What is duco paint?

In Duco and PU, Duco Paint is a Nitrocellulose (NC) Lacquer. It is also popularly known as automotive paint which means a paint used for Auto painting and refinishing. It has now established a new life to Wooden furniture and other projects with a high finish.

Polyurethane finish gives Good Gloss and Color retention. A polyurethane coating is a (type of polymer) layer applies to protect the surface. Pu coating protects the surface from corrosion, weather, and other harmful things which will degrade the surface over time.

Duco Paint is a One-Component mix which means a single chemical.

Pu Paint can be of both One Component or Two-Component.

PU coating comes in two types: water and oil-based, which gives many varieties of finish. Whereas Duco paint gives waterproof protection but it needs compulsory use of a spray machine.

To apply for both an expert skill is required. PU application is more difficult. Both paints require a machine spray hence an experienced skilled applicator is required.

After a certain period of time Duco paint reflects a yellowish Effect. On the other hand, PU Remains constant as it was painted.

Both uses but PU is more reliable than Duco, so many people prefer PU for exterior Painting.

Both are stronger but PU has a better strength compared to Duco, It takes more time to dry but once it is dried it is more robust.

Duco paint has a long life which makes it a smart option to select for interior or exterior painting but on the other hand, the durability of PU lasts longer than Duco. As a result, it ranks first in terms of durability.

Both are available in gloss and matte finishes. The gloss finish level achieved in PU is better than Duco. The matte finish is more soothing in PU when compared to Duco.

PU is a premium quality that gives the upper hand in high-quality metallic effects to wood and metal surfaces. The metallic effects available in PU are superb; Duco fails to give that effect. All the metallic effects are not available in Duco but available in PU.

Both are good for interior and exterior painting. It uses to give rich and classy feelings in homes and offices. It uses for wood and metallic surfaces as Duco dries faster so it is preferred by most house painters.

Both paints are available in all shades. Following are some of the PU Paint finishes Irish Cappuccino, Iron Grey, Deep Crimson, Dark Auberge, etc. every PU finish has a high gloss effect.

A good level of gloss and matt are available in both. The glossiness of these paints is too much appreciated.

The durability of both is 15 to 20 years and more. The durability and finish of these paints on furniture make them a one-time good investment.

According to our analysis, PU is costly but better than Duco. When you want to opt for any of these then go for PU if you want a perfect look. Duco is economical and also helps people who are short on budget. It doesn’t give the same effect as PU but looks almost similar to PU paint. You can also use Duco on furniture and Pu for the interior and exterior of the house or vice-versa according to your thoughts.

When you’ve decided to have your wooden furniture polished, call us since we have the most competitive polishing quote on the market. Our crew paints and takes the time to learn about the customer’s needs and provide a custom estimate that fits perfectly within everyone’s budget.

Duco was a trade name assigned to a product line of automotive lacquer developed by the DuPont Company in the 1920s. Under the Duco brand, DuPont introduced the first quick drying multi-color line of nitrocellulose lacquers made especially for the automotive industry.[1] It was also used in paintings by American artist Jackson Pollock.

It is now used by Nexa Autocolor — formerly ICI Autocolor and now a division of Pittsburgh-based PPG Industries — as a tradename for automotive enamels in Asia.

Duco is still used as an Australian colloquialism for automotive paint. It is currently widely used in the same way in Egypt (دوكو). It was (and partly still is) used in Hungarian as dukkó (noun) and dukkóz (verb). Also in Romania the term was in use with the same meaning until beginning of 2000.

Duco was the finish applied to National String Instrument Corporation brand of resonator guitars c. 1930.

Duco coated is used in the plumbing industry to describe lacquered floor drains and other similar products.

Duco is also a brand of nitrocellulose household cement (adhesive) originally trademarked by DuPont and now marketed in the U.S. by ITW Devcon.

An unrelated company with the same name designs and manufactures subsea umbilical cable systems.[2] It is a subsidiary of the Technip Group, under the trademark Technip Umbilical Systems. The name Duco originates from Dunlop and Coflexip,[3] when the Coflexip-Stena Offshore group acquired the subsea umbilical systems activity of the Dunlop group. The company has four locations: Newcastle (UK), Houston (US), Lobito (Angola), and Tanjung Langsat (Malaysia).

Those who prefer painting services projects to contain wooden furniture will surely love its topcoat finish. Same as other paints you can pick any colour for the topcoat and get it tinted from any hardware store. Generally, Duco paint for painting service in the house comes in the packing container of 1L, 4L, and 20L. Its application process needs a skilled, trained worker with all the safety equipment and its material.

The room or area you are going to paint should have proper ventilation. An exhaust system must definitely be there during the painting period.

Being a thinner based paint, the artist must have to take precautions against any health hazard. Make sure there must be only a few people and all should be wearing a mask, glasses and gloves for safety purposes.

For pre-polished furniture, remove all existing coating by sanding or scraping.

Most of its application products in the type of paints are highly flammable and hence extra attention should be given in detail.

The applicator should be skilled. Coating with a spray gun requires a lot of experience.

The gallons of paint ordered material are in sufficient quantity.

Cover the surrounding areas with plastic and masking tape.

Clean your spray gun after every use.

Do not use general purpose thinner but use only genuine products. Also, stick to what painting professionals suggest according to weather and gallon paint coverage.

Shellac Polish / Epoxy (optional): It is important to prepare the surface for paint by the help of an experienced painter. Firstly, the key factors to remember are wiping off the surface with a waste cotton cloth and then applying 3-4 coats of shellac polish (a mixture of spirit and lakh dana) of low density with hand. You can apply shellac with a spray machine for a fantastic job. This ensures identification for necessary repairs.

Necessary Repairs: After applying the shellac the cracks by the professional paniters all the uneven surfaces can be noticed easily. Fill these dents, scratches, uneven surfaces with wood filler with a putty knife during the painting service. This is the primary repairing or rectification you do on the surface. Let the filled area get dry. Once it dries, use sanding paper of grit 180 and level the surface to perfections. Wipe off all the dust from the surface with a cotton cloth.

1st Coat of Primer: Mix the Thinner and Primer Surface in the ratio of 1:1.5. Apply 1st coat of primer with the spray gun machine. Then, let the 1st coat of primer dry. It takes 30 minutes after the painting service to dry. Duco primer surfacer comes in two colours – White and Grey. If you have chosen the darker colour for the paint job for the topcoat, we suggest you use a grey primer for the surface. If you have chosen a light colour for the topcoat then use white primer surface.

Minor repair and dents: Most people during the paint job skip this repairing process, which is not considered to be a good image. This is because after the primary repair it is seen that primary repair gets shrunk and after the application of primer, it is important to check the image once again. It also ensures that the best base for final Duco paints without any dent, scratches and uneven surface.

This time for the perfect style, fill the dents, cracks or any other necessary repair with Duco soft cut putty. Duco putty dries faster because of solvent-based. Once it gets dry, start wet sanding with water emery paper (waterproof abrasive paper) of grit 220. First sand the newly filled area and then complete the surface with coats of paint. Wipe off all dust and clean the surface with a cotton cloth (dhoti) or tack cloth as per the level of complexity.

2nd Coat of Primer: Apply the Duco primer on the repaired area. And then apply the 2nd coat of Duco primer surfacer in the same previous ratio.

Wet Sanding: Wet sand the whole primer applied area with the waterproof abrasive paper of grit 220 and followed by grit 320. After doing this you would have a very smooth base ready to colour with Duco paint. Wipe off all dust and clean the surface with a cotton cloth (dhoti) or tack cloth.

Two coats of Duco Paint: Mix the selected colour of Duco NC Lacquer with Duco thinner in the ratio of 1:2. Ensure the surface is perfectly clean and there is no dust over it before you apply the coat. Apply 1st coat of Duco paint with a spray gun machine and wait for 30 minutes for drying. As fast drying is one of the key benefits of Duco paint, it will dry in 30 minutes. Apply the 2nd coat of Duco paint with the same care and techniques.

Remove Gloss: Most of the contractors skip this process due to lots of considerations but re-painting before handing over the project to the owner after two coats of Duco Paint. For a better and quality finish, you should wet sand the surface with a waterproof abrasive paper of grit 600 and followed by 800 or 1000 to remove the gloss. This sanding should be done with extra care in corners and edges.

Final Coat: Now it’s time to apply the final coat with the mixture of Duco NC Lacquer and Duco thinner in the ratio of 1:2. This coating should be done with extra care and precaution as this is the final coat of painting job. This final surface is long-lasting and durable for house painting services.

Buffing (Optional): If you are looking for a higher gloss, then polish the surface with a rubbing compound. If you chose the matte finish for your surface, you don’t need to polish the surface with wax. Your Duco Paint coating process is complete. The obtained surface is long-lasting and beautiful.

It can be performed by professional painters only. Not everyone can do it as minor imperfections can kill the look. Level of difficulty to apply the paint is higher.

Not recommended for surfaces exposed to direct rain or sunlight.

Being solvent based, Duco is highly flammable and hence the house painting should be done via painting contractor.

Harmful for the applicator, as it contains volatile organic solvents. Painter professionals should be assigned for the job.

Duco paint’s colour stability on exposure to sunlight is average, over the period it can fade and even become yellowish.

Require many tools and costly equipment and hence request coats of paint by professionals.

Being solvent-based, Duco is not an eco-friendly type of paint.

Duco paint is one of the premium finishes for furniture in India and it gives you unlimited colour choice. To obtain the quality and satisfactory result it should be executed by the professionals’ painters. There are so many processes to follow by the painting contractors, thus it will take time to get the best result. It provides resistance from heat, water, scratches, and stain. Duco paint furniture looks good with the interior.

For an excellent job,  Home Glazer assures you that your home will look modern and luxurious if you have Duco painted furniture in your home. If you are looking for someone who can get you the quality finish for your Duco painting project, Contact us today

Duco was originally the name used to refer to DuPont Company's automotive lacquer product line. These paint lacquers contain the material nitrocellulose which dried quickly. Nowadays the name is used to refer colloquially to any nitrocellulose-based lacquers.