The present invention relates to a method for making a protective coating containing silicon carbide on at least a portion of the surface of a substrate made from a material with a softening temperature that is above the temperature applied to make the protective coating, where silicon is deposited on the portion of the surface of the substrate and where, under vacuum or in an inert atmosphere, the substrate is heated to a temperature above the melting point of silicon, and the silicon is brought to reaction with carbon that is contained in a porous coating. The surface of the object to be coated is initially provided with a porous carbon coating with an open porosity in a range between 40 and 95%, where said porous carbon coating is covered with a uniform coating of silicon, where the ratio in percent of mass (Ma-%) of the applied silicon to that of the carbon in the porous carbon coating is greater than 2.34, where the substrate is heated to a temperature that is above the melting temperature of the silicon, and that the substrate, provided with the coating that contains silicon carbide and free silicon, is cooled down to room temperature.