Every mural in the industry is painted with a formulated paint – Easy wash, weather resistant, abrasion resistant. However sometimes we just might need some extra protection due to external factors. This post is all about protective paints for murals.

The paint used will be transparent Polyurethane paint – Where the paint will be mixed with a hardener. There are 2 types of textures for Polyurethane paints – Reflective or Matt. Depending on the type of finishes required, reflective paints gives you a shine finish like how certain oil paintings look like, while matt finish has a slight shine as well.

Where to use protective coating

1. Hall ways – When they are many foot traffic which may expose the mural close to scratches or bumps.
2. Event halls – Similar to above where people gather around close to the mural.
3. Floors – When the mural is painted on the floor and needs a little more reinforcement. (Murals painted on floors using epoxy or Polyurethane paint. Please refer to my other post for more information on floor murals). Can be used for car porch.
4. Shine effect – Painting on faux marbles, table tops
5. Sea shore – Murals exposed to salty atmosphere

The idea is that protective coatings shield and reinforces the mural from harsher abrasion and chemicals.

Examples of protective coating on walls

Notice how the colour of the mural deepens after coating. The light reflections can be seen.

When is protective coating not required

Coatings are not expensive but may also not be required depending on the situation. Here are some reasons to skip protective coating altogther.

1. barricaded – If it is out of reach of heavy traffic
2. Right paint used – If the mural is outdoor, and a weather paint is used for the mural, applying this will be counter productive and affect the elasticity properties of the weather paint and loses the weather resistance properties.
3. Matt surface – If the mural requires matt surface or reduce in reflective properties in carparks or roads.

Do not use car porch or stone paints

Slate (used in Car porch or stone) paints are slightly cheaper and is commonly used in car porch or landscaping where the surfaces need protection from abrasion or molds.

The main problem with car porch paints is it will give out yellowish stains over the course of painting even with a solvent based roller which may affect the mural over white colour areas. Polyurethane paint does not have this issue of yellowish stains. Such paints are also not as strong as hardened Polyurethane paint with lack of hardening additives. The price of the paint varies depending on brand but if the sole purpose is to protect the mural from abrasion, we strongly recommend Polyurethane paint and skip the headache.

Summary

Protective coating does not guarantee mural preservation. And in some case, it might be counter effective. The cost itself is not expensive similar to applying a layer of sealer however do take into other considerations above before applying a protective coating. There are also other types of protective coating such as water repellent but in our experience nothing is as superior as the Polyurethane paint which does the perfect job for the perfect outcome.

If you have any questions or need service in applying protective coatings, feel free to reach out Han at 0166850069.