Alternative to Matthews Paint on PVC due to fading

[paul luszcz]

We've been painting PVC with Matthews Paint for years because it looks good, has a nice satin finish and dries quickly. Lately we've been replacing one or two signs in a series of previously painted signs and are shocked at how much the paint has faded.

What do you recommend for painting PVC that won't fade? Is there a certain primer that will allow us to spray latex paint (surprisingly it seems to last much longer) on PVC? Do Chromatic Bulletin colors work on PVC and do they last?

 

[FatCat]

How much time has elapsed where the fading has occured? Did this sign face the South or West where it is getting more exposure?

Realistically, nothing lasts forever - I would assume most paints would show considerable fading after 5-10 years regardless. Even automotive finishes start looking rough after 8-10 years, especially when left outdoors with no waxing, cover, etc. We paint pretty much everything with Sherwin Williams latex outdoor Superpaint and advise our customers that in our climate 5-10 years should be what they are getting as far as lifespan goes with variables such as exposure and which direction it faces affecting the overall lifespan.

 

[visual800]

I coat all pcv with 2 part epoxy and shoot latex on it got some over 5 years out there

 

[paul luszcz]

What two part epoxy primer do you use?

 

[SignManiac]

Have you tried to use Matthews clear coat on top of your color? I had bought gloss clear originally for the times I might want a gloss finish, but just recently starting using the satin clear coat too. I use a lot of their metallics and they are supposed to be clear coated. You might five the satin clear over your color to see if that extends the life from UV fading?

I've only been using it a year now, so I haven't had stuff outside long enough to see any failures. Also, I don't know who is spraying your stuff, but the one thing we learned in training is that your mixing ratios are critical to the long term performance of the paint. They could not emphasize that enough.

And lastly, I would contact Matthews and let them know your stuff is fading and see if they can pinpoint the problem. They seem willing to help with any issues that might arise.

And lastly, lastly.... Are you putting the paint directly on the PVC or are you using any primer or some other undercoat first???

 

[MikePro]

spraying mathews for over a decade and we always clear-coat our finishes, matte/satin/gloss/etc., and have never had any issues with fading aside from anything you'd expect from 10yrs of exposure.

 

[paul luszcz]

We spray directly to the PVC without a primer and don't use a clear coat. I've had bad luck with clear coats and am reluctant to add the cost and time to every project. I don't mind using a primer if that would extend the life, I just don''t see how it would. Once the paint cures, it adheres very well, it just fades.

I consider five years premature for a two part paint that cost sbout $200/gallon with catalyst. I'm competing with latex paints that cost $55/gallon and last longer. Adding a clear coat would add 50% to the cost and possibly diminish the look of the finished product.

 

[castronovab]

I spray our PVC with Matthews TieBond then paint and clear coat to add durability.

 

[JBurton]

I spray our PVC with Matthews TieBond then paint and clear coat to add durability.

Just wanted to point out this thread is from 2013, though your advice probably still holds true, the op looking for help has probably figured it out by now.
Welcome to the forum though, always good to have someone knowledgeable about paint around here.