Your Guide About Our Modern Elite Planters
There are many different planter materials suitable for a commercial planter project, such as fiberglass, COR-TEN, molded plastic, and aluminum. But what commercial planter fits the project budget, the specific location requirements, and the design? We believe that the powder-coated aluminum planter is the best choice for most projects. This is because it is lightweight, durable, customizable, and comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.
At PureModern, we offer some of the most durable aluminum planters on the market. This is because we use a marine-grade aluminum, which is alloyed to make our aluminum planters. Alloyed aluminum is very durable because it can withstand constant contact with moisture.
Once the aluminum planter has been fabricated to the desired shape and size, it is powder-coated, adding another layer of durability. This powder-coating process—combined with the marine-grade aluminum material—creates a superior product suitable for all interior or exterior commercial applications
What Are Powder-Coated Aluminum Planters?
Powder-coated aluminum planters are planters that are colored with a powder. To color the planters, the powder clings to the metal by static electricity. Then, it is heated to create a hard coating on the metal. This process creates a much more durable finish, then if the metal were painted.
There are four steps to powder-coating aluminum metal.
The Four-Step Process:
A prepaint coating is applied to the aluminum planter.
The planters are heated to ensure the prepaint coating dries evenly and thoroughly.
The metal planter is electrically charged. This is done because the powder-coating adheres by static electricity and the powder is sprayed on the aluminum
The planter is heated to cure the powder-coat.
The Small But Important Details of Powder-Coating
Though powder coating is a fairly simple process, there are a few important details to ensure that the powder-coat will create a long-lasting, durable finish.
Type of Powder Coat
For our planters, we use a VOC-free TIGER Drylac® Series 38 architectural-grade powder coating to powder coat the planter inside and out.
VOCs, also known as "volatile organic compounds," are found in many building materials. In fact, they're partially responsible for that familiar "new paint" smell. These chemicals are government-regulated as they can sometimes be unstable—letting off gasses which can be unhealthy to people and the environment.
That's why it's a priority at PureModern to use VOC-free coating. Furthermore, TIGER Drylac® Series 38 is AAMA 2604 compliant.
This powder-coating is often used in military equipment and communication towers. It has proved to be weather and UV-ray resistant—based on five-year Florida exposure—which means your planter will have significant longevity as a permanent part of your commercial space.
The Curing Process
The curing process is also referred to as cross-linking because when heat is applied to the powder-coat, it melts and chemically reacts.
This chemical reaction forms network-like structures that are created by a higher molecular weight polymer. This is an important part of the process because a high molecular weight means there is a higher degree of molecular entanglement. The higher the entanglement, the more difficult it is for the bonds to break, which means the powder-coated layer on the metal is not easily damaged.
Benefits of Using Powder-Coated Aluminum Planters?
The main benefit of powder coating aluminum is that once the powder coating cures, it creates a durable finish that causes the marine-grade aluminum to last for years. However, durability is just one of the many benefits of powder-coated aluminum. Some of the other benefits are listed below.
Creates a superior life-time product
Powder coating covers the grinding marks from fabrication
Many color options to match the design
Custom size, shapes, and colors are possible
When to Use Powder-Coated Aluminum Planters?
PureModern commercial-grade powder-coated aluminum planters are perfect for a project that requires low-maintenance and lightweight metal plant containers. These aluminum planters will also withstand extreme weather conditions as well as endure high-traffic areas.
We also recommend commercial-grade aluminum if you need a customized planter. Aluminum planters are available in a variety of sizes, shapes, and configurations. Although powder-coated aluminum planters are typically more expensive than other options, they are the best option, especially when a custom planter is needed.
Powder-Coated Aluminum Planter Projects
Many of our client’s projects have used powder-coated aluminum planters because of the flexibility for custom options, durability, and longevity of the planters. View a few of our projects below if you need some inspiration or an idea of our capabilities.
Powder-coated heavy gauge 5052 marine-grade aluminum alloy planters are a superior product suitable for all interior or exterior commercial applications. Call, chat with us, or fill out a request for a quote if you are ready for an estimate.
