Q: I do not know much about powder coating and was hoping you could answer a question for me. We have a Victorian kitchen sink that we are considering having powder coated. We will be washing dishes and using the sink for food preparation (washing vegetables and other food items in the sink, etc.).
I read on your site that if a container is to be used to store food items, the powder coating used should be food-safe. What about for a kitchen sink? We have young children and want to make sure the things we use are safe for them.
Are there advantages of using powder coating over other finishes such as acrylic? The sink is porcelain enamel, but we have not been able to find anyone that does this type of finish anymore.
A: You are wise to carefully consider which finish to use on your kitchen sink. I can think of a lot of reasons: contact with your children (handwashing or giving a newborn a bath in the sink), contact with food (cleaning, soaking, etc.), contact with future inhabitants of your home, and even the notion of introducing compounds into our water system.
Luckily, your concerns have answers. As a matter of fact, food-grade powder coatings are routinely applied to the wire shelving used in refrigerators.
Here is what I suggest you do: Request that your powder coater use an FDA-acceptable powder coating to refinish your sink. The majority of these come in any color you like, as long as it’s white. If you want a custom color, it may require a bit of an effort to get one made. It is also important to adequately prepare the old finish to ensure good adhesion of the powder coating. This entails roughening the surface (media blasting is a good idea) and then thoroughly cleaning it before the powder coating is applied.
As for a competitive finish, I’m not sure what is still available. However, if you choose powder coating, you will be kind to the environment (no solvent or paint sludge) in addition to getting an excellent finish.