What Is Enamel Spray Paint – Detailed Guide

Enamel is an amalgam of paints and possesses multiple characteristics, thus providing the perfect coverage solutions for all home hobbyists, art lovers, and professional painters. You can apply it using a brush, roller, or sprayer, while spray paint offers unbeatable ease of application and cleaning. Generally speaking, better knowledge and understanding of the skill makes its practical outcome better, so read this blog to know what is enamel spray paint.

What Is Enamel Spray Paint

Enamel Spray Paint—An Introduction

Enamel spray paints are oil-based, coverage-giving items that are also called hard-surfaced paints. However, enamel spray paints can be available in water-based formulations, so the thing that differentiates enamel paints from regular ones is “quality.” In general, enamel paints are better in quality and provide even, glossy coverage on an array of substrates. They are generally used to make the materials look flawless and durable.

The best thing about using enamel spray paint is its easy application. The enamel spray paints do not require specific surface preparation techniques and will not indulge you in messier painting methods like the use of brushes or rollers. Apart from the minimal work, you’ll get a super fine finish, so what else are you looking for? Not only that but there is also a lot more to understand about enamel spray paint so that you know how to deal with it and get picture-perfect results.

Before you opt for a painting technique you need to address a few things including budget, work requirements, and your level of expertise. If you’re a beginner, it is recommended to begin with sprayers because they are easy to handle, offer mess-free application, and give fine coverage to the material. However, if you’re a professional-level painter and have strong faith in your skills, you can go with brushes and rollers too.

Secondly, as far as enamel spray paints are concerned, the primary benefit you get is versatility. In other words, the enamel paints are compatible with both indoor and outdoor environments because of their excellent weather-tackling properties. You can paint your mailboxes, patio furniture, garage things, and more with the finest enamel paint, and you will not regret your decision. That’s quite general, let’s talk about the applications of enamel spray paint in detail.

Uses Of Enamel Spray Paint

The enamel spray paints are best suited for coating walls, decks, woods, fences, and indoor or outdoor furniture. Enamel sprays are also compatible with metals, and you can use them for covering gutters, sidings, rods, and more to give them a glossy appearance. If we talk about originality, the enamel spray paints are designed for hard surfaces because of their excellent abrasion resistance. I found them great for outdoor projects while you can also use enamel for DIY tasks.

From quick drying time to aesthetic appearance, the enamel paints are considered excellent for all home improvement to professional-scale tasks. In other words, there is no boundary when it comes to enamel spray paints—all thanks to their multi-functionality. However, as a long-term user, I’m sharing some idealistic uses of enamel spray paints shortly.

I found enamel spray paint excellent for covering casing windows and doors because of its ever-lasting nature. Metal is an ideal substrate for enamel spray paints because of its hardness, so if you’re going to paint metal furniture, railings, rods, cabinets, or anything inside or outside your home, there is nothing better than enamel spray paint. However, if the surface is not smooth, make sure to use sandpaper before you paint it to get the best results.

Believe me or not, the enamel spray paint is also suitable for floors; it gets stuck to concrete and provides a glossy and even finish to it. You can cover your garage floors, car porches, stores, and other spaces at home using enamel spray paints. Over that, the longevity of enamel spray paints makes them easygoing for baseboards, cabinets, furniture, and other home-oriented stuff.

For your information, enamel spray paints are oil-based paints that cover different surfaces in one go; however, to get the finest results it is suggested to do two coats. Enamel does not take more than fifteen minutes to dry completely, while the drying time varies with external conditions, especially temperature. Also, the consistency of enamel paints makes a difference in their drying period.

Enamel spray paints are combination paints and are typically mixed with acrylics, urethanes, varnishes, or epoxies. The fusion of different paints gives them multiple characteristics and thus makes enamel paint superior in quality. When using the enamel paint, you need to make sure that you’re not applying it in direct sunlight; otherwise, it will fade easily.

Durability Of Enamel Spray Paint

The durability of a painting matters a lot because surfaces have to cope with wear and tear, and ephemeral paint will damage the substrate too. None of us is ready to take such risks, so sequentially, oil-based enamel paints are considered the most important for their everlasting nature. They are specially designed for outdoor tough surfaces which are prone to weathering and external impact factors like moisture, rust, temperature, UV rays, and more.

Enamel paints are primarily of two kinds: water-based and oil-based, where water-soluble enamel spray paints are less durable than oil-based enamel paints. However, the benefit of flexibility you get with the water enamel sprayer is not available in oil-based enamel spray paint. If you’re a novice and want to know how to apply enamel spray paint, continue reading:

How To Apply Enamel Spray Paint

Oil-based enamel paints are thick in consistency and take more time to apply as compared to water-based enamel paints. Enamel paint emits a pungent odor and VOCs which can be detrimental to human health, which is a dark side of enamel paint. I wrote this to alert people who are allergic to fumes and strong smells; however, it’s not like something you can’t handle; it is just to make you use safety gadgets like face masks, goggles, ear protectors, and more.

On the other hand, water-based enamel spray paints are thin in texture, which brings a range of benefits; for example, they are very easy to handle, require no extra application time, emit no harsh odor or fumes, and are easy to clean. If you’re an entry-level user and are inexperienced, I strongly suggest you use water-based enamel spray paints instead of oil-based paints. However, you can make oil-based paints thin too by adding thinners to them.

Surface preparation is an important step to paint any material but as far as enamel sprayers are concerned, there is no such need to prime the surface because enamel paints have excellent adhesion properties. However, if you’re conscious of the porosity of surfaces, especially walls, you can use a primer to enhance the sticking properties of paint. I’m guiding a step-by-step guide on how to apply enamel spray paint for your assistance:

In the first step, you need to prepare the substrate using chemical adhesives like primers or mechanical methods like scuffing pads or sandpapers. You need to make sure that the surface is smooth, paintable, and completely dry. By using painter’s tape, mask the surface that you do not want to paint to get the best results. Now shake the spray can and start spraying the surface from a distance to give even and flawless coverage.

It is always suggested to cover the floor using an old sheet or cling film to avoid mess. Make sure to apply the first coat with light hands and let it dry completely. The first coat is considered a base coat, and once it gets completely dry, it’s time to spray a second coat, which will be thicker than the previous one. You can do as many layers as required based on the condition of the surface.

Drying Time Of Enamel Spray Paint

As I said before, enamel paints are thicker than acrylic or other paint types so they take more time to dry, however, you can decrease their drying period by diluting their consistency; for that purpose, add thinners to oil-based enamel paints and water to water-based enamel paints. The drying time also differs with the painting technique you’re using, for example, brushes apply a thick layer which takes more time to dry while sprayers apply a thin layer comparatively which takes less time to dry completely.

Advantages Of Enamel Spray Paint

Now that we have done a good discussion on “what is enamel spray paint”, it’s time to quickly go through the major benefits of enamel paint. The enamel spray paint has excellent adhesion properties, and it sticks to a wide range of surfaces including metals, ceramics, woods, and many other tough paintable materials. It leaves a hard, resistant, solid, and fine finish to substrates and makes them look flawless. No matter how much time has passed, the enamel paint will not turn yellowish.

In addition, the enamel paint is super durable and has incredible withstanding properties against water, corrosion, heat, UV rays, and more. Once you have painted a surface with an enamel sprayer, you can wash it easily and clean it using a damp cloth piece. Last but not least, the enamel spray paint comes in many different shades and is readily available in the market.

Disadvantages Of Enamel Spray Paint

Everything comes with perks and drawbacks, and enamel spray paint is no exception. There are a few disadvantages of enamel paint, like that it is smelly, contains a high level of VOCs, is comparatively more expensive than latex paints, and is not soluble in water. while the performance and overall results make it worth buying.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Difference Between Paint And Enamel?

Enamel paint is designed to give coverage to thick materials, usually metals, and it works well outdoors. In contrast, regular paint like latex or acrylic is water-soluble and not suitable for extreme conditions. Enamel paints are thick in consistency, take more time to dry, and are everlasting.

Is Enamel Spray Paint Strong?

Yes! When it comes to the strength of the paint, the enamel is the strongest of all and is best suited for tough surfaces. It shields the materials from weathering and other impact factors and leaves a shiny and eye-catching appearance to them.

Does Enamel Spray Paint Need A Clear Coat?

Enamel is an additive that is combined with other paints like acrylics and latex paints, so it usually possesses fused characteristics. Hence, the coat is not always required to be super clear, however, it also depends on the type of application.

Does Enamel Paint Need A Primer?

Not necessarily, but it also depends on the condition of the substrate. If you’re painting a wall with enamel paint, it is suggested to use a primer to enhance the porosity and sticking properties of the wall. However, to paint fences, furniture, floors, and other things, priming can be skipped.

Are Enamel Paints Waterproof?

Enamel paints are mainly of two kinds: oil-based enamel paints and water-based enamel paints, where oil-based enamel paints are waterproof. In contrast, water-based paints are soluble in water and are not suggested for outdoor use.

Bottom Line Of Enamel Spray Paint

Enamel spray paint provides a glossy appearance to surfaces and hides their flaws like concealer. It is durable enough to tackle exterior impact factors like direct sunlight, heat, water, corrosion, pressure changes, and more. No matter whether you’re a beginner or an expert, enamel paint is providing the best solutions to cover up various substrates like metals, woods, ceramics, PVCs, and so forth. The best thing is that it is readily available on the market in many vibrant shades.