Among car enthusiasts, the trend is to treat the car with liquid rubber. Using a two-component mastic, you can improve the appearance of your vehicle.
When asked by car owners how much it costs to coat a car with liquid rubber, experts answer that this technology reduces the price of conventional painting several times. Such tuning is a practical way that allows you to make your car stand out from the crowd. At the same time, the car is reliably protected from chips and damage on the highway.
What type of paint is this
Liquid rubber (rubber paint, liquid vinyl, plastidip) is a special type of rubber-based coating that is resistant to impacts, moisture, ultraviolet radiation, and significant temperature changes.
In fact, liquid rubber is a seamless waterproofing material for application to various surfaces.
The main components of plastidip are bitumen and water, chemically reduced to a uniform liquid consistency.
The main advantage of such a coating is the ability to apply it without smudges to any surface, including uneven, horizontal or vertical.
General information
First of all, it should be said that today there are several different types of “rubber” liquid coatings, such as polymer mastics, paints and even automotive liquid rubber films, which are easily removed after application . Rubber paint made on the basis of acrylic resins is very popular among them.
Rubber paint
Characteristics
This composition is called liquid rubber due to the fact that after drying it forms an elastic surface resembling rubber. At the same time, with its properties the material resembles polymer mastics.
In particular, the following characteristics can be distinguished:
- Heat resistance;
- Excellent waterproofing properties.
- High ductility, which is why the material got its name.
- Adhesion exceeds the performance of other paint and varnish coatings, which allows the composition to be applied to almost any surface.
- Excellent resistance to adverse environmental conditions, such as: increased dampness;
- exposure to sunlight;
- large temperature changes, etc.
Rubber painted roof
Application area
As mentioned above, the scope of application of this composition is very extensive, in particular, it is used:
- For waterproofing: swimming pools;
- showers;
- bathrooms;
- treadmills;
As for the materials on which rubber paint can be applied, the list of them can be very long, so we will list the most common ones:
- Concrete;
- Plaster;
- Metal;
- Wood;
- Old wallpaper;
- Brick;
- Surfaces painted with oil, alkyd and other paints;
- Asphalt, etc.
Types of liquid rubber
Rubber paint can be classified according to different criteria.
Main gradations of liquid rubber:
- by release form (aerosol or cans of paint);
- by manufacturer (the highest quality products from the following manufacturers - Plasta Dip, Rubber Dip, Arizona, Mibenco, Rubber paint, Kudo, Runway);
- by color (standard, chameleon, camouflage, pearlescent);
- by type of coating (transparent, matte, glossy, metallic, fluorescent, tinted).
Matte finish
Matte rubber paint will radically change the appearance of the car, adding elegance and, in many cases, aggressiveness. The car will be striking from afar, emphasizing the owner’s taste and ambition.
Using matte liquid rubber, you can significantly change the appearance without making changes to the PTS in the traffic police, for example, by simply repainting the entire body in a matte shade of the original color, or by placing accents on the area of no more than 40%.
Gloss
Mostly colored liquid rubber paints are matte, but to give them shine, transparent liquid rubber or a special varnish is used, which is harder to remove than transparent rubber.
It is preferable to use gloss when painting a car in the following colors:
- metallic;
- nacre;
- chameleon;
- luminescent paints.
The glossy rubber coating is striking in any weather, but it looks especially advantageous in rainy weather, making the car stand out from the crowd.
Transparent rubber
Transparent rubber paint, firstly, is used to protect the body and other parts of the car, and secondly, it is used to cover the applied plastidip to give it gloss and protect it from damage.
Recommendations for applying paint
How to apply this paint to a car? Lining with liquid rubber should be done in several layers. Their number depends on differences in body tone and the chosen dye. First of all, a white base is applied. The main working tool for painting is a paint sprayer.
The spray gun must be held at an angle of 90 degrees to the structure being treated. First, only 2-3 layers of material are applied with a painting tool.
If the car is being fully trimmed, it is best to start work from the rear right side, then the roof and the rear left side are processed. After this, work is carried out on the roof and rear bumper. The next parts that need painting will be the left side of the body and the left side of the hood. Next, the radiator grille is processed. A gradual transition is made to the hood and the right side of the car is painted.
The base paint layer will need to be given a translucent tone. After treatment, you need to wait about 15 minutes so that the composition has time to dry. Then the rubber dye is reapplied, the number of layers should be about 5. The last layer should dry for at least an hour.
Important! Experts do not recommend using heat guns or other equipment to speed up the drying process of paint.
As you can see from the article, liquid rubber is an excellent solution for painting a car. It has excellent protective properties, and the work of applying and removing it is not difficult. If strong mechanical pressure is applied to the rubber, it will be quite difficult to damage the coating. The cost of production is at a fairly acceptable level - 300-500 rubles, which is also a very important factor.
Instructions for painting a car with a spray gun (2 videos)
Rubber paint from different manufacturers (35 photos)
Advantages and disadvantages of rubber paint
The innovative coating has many advantages and only a small number of disadvantages, which mainly come down to a lack of experience in handling liquid rubber.
The main advantages of rubber paint:
- can be applied without completely disassembling the car using spraying;
- applied to any material, including plastic, paint, chrome;
- to apply liquid rubber, there is no need to clean and prime body parts before painting;
- minor damage can be removed by applying an additional layer of rubber paint;
- the ability to select any color (if necessary, tinting standard shades) and type of coating;
- painting the entire body takes 12-14 hours;
- drying time of the coating - from half an hour to an hour;
- rubber paint is applied and removed without leaving any marks on the old surface, liquid vinyl is removed in one layer without leaving any marks on the car body;
- You can apply plastidip either to one part of the car or to the entire body and rims;
- the cost of material and work is acceptable for regularly updating the appearance of the car;
- seamless coating unlike vinyl film;
- You can apply liquid rubber yourself;
- protects the paintwork from cracks and delamination;
- after plastidip it is easy to return the car to its original appearance;
- after applying the second layer, the coating becomes uniform and durable;
- protects the body when hit by small stones, sand and salt;
- Liquid vinyl can be used to treat even the smallest and most textured surfaces.
This coating has few disadvantages, you can get used to them and avoid them, then the rubber paint will last a long time.
Material consumption and surface care
Complete hardening occurs after 10-16 hours. After this, the surface is not afraid of heat and cold (temperature limits from -35°C to 90°C), most aggressive substances found on the roads, moisture and small crushed stone. For the entire car, depending on the number of layers, 10-15 liters of the substance will be required, approximately 1 standard can (320 ml) is consumed for each car disk, the hood requires 2-4 of the same cans, the bumper - 1-3. Sometimes, after such painting, a car is coated with varnish - the technology allows for such protection, although not every varnish is suitable, due to the above-mentioned inconsistency with solvents.
Caring for a car with such paintwork is a little specific. Due to its elasticity, a slight mechanical impact on rubber paint is not dangerous, but even gasoline or diesel fuel can simply wash it off the car. Minimal contact leads to peeling, for example at a gas station. Washing with solvent-containing products is also not recommended.
How to paint a car yourself with liquid rubber
Applying rubber paint yourself requires careful preparation of the surface and adherence to all painting technology. In this case, the car coating will last for more than one year.
Preparation
Before applying rubber paint, the car must be thoroughly washed and dried. The surface to be painted must be degreased and all foreign substances (dirt, bitumen, wax, etc.) removed from it.
It is necessary to protect all parts of the car that do not require painting with liquid rubber.
Properties of Plasti Dip
Plasti Dip coating has the following properties:
- good shockproof properties;
- excellent resistance to temperature changes;
- water-repellent characteristics;
- elasticity;
- resistance to solar radiation;
- anti-slip characteristics;
- high resistance to chemically active substances.
Properties of Plasti Dip
