Water Cut-back Asphalt Undercoating

So you have narrowed your search down to a Asphalt Based Automotive Undercoating and now you want to decide on a Water Cut-back or Solvent Cut-back formulation. First thing you need to understand is what “Cut-Back” is actually referring to. A Cut-back is the product that is mixed with the coating in order to keep it fluid so you can apply the product easily. This is the same as house paint which is generally also cut-back with water. Most house paints are Latex based that are cut-back with water. The products on this page are Asphalt based that are cut-back with Water.

So, for Asphalt based products, let’s look at the benefits of being cut-back with Water versus Solvent. The main benefit to water cut-back formulations is that they are environmentally friendly because they have low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) emissions. This is because, all that evaporates off is water. This also means that they are slower to dry… sometimes up to 24 hours. They also require more surface preparation because water reacts with metal surfaces especially if rust is already present. Water Based products are much easier to clean-up…Soap and Water but they do have a shorter shelf life (1 years) when sealed properly versus Solvent based formulations.

So, if you are looking for a product that is environmentally friendly and easy to clean-up after, then coatings cut-back with Water are what you need.