Most steel furniture is finished in one of three ways: wet paint, chrome plating or powder coating. For furniture that is used every day, and a kitchen bar stool is used many times a day, powder coating is, in our experience, the one that holds up. It is also often the least understood. This guide explains what powder coating is, how it is applied, why it is harder than paint, what gloss levels and RAL colours mean, how to look after a powder-coated frame, and how we finish the steel frames of our bar stools in our own factory in Malmö, Sweden. It is written from the factory floor, where the process happens every day.
What is powder coating?
Powder coating is a finish applied as a dry powder rather than a liquid paint.
The powder is sprayed onto the steel with an electrostatic charge, which makes it cling evenly to every surface, and then baked in an oven, where it melts and cures into a continuous, hard layer bonded to the metal.
Because there is no solvent to evaporate, the layer can be thicker and more even than paint, without runs or thin spots on edges and joints. It covers welds, curves and the insides of bends evenly, which is where wet paint is weakest. Read more about the whole process in how our bar stools are made.
How is a steel frame powder-coated?
In four steps: the welded frame is cleaned and pre-treated so the coating bonds to bare metal, powder is sprayed on with an electrostatic gun, the frame is baked until the powder melts and cures, and it cools before being checked for an even, complete finish.
Powder is sprayed on with an electrostatic charge, then baked.
Only then does it go on to upholstery.
In our experience, the pre-treatment is the step that decides whether a coating lasts. Powder over dirt or oil will lift; powder over clean, prepared steel becomes part of the frame. The table sums up each step.
Powder coating a bar stool frame, step by step
Step
What happens
Why it matters
1. Pre-treatment
Frame cleaned and prepared
The coating bonds to bare, clean metal
2. Application
Powder sprayed with an electrostatic charge
An even layer on every surface, including welds
3. Curing
Frame baked in an oven
Powder melts into a hard, continuous finish
4. Inspection
Frame checked after cooling
No thin spots, runs or bare edges
Is powder coating better than paint?
For furniture, in our experience, yes. Powder coating forms a thicker, harder, more even layer than wet paint, so it resists chips from shoes on a footrest, scratches from daily use and wear from cleaning far better.
In our experience, paint tends to chip at edges and wear through where it is touched most; powder coating holds.
Chrome is hard too, but tends to show every fingerprint and water mark, and scratches show as bright lines. Powder coating hides fingerprints, especially at a low gloss, and comes in almost any colour. Compare the finishes in our guide to steel bar stools.
What do RAL colours and gloss levels mean?
RAL is a European colour standard: each code, such as RAL 9005 for jet black, defines an exact colour, so a frame can be matched or reordered years later.
The gloss level describes how shiny the finish is, from matt to high gloss; a lower number is more matt.
Our black frames are RAL 9005 at gloss level 30, a soft satin between matt and gloss. It hides fingerprints and small marks better than gloss black and tends to look calm next to stone, oak and black taps. Selected models also come with white, beige or taupe frames through Design Your Own; see our black bar stools guide.
RAL 9005 black at gloss level 30: a soft satin that hides fingerprints.
How do you clean powder-coated furniture?
Wipe it with a dry or lightly damp cloth and dry it straight away; for grease, add a drop of mild washing-up liquid.
That is all a powder-coated frame needs. Avoid abrasive pads, scouring powders, metal polishes and strong solvents, which can dull or scratch the finish.
Indoors, an intact powder coating protects the steel from rust. If a frame is ever deeply scratched through to the metal, dry it thoroughly and ask us about touching it up. Our guide to cleaning bar stools covers upholstery and oak too.
How long does a powder-coated finish last?
In our experience, a well-applied powder coating indoors can last for the life of the furniture with normal care.
The parts that see the most contact, the footrest and the front of the frame, show wear first, and even there a good coating usually lasts far longer than paint.
That durability is one reason our steel stools carry a 10-year warranty. The other is what lies underneath: Swedish precision steel tube, welded rather than bolted, so there is no joint that can flex and crack the finish. See whether expensive bar stools are worth it for the other quality checks.
Powder coating in brief
4
Steps: pre-treat, spray, bake, check.
RAL 9005
Our black, at gloss level 30.
10 years
Warranty on every frame.
Powder coating is sprayed on as a dry powder with an electrostatic charge and baked into a hard, even layer that, in our experience, outlasts paint, resists chips and hides fingerprints, especially at a low gloss. Clean it with a damp cloth and nothing abrasive. Our steel bar stool frames are welded and powder-coated in our own factory in Malmö, Sweden, in RAL 9005 black at gloss level 30, and covered by a 10-year warranty.
Frequently asked questions
What is powder-coated steel?
Steel finished with a dry powder that is sprayed on with an electrostatic charge and baked into a hard, continuous layer.
Is powder coating better than paint on furniture?
In our experience, yes, in most cases. It is thicker, harder and more even, so it resists chips, scratches and cleaning far better than wet paint.
Does powder-coated furniture rust?
Not indoors while the coating is intact. It seals the steel from moisture. Dry off standing water and avoid abrasive cleaners.
How do you clean powder-coated metal?
With a dry or lightly damp cloth, and a drop of mild washing-up liquid for grease. No abrasive pads or metal polish.
What black do your bar stool frames use?
RAL 9005 at gloss level 30, a soft satin that hides fingerprints better than gloss black.
Can powder coating be repaired?
Small marks can be touched up. For a deep scratch through to the metal, dry it and contact us.
