Question:  Where else in the world is this technology used?
Answer:    There are over 350 Decoral photo imaging machines throughout the world. The greatest concentration of plants is in Europe where more than 50% of the aluminium windows sold in Southern Europe now have a beautiful woodgrain finish.

Question:  Is the finish durable?
Answer:     DecoWood is very different to the standard powder coatings which use polyester technology. Decorative Imaging finishes use a marine grade polyurethane powder coating which means that our finishes are much tougher and more durable than standard powder coatings. 

Question:  Is any painting required?
Answer:    With DecoWood, no painting is required - ever, which is a great saving of time and cost. Unlike timber, Decowood will not twist, warp or rot.

Question:  Will the DecoWood finish fade?
Answer:    The DecoWood finishes have been tested in extreme exposure locations such as Miami in Florida (see photo on this page) where there are extremely high levels of solar radiation and very high levels of salt spray. DecoWood has been tested there for many years and complies with all of the relevant international standards. 

Question:  What happens if I scratch it?
Answer:     The special pigmentation inks penetrate the full depth of the powder coating, so if you scratch the DecoWood finish you simply treat it like a scratch on your car and polish out the scratch. Because the inks penetrate the full depth of the powder coating, this will not affect the woodgrain appearance. 

Question:  What about the environment?
Answer:     DecoWood is environmentally friendly. Please refer to the Environmentally Friendly page on this web site for more information.

Question:  Is the decorative pattern a film on top of the powder coating?
Answer:    No. The process involves the absorption of the special pigmentation inks directly into the powder coating itself. Typically, our powder coatings are 80 to 100 microns thick and the inks will be absorbed into the full depth of the powder coating, making the decorative pattern an integral part of the powder coating.

Question:  How can I be confident about the quality of this product?
Answer:    Decoral Systems in Italy and Interpon have their own extensive research and development department which includes laboratories for physical testing and accelerated aging. The Decoral photo imaging process has gained accreditation with Qualicoat, the international organization which maintains high standards for powder coating processes. Individual test certificates are issued for each of the finishes, copies of which can be obtained by contacting our office.

Question:  What patterns are available?
Answer:    Please refer to the DecoWood, DecoRoccia and DecoArt pages on this web site. 

Question:  Is the finish expensive?
Answer:    No. For example, although it is difficult to define the “average” house-lot of windows and doors, aluminium windows and doors with a woodgrain pattern applied cost around the same as the equivalent cedar windows and doors. If you take into account the cost of painting and re-painting timber windows, then you will save money with DecoWood. For sheets the cost should be compared to equivalent offers for a durable polyurethane coating with a decorative finish by some other means (e.g. sign-writing).

Question: Is there any special care or maintenance required for this finish?
Answer:    The same care and maintenance that is required for normal powder coated materials is all that is required. Please refer to the Care and Maintenance page on this web site.