How to prevent paint from passing through the masking film
Perhaps on some occasion you have heard a painter say that the paint has penetrated the masking film used precisely to prevent the paint from penetrating. How ironic.
There are several reasons why paint can penetrate film. We will start by explaining the operation of the masking film that we use in the production of our Masking Film Quick Mask® so that you better understand the possible causes that cause the paint to penetrate the film and thus avoid them.
The technical characteristics of a good masking film
First of all we are going to explain the qualities that a masking film:
- Electrostatic treatment. A good masking film must have an electrostatic treatment on both sides, this allows the film to adhere to the surface to be protected and at the same time attract paint spray.
- Corona treatment. Corona treatment is also essential. The treatment consists of small micro-perforations in the film that allow to catch more efficiently the microdroplets of paint that settle on the film. If the corona treatment is not carried out correctly, these microperforations are larger than normal and would harm the impermeability of the film.
- Straight and clean cut. The film must be cut straight and clean, this avoids deformations and elongations in the film that harm the aforementioned treatments.
Possible causes of the paint penetrating the masking film
There can be several reasons why the paint ends up going through the film used to mask the surface, but we are going to name the most common ones that we can surely avoid:
- First, mask with a film that does NOT meet the qualities named in the previous point. The film cannot be guaranteed to support the sprayed paint on its surface. If the corona treatment is not well applied, the microperforations could allow the paint to pass into the interior.
- The high temperatures that can be caught in a paint booth may start to soften the masking film and this will make it lose its qualities. The Daevi film guarantees its technical characteristics up to 90ºC.
- Apply excess paint. An overload of paint or enamel material on the surface causes damage to the paint such as sags. An overload of paint on the film also causes it to lose its technical qualities and end up going through the paint.
- High pressure in the paint gun. High pressure in the paint gun can even tear the film, facilitating the passage of the paint to the protected area.
Tips to avoid these problems
- Consult the paint annex dealer for the technical characteristics of the Plastic Masking Tape. In this way we ensure that we have the necessary specifications that will prevent the paint from penetrating the film.
- Avoid overloading paint during application. For this we must keep a distance from the gun to the surface of about 20-30cm, a lower distance would make the paint dripping. It is also necessary to keep the gun in a perpendicular position with the piece to be painted, avoiding tilting it up or down. A uniform spray pattern should be achieved by moving the arm up to a few thousandths of a second after releasing the trigger.
- Avoid painting at high pressure. In addition to the problems that may cause the masking film, we will be wasting paint and excessively staining the work area due to excess fog. You can do some initial spraying tests using water to avoid wasting paint. With the trigger pressed, you can adjust the pressure until the applied material looks uniform.
We hope that these tips have helped you in avoiding paint transfer problems in the film. And to guarantee that we will not have these problems, the best way is to trust the manufacturer Daevi, who since 1991 has been manufacturing and improving the masking products that are used to protect surfaces.
If you still have doubts or technical questions, you can contact our commercial department HERE.
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