Great strides have been made in the auto industry recently when it comes to auto body repair. Paints are now more eco-friendly and many sustainable car parts are being released. When having your car repaired, one of the most crucial parts of the entire process is finding the right paint. That’s why it’s a good thing that you have two options: eco-friendly auto paint (waterborne) and traditional paint (solvent).
Types of Auto Paint
Although car owners can choose between both types of paint, the difference is in the material from which those paints were made.
Waterborne paints are mainly composed of water and only have around 10 percent of the solvent. Because of the rising health concerns over solvent-borne paints and the stricter environmental laws, more shop owners are making the switch to waterborne paint.
Solventborne paints are the traditional auto paints that have been used on cars for many years. They are primarily composed of a solvent base like enamel, urethane, and lacquer. Unlike waterborne paints, these paints have huge amounts of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Fewer people are using this kind of auto paint due to environmental and health concerns surrounding solvent.
Which is the Better Option?
A lot of shops have expressed their concern over whether waterborne paint adheres the same way as the traditional solvent paint. The good news is that modern technology has made it possible to create water-based paints that are still high-quality.
Because of this, more and more auto body shops are changing to waterborne paints not only to meet the environmental regulations but also to keep the best interests of their employees at heart.
Waterborne Coating: What are the Benefits?
When people learn about the multiple benefits of waterborne auto paint, the process of choosing becomes so much easier.
Dries fast. If you’re tired of waiting a long time for an auto body repair paint job to dry, waterborne auto paint is the best choice for you, since it dries more quickly than traditional paint does.
Accurate color match. Less tinting is needed for this paint, making it easier to find a highly accurate color match. Whether you need a small spot repair or complete paintwork, you are sure to achieve great color.
Better coverage. Waterborne paint is high-performance, which means it’s easy to blend and has excellent coverage. Therefore, you don’t need a lot to achieve the same result as with solvent-borne paint.
Low VOC level. Waterborne paint has fewer harmful emissions, which makes the coating more beneficial to the environment. In fact, this kind of paint is odorless even during the painting process. That only means that it’s much safer to use compared to the traditional one.
Consumers now have to make a choice between finding an effective product and one that is the best for the environment. What’s good is that they never have to make that tough choice in terms of paint for an auto body repair job. The eco-friendly auto paints we know today work effectively, which means you no longer need to stick to solvent-based paints that are not good for the planet.