Chlorinated rubber paint – then and now

For many years, chlorinated rubber paint was extremely popular in Poland. The ease of application and affordable price made it considered a must-have during many renovations. As time passes, the question becomes whether this is still the case, or whether substitutes have appeared on the market that offer higher quality at a similar price? We will try to answer this question in the article below.

Chlorinated rubber enamel – coating properties

As mentioned earlier, chlorinated rubber paints have gained enormous popularity due to their ease of application. This property results primarily from their structure, because they are single-component paints that just need to be thoroughly mixed, diluted if necessary, and ready to be applied. Additionally, in many cases these products are quick-drying. The above factors allow even unskilled people to successfully carry out renovations using this paint.

Unfortunately, each system has its weaknesses and in the case of chlorinated rubber paints there are quite a few of them. Firstly, flexibility, or rather the lack of it. The coating created after painting with chlorinated rubber enamel is so stiff that the material is not susceptible to any work. Therefore, cracks very often occur, which over time cause separation from the painted surface - often in large flakes. Then the best way is to remove the entire coating and apply the selected system again.

Additionally, chlorinated rubber enamels, despite their wide range of applications, include: for concrete or metal, they will not work at all on galvanized steel. Also, its use as enamels for swimming pools or fences carries a huge risk associated with annual renovation after the winter. Temperature changes and the associated material contractions lead to the above-mentioned cracking of the coatings. Combined with the often not fully prepared substrate, this is a recipe for repeating the same work every season.

Chlorinated rubber paint and its alternatives

Due to the development of modern technologies, new solutions also appear in the world of building materials. They often represent a higher quality-price ratio, which often translates into benefits not immediately, but in the long term. Examples of such solutions may be:

• polyvinyls,
• epoxies,
• polyurethanes.

These are types of resins that provide longer protection of protected surfaces than traditional chlorinated rubber paint.

Chlorinated rubber and polyvinyl primer

We can combine these two types of paints in the context of use as anti -corrosive products. It is worth stopping here at the question of what corrosion ? The word corrosion comes from the Latin word Corrosio - eating. Under the influence of various types of chemical processes between the surface of a given material and its environment, it is degraded. Most often, however, this phrase is used in the context of metallic coatings.

Metal, along with temperature changes, becomes more or less plastic, and thus performs some work. The stiff material, which is chlorocauczuk, will not undergo this work, as a result of which the aforementioned cracks on the surface are created. Although corrosion protection itself is at the appropriate level, the durability of the coating leaves a lot to be desired.

Definitely a different solution will be soil or polyvinyl enamel, which thanks to its chemical structure is a more flexible coating in relation to the chlorocham. Thanks to this, it will not only provide adequate protection against corrosion, but also undergo metal plasticity. Importantly, polyvinyl paints, e.g. telryd S220, can be used directly to galvanized steel or aluminum, which is impossible for chlorocaacus paints. In terms of similarities to traditional chlorocaacus, the proposed solutions are also one -component and based on solvents.

An additional advantage of polyvinyl soil is the ability to dye them in any colors, e.g. from the RAL palette , which often cannot be done in the case of products based on a chlorocham. Then it remains to choose a color from the available color offer.

In summary, polyvinyl soil in combination with chlorocham paints will work better as anti -corrosion protection of fences, roofs and other metal constructions. Higher elasticity of polyvinates will ensure durability and continuity of coatings on the substrate subjected to continuous overloads.

Anti-corrosion protection of C4 and C5 metal structures

C4 and C5 corrosion class mainly applies to coastal and industrial areas, but also structures in swimming pool halls. Both chlorocoader and polyvinyl paint will only work in protecting coatings in corrosion classes to C3 . If the metal structure, which is to be covered with anti -corrosion paint, is in a chemically difficult environment, then dedicated systems based, e.g. anti -corrosive epoxy soils and surfaces, e.g. polyurethane, will work. A permanent system can be obtained by using these two different product groups. You can read more about these systems in the article: Selection of anti -corrosive painting systems.

Chlorinated rubber paint for swimming pools

As in the case of metal substrates, quick-drying chlorinated rubber coatings are still extremely popular for protecting swimming pools and ponds. The hard coating that forms after drying gives the impression of adequate protection. But is this really true? Most problems that appear after application are related to improper preparation of the substrate. In the case of chlorinated rubber paints, this is rarely noticed.

Swimming pools and ponds, which are usually located outdoors, are exposed to high humidity in the substrate. This mainly applies to concrete substrates. Most products require a substrate moisture content of less than 5-8%. Due to the high humidity in the air and frequent rainfall in our country, this translates into a parameter that is almost impossible to obtain outdoors. Closing moisture in the substrate with a coating that is uniform and impermeable to water may lead to the appearance of bubbles on the surface at high temperatures or even to the entire coating detaching.

To prevent such situations, it is recommended to apply an epoxy primer on a damp substrate. An example of such a preparation is Neopox® Primer WS , which creates an appropriate buffer between the water contained in the substrate and the surface layer. Thanks to this, the risk of coating detachment can be reduced almost to a minimum. It is also worth using products based on epoxy or polyurethane as a topcoat.

If a swimming pool or other body of water is exposed to sunlight, when choosing a coating, it is worth ensuring that it is resistant to UV radiation.

In this case, epoxies will not be the best solution as they often contain aromatic rings that absorb UV rays, which may cause the coating to chalk. However, there are modified paints for swimming pools and tanks that contain the addition of aliphatic resins, which makes them resistant to the above-mentioned conditions. An example is Neopox® Pool , which is certainly a worth considering alternative to chlorinated rubber paint. It is a two-component product that requires more concentration when applying, but the durability of the resulting coating is much longer when applied correctly than in the case of chlorinated rubber.

Neopox® Pool is available only in selected color variants, so when looking for a solution for a pool in a specific color, we also recommend Neodur® Pool . It is a polyurethane paint, fully resistant to UV and various chemicals. Unlike Neopox® Pool l, this product can be colored according to the RAL or NCS palette. Additionally, both Neopox® Pool and Neodur® Pool are suitable not only for concrete pools, but also polyester or metal ones.

Remember to use an appropriate primer and a well-prepared, degreased substrate. These types of products cannot be applied to the old chlorinated rubber coating, which is naturally weaker than the mentioned substitutes. This could cause epoxy or polyurethane coatings to crack. Therefore, if a swimming pool is being renovated after previously painting it with chlorinated rubber enamel, it must be completely removed.

Chlorinated rubber paint today

As it turns out, products based on chlorinated rubber have not only lost their former shine, but can also cause many problems related to peeling or cracking of the coating. Emerging substitutes based on modern polyvinyls, polyurethanes or epoxies will not only work perfectly in the same conditions, but will also reduce the risk of the above-mentioned threats. Excellent resistance to various types of mechanical and chemical factors, the ability to obtain a smoother coating, but also the availability of the product in the selected color translates into an increasingly frequent choice of these products by consumers.