Wood Finish (PWF™) still pointing the way forward.
Project Overview:
Back in 2012 we were asked to coat hundreds of wayfinding and information signs, and car park meter surrounds, for six Anglian Water reservoirs in the midland region. Over subsequent years one of our Directors has made regular visits to the Rutland Water reservoir and has been able to see how the coating is performing.
The Requirement
The reservoirs are all surrounded by beautiful natural or manmade landscapes and the client’s brief was for signage that would be robust, blend in and require minimal maintenance. In the past, wooden signs might have been used but without constant maintenance across all six sites the wood would begin to deteriorate through warping, rot, discoloration and bleaching.
The Solution
By using aluminium and galvanized steel, strong signs could be constructed in various shapes and sizes. A shade from our Wood Finish powder coating range was chosen to give the warm natural look of wood at the same time as providing the metal with protection from everything that might be thrown at it - wind, rain, snow, sunshine, grass cutters, dogs, bicycles, overgrown hedgerows and anything else that a public park might offer. The signs were set up on a ‘fit and forget’ basis, needing no maintenance apart from the occasional rinse down with clean water.
Revisited 2021
See the video! A visit in Feb 2021, by one of Directors who lives close by, gives a close-up authentic view of the coating after 9-10 years. The finish itself looks as good as the day it was installed. It could do with a clean but that is all. Nearby features made from wood and some painted and laminated signs are not looking so good.
Benefits of Wood Finish (PWF)
- The appearance of wood with the fabrication flexibility of metal .
- Excellent resistance to abrasion and corrosion
- Low maintenance
- Adapts to curved surfaces and can be cut and drilled for fabrication.
- Available in over 35 shades in smooth or textured finish.
- PWF was formulated by Powdertech in 2000. We have considerable experience in applying this finish and advising on shade solutions and colour matching.
NOTE: PWF conforms to fire reaction standard A2,s1-d0.
Independent tests on PWF™ were carried out by PRA World to internationally recognised architectural metal finishing standards. The results confirmed the robustness of the product with excellent performance in all tests, including corrosion and abrasion and humidity resistance; colour and gloss stability and physical tests including bending, cupping, impact, sawing and many more. See the full results HERE.
