When it comes to vehicle painting, consumers have choice. Just as there are numerous options available to you if you want to paint your home, an auto body repair shop might give you vehicle painting options, as well. And these aren’t just options for different colors; you can choose what kind of paint you want.

More and more drivers and collision repair shops are choosing waterborne automotive paints for their vehicle painting. But why? What advantages does waterborne automotive paint have over the other options available on the market?

Why do we need waterborne paint at all?

Before getting into the properties and benefits of waterborne paint, it might help to explain why people have been searching for an alternative to traditional vehicle painting ingredients in the first place. Traditional vehicle paint does the job well; it looks good, it’s relatively inexpensive, and it can cover up scratches, so it’s long been a standard finishing step in collision repair.

However, traditional vehicle painting poses a threat. Namely, volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These compounds help the paint go on smoothly and dry quickly and evenly. This sounds good, but the downside is that VOCs evaporate and mix with the air. This can contribute to pollution, smog, and ozone depletion. 

This worsens local air quality and contributes to climate change overall. Furthermore, VOCs pose a safety risk. VOC vehicle painting involves a variety of solvents that contain chemicals which can imperil the health of auto body repair technicians, as well as drivers and passengers.

Collision repair professionals who have done VOC vehicle painting for years have suffered from respiratory issues, skin problems, and other health issues. Customers have also experienced health incidents resulting from exposure to VOC paint. Because of this, the auto body repair industry has innovated alternative types of vehicle painting.

Just what is waterborne paint?

One key aspect of waterborne paint is obvious (it’s in the name). These paints use water as the main carrier for the pigment and binder, as opposed to organic solvents, such as VOCs.

The pigment gives the paint its color, and the binder helps the paint stick to the surface and form a film. The carrier keeps everything in liquid form until it’s sprayed onto the vehicle, and it dries.

Here are some key aspects of waterborne paint to keep in mind:

Environmental Friendliness

Waterborne paints release far fewer VOCs into the air compared to traditional solvent-based paints. This makes them a great eco-conscious option, and it helps auto body repair shops comply with environmental regulations.

Application

In auto body repair, waterborne paints are a popular option for the basecoat, which acts as the color layer. The clearcoat, which goes on top for gloss and protection, is still typically solvent-based, though low-VOC options exist. Even if a collision repair shop doesn’t use a special low-VOC option for vehicle painting, by switching to waterborne paint for the basecoat, it can still significantly reduce the level of VOC-exposure to its technicians.

Performance

Waterborne paints are excellent for colour matching, especially with modern OEM finishes. The best auto body repair shops have sophisticated automotive paint matching technology and techniques, and they can achieve an exact match with waterborne paint. And, because they use fine pigments that lay evenly, waterborne paints often give better metallic and pearl effects compared to solvent paints.

Drying

Because these paints rely on water evaporation, proper airflow and humidity control in the spray booth are crucial. Collision repair shops often use fans and specialized dryers to speed up drying times.

Industry Use

Waterborne vehicle paint has become nearly ubiquitous. Many major automakers and professional collision repair repair shops now use waterborne paints.

Comparing waterborne and solvent-based vehicle painting

Let’s go over the key differences between these two types of automotive paint.

Application process

Solvent-based paints are more forgiving and can tolerate less-than-ideal vehicle painting booth conditions. They flow out smoothly even if airflow or humidity isn’t perfect.

Waterborne paints require controlled airflow and humidity. Auto body repair shops often install additional blowers or fans to move air across the painted surface to ensure the water evaporates properly. If the humidity is too high, drying slows down.

Drying time

Solvent-based paints dry as the solvents evaporate, which is relatively quick but releases high VOCs.

Waterborne paints dry through water evaporation, which can be slower unless collision repair shops make sure to optimize air flow for vehicle painting. With proper air movement, waterborne paints can actually dry faster than solvent-based in many cases.

Colour matching

Solvent-based paints can sometimes shift slightly in shade when sprayed, especially metallic or pearl finishes.

Waterborne paints use very fine pigments that stay suspended evenly, making them excellent at replicating factory finishes and providing consistent colour.

Heath, safety, and the environment

Solvent-based paints expose workers to potentially hazardous fumes, requiring heavy-duty respirators and ventilation.

Waterborne paints still require safety gear, but they emit far fewer VOCs, creating a cleaner, healthier environment for auto body repair technicians.

Equipment and training

Solvent-based paints work with traditional spray guns.

Waterborne paints often require specialized spray guns that have stainless steel components that resist corrosion from water. Collision repair shops may also have to provide specialized vehicle painting training so technicians can adjust their techniques.

The Takeaway

The verdict: waterborne paints offer many advantages for consumers. Although waterborne vehicle painting may require special measures from collision repair shops, this type of vehicle paint repair offers considerable benefits for everyone.