

The benefit of colour-matching using a non-silicone sealant comes if you need to paint over it (such as spray-painting the side of a bus). You will not need to go over the sealant to ensure it is the correct colour. Once you have determined the colour you need and you have purchased the product, you apply the sealant and there are no further steps required. This, in turn, eliminates the need to paint over it. This colour-matching can be fine-tuned to the exact colour you require for your substrate. Some adhesive manufacturers can offer colour-matching of sealants (you can colour-match silicone too). I can imagine you’re thinking “but I’ll still need to paint over the other sealant?” Silicone is one type of sealant, so you can use another type of sealant (like MS polymer) in its place. You are probably wondering how this is possible. As the saying goes, “prevention is better than cure”. Why using a colour-matched sealant could be the best option for youĪs mentioned, we believe the best way to eliminate the risk of paint flaking or cracking after it has covered the sealant is to plan for the situation in advance. Several options are available to eliminate the need to paint over silicone, but you will need to plan ahead to ensure they work. You shouldn’t need to worry about paint cracking or flaking off after it has covered the sealant. Here at Forgeway, whenever we get asked for methods to paint over silicone we always say that you shouldn’t be in this situation in the first place. This method is commonly used when trying to find a way around the problem. Try etching the silicone with sandpaper to give more surface area for the paint to stick. If you have tried oil-based paint and it doesn’t work or you can’t use oil-based paint, there is still one other solution you can consider: As Emulsion paint is water-based, the silicone will repel the paint. The main reason for this is the hydrophobic nature of silicones. If you paint over the top of silicone with emulsion paint, the silicone will repel the paint. To begin with, we should explain that silicone and emulsion paints aren’t compatible. But, we have tried to simplify the answer as much as possible. This section is where we could get technical. Why is painting over silicone so difficult? So for the purpose of this article, we will explain why you cannot paint over silicone.

On the other hand, you will find it very difficult (pretty much impossible) to paint over silicone. You will not find it difficult to paint over sealants with a base chemistry of hybrid (MS) polymer or polyurethane. When people say to use a ‘silicone’, they likely mean to use a sealant. Sealants can be made up of one of several chemistries Silicone, hybrid polymers (like MS polymers) and polyurethanes to name a few. As the name suggests, a sealant is any type of adhesive that is used to ‘seal’ a gap or void. There are several different types of sealants. You may be thinking sealant and silicone are the same things. You won’t find it difficult to paint over all sealants. The sealant you’re using will determine how difficult painting over will be Once you have this base-knowledge, you’ll be able to assess your options. Instead, we promise to describe it in a simple way for you to understand. So, we aren’t promising to provide the most technical answer and the scientific cause. We understand that this topic can get quite complicated and confusing. We’ll then describe alternative methods of ensuring your sealant is the correct colour in the first place so you won’t need to paint over it. This article will discuss the cause of this issue and ways you might be able to paint over silicone.
#SILICONE PAINTDS HOW TO#
Now, you want to know how to ensure the paint will stick to the silicone. However, we believe you shouldn’t need to paint over your sealant in the first place.īut you may have already applied the silicone. Sound familiar? That’s because it is a widely-known statement.Īs adhesive specialists here at Forgeway, we know that you cannot paint over silicone. But you will need to paint over that sealant, and you have heard an answer like the one we gave above “No, you cannot paint silicone.” You may have found yourself in a situation where you need to apply a sealant. However, there are so many variables, and the less short answer should perhaps be “No, but you shouldn’t need to paint over silicone.” The very short answer is, “No, you cannot paint over silicone”.
