FAQ Answered: What is ‘Marine Grade’ and why is it important?

With most Australians living along the coast, building houses to withstand the harsh environmental conditions of seaside living is pretty important. Whether you live 5cm or 5km from the ocean, you need to consider the effect of sea spray on your powder coating.

Most people don’t realise that salt particles are highly corrosive for common powder coatings. If the product isn’t made for marine applications, salt will permeate the coating over time, causing it to powder and break down.

Marine grade powder coating is specifically engineered to withstand marine environments. It has passed the Acidic Salt Spray Test, which is an accelerated corrosion test that correlates with the expected life of the coating in coastal applications.

The test works by taking samples of DecoWood and cutting a cross into the powder coating, right down to the base metal. The test pieces are then placed into a cabinet where an aggressive mix of salt and acids are sprayed over them for a certain period.

In order to meet the strict international and Australian standards for corrosion resistance, DecoWood passed 2000 hours of the Acidic Salt Spray Test, double that of standard powder coating and any other woodgrain finish on aluminium available in Australia.

Windows and doors are a major home investment, so you want to get as much life out of them as you possibly can. Marine grade powder coating is the only way to go, particularly if you live within a kilometre of the coast.

Read more about Extreme Exposure Testing
Read Interpon’s article on specifying powder coating for marine environments
Visit the Qualicoat website