Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) is a widely used engineering plastic for the manufacture of pipes, fittings, ducting and sheets and lining. It has greater temperature resistance than uPVC and PVC because of its higher chlorine content. It is also much more flexible than PVC, yet just as strong.
Because CPVC is most widely used in the manufacture of fittings and pipes that are functional and often unseen in the case of plumbing and waterworks, the need to paint products made from it is rarely a consideration.
However, like uPVC and PVC, CPVC can be painted, so if you have exposed CPVC pipework, fittings or sheeting, changing the colour is possible.
How to paint CPVC
For CPVC, we do not recommend water-based latex paints like some others do because these paints bond with the plastic via adhesion. Paints that do this are no good for pipes that carry water because they will eventually lift away from the plastic due to the inevitable issue of moisture and temperature change.
A far better choice is a solvent-based plastic paint which bonds with the plastic on a molecular level. A good example is Kolorbond. This paint undergoes a chemical reaction with the plastic when applied, which changes the orientation of the molecules in the paint, so they bond with the CPVC’s molecules.
Kolorbond is very similar in performance to the paints we use, which are specially manufactured for us by our partner in Europe.
Getting a factory finish
If you want to convincingly change the colour of CPVC (so it appears as though it was originally manufactured in the new colour) you need to spray paint it.
For smaller areas of piping, ducting and sheeting, you can do this with a can of spray paint, but larger areas will need to be tended to with a spray-painting gun.
Lastly, if you follow our advice and use a solvent-based paint like Kolorbond, you won’t need to use a dedicated primer. The first coat of paint is the primer.
Need some more advice?
You can call our experts for help when painting CPVC or any other plastic. We can be reached on 0800 037 0658 or via email at info@bespokeupvcsprayers.co.uk.
