PVC makes great edgebanding. It is durable, water resistant, easy to work with, and inexpensive. It is widely considered the premier option for synthetic edgebanding on the market. However, one drawback of PVC is that paint does not adhere well to its surface. To create a lasting bond, you need to scuff the surface of the PVC and apply a coat of primer before painting. This is not a difficult process, but for large-scale production, it can add a great deal of time to the project. For this reason, edgebanding manufacturers produce PVC edgebanding in an enormous variety of colors, often matching perfectly to a particular paint company to make it easy for cabinet makers to achieve a seamless result. Sometimes, however, the exact color needed for the project does not exist in PVC edgebanding production, and painting is the only option. The solution to this issue is Paintable PVC edgebanding.
What is Paintable PVC Edgebanding?
Paintable edgebanding is PVC edgebanding that has been prepared for painting; i.e., it has already been scuffed and primed, so you can go right ahead and paint it, straight off the roll. This can be a major time saver for cabinet makers who often work with custom colors, or need to make repairs or partial renovations to existing works. And even though edgebanding manufacturers do a great job of creating color matches for almost any project, many smart woodworkers always keep a roll of paintable PVC banding ready, just in case.
Are there different types of paintable edgebanding?
So is paintable PVC edgebanding the only kind that you can paint without preparation? No, but the list is short!
Wood Veneer Edgebanding
Natural wood edgebanding has a receptive porous surface that will take most paint very well. Priming the surface never hurts, but in most cases it is not completely necessary.
Paper Edgebanding
Some manufacturers offer a form of paper edgebanding that is very paintable. It doesn’t stand up to wood or synthetic materials in durability, but it can be appropriate in certain situations.
Painting PVC Edgebanding
If you need to paint normal PVC edge banding, first you need to scuff and prime it. This can be done before or after application of the edgebanding to your panels.
Priming PVC Edgebanding
- Using 220-400 grit sandpaper, make a quick pass over the whole length of the banding to be used. This can be done by hand, but a palm sander does a great job at this task because of the random oscillation. If you do this by hand, mimic the palm sanders orbiting motion to avoid visible striations.
- Apply a primer that is formulated for plastics by roller, brush, or sprayer. Once dry, you will have paintable PVC edgebanding!
Painting PVC Edgebanding
Like the priming process, the painting can be done before or after application of the edgebanding to the project panels. Here are some useful techniques.
- Pre-Painting: Many woodworkers build custom tubular rolls to paint their edgebanding before application. The edgebanding is fed from its roll onto the rotating tube (a 55-gallon drum on an axle, for example) and coiled around from one end to the other, allowing a great length of edgebanding to be spray painted at once.
- Stack and Paint: Some craftsmen prefer to paint the edgebanding after application. To paint many edges at once and achieve a uniform finish, they might stack the panels with the edges flush and paint them all together.
- Get Creative! Every problem in woodworking has many solutions, and you might just come up with something that no one else has done. Go ahead and try something new!
Conclusion
PVC edgebanding is great, and paintable PVC edgebanding is absolutely precious when you need it. Once the banding has been painted, it can be run through a bander or otherwise applied as normal, for a fantastic professional finish. We hope you have found our guide helpful and we wish you the best of luck with all of your projects!
Resources
https://woodweb.com/cgi-bin/forums/cabinetmaking.pl?read=813836
https://www.riwick.com/different-kinds-of-edge-banding/amp/
https://priedgebanding.com/products/edge-banding/polyester-banding/
https://edgebandingmanufacturer.com/can-you-paint-pvc-edgebanding
