available where the space cannot be vacated.
Will it match the original factory finish?
It is a sprayed finish, applied in place, so it reads as a sprayed finish. Gloss level and colour are matched to a sample; we make a sample on a spare panel or an inconspicuous section before committing to the run.
What if the existing coating is failing?
Then it comes off first, or the new coating fails with it. We check adhesion before quoting and scope the preparation accordingly — on badly degraded metalwork replacement may genuinely be the better answer, and we will say so.