Is Powder Coating better than Hand Painting?

The choice is yours but how do you decide? M S Steelwork Ltd has fabricated the goods and now comes the decision for the final finish. Our guide will help you decide on the best outcome for your project and budget.

Powder-Coating

1. Much more durable than hand painting

· Forms a hard, baked-on finish that resists scratches, chips, corrosion, and UV.

· Great for outdoor items (furniture, automotive parts, railings, machinery).

· Requires an electrostatic sprayer and an oven to ‘cure’

2. Uniform, smooth appearance

· No brush strokes.

· Consistent colour and thickness.

3. Environmentally cleaner

· Contains no solvents and emits almost no VOCs.

· Overspray can often be recycled.

4. Long-lasting

· Typically lasts 2–3× longer than most paints.

5. Fast curing

· Items ‘cure’ in a powder-coating oven, and are not dependent on fine weather

Hand-Painting

1. Cost & equipment

· Hand-painting: cheap, no special tools.

2. Repairs & touch-ups

· Easy to touch up paint

3. Heat-sensitive materials

· Items that can’t withstand heat must be painted instead.

4. Small, detailed, or on-site jobs

· Easy to hand paint items that are already on-site and cannot be removed.

Summary

Feature	Powder Coating	Hand-Painting
Durability	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐-⭐⭐⭐
Cost	Higher	Lower
Appearance	Very smooth, uniform	Depends on skill
UV/Weather resistance	Excellent	Good–moderate
Touch-ups	Hard	Easy
Best for	Outdoor metal, heavy use items	DIY, repairs, large or heat-sensitive items

If you are still unsure, please contact M S Steelwork Ltd on 01323 871777 or email us on info@mssteelwork.com We’d be happy to help.