Painting Aluminum Roofing

If you have an aluminum roof or are considering installing one keep in mind the importance of maintaining your roof properly.

Painting aluminum roofing.

Painted metal roofs come with a baked on factory finish and you can re coat these as well as paint bare metal roofing with acrylic latex paint. A good coat of paint goes a long way in extending the life of any quality aluminum roof. To paint a metal roof you ll need to use an oil based paint if you have a terne metal roof or an acrylic based paint if you have a galvanized metal roof. Acrylic latex paint is a good choice for bare metal roofs and to go over old paint.

Water resistant metal roofing paint for example can be of great value if you live in a rainy area. More than likely it sounds like a traditional aluminum oil based paint on the roof itself. Fibered or asphalt aluminum would be dull in appearance. However this paint must specify that it can be used on aluminum.

Oil based alkyd paint may also be used with an appropriate galvanized metal primer. Aluminum roofing is very popular because it offers many advantages. This is why when you are considering painting your metal roofing it makes sense to go for specific paints for the metal roof. Aluminum is seldom available in an acrylic product due to the extreme volatility of suspending an aluminum powder in a water based product.

If the aluminum is outside use a power washer to remove all grit and grime that can stick to the aluminum surface. It tends to blow the lid off the cans. Aluminum roof paint should be oil based. There are some acrylic base primers and paint that will work on chalky aluminum.

Not using a sealant another mistake is to forget or ignore using a sealant before the application of the metal paint. A pre mixed solution of this type can be found in most paint stores under the name aluma prep made by amchem. Not only is it affordable but aluminum roofing is also long lasting and environmentally friendly. The roof must be thoroughly cleaned before any primer is added.

For truly greasy or dirty aluminum siding or other outdoor pieces use a commercial degreaser in the power washer or sprayed on the surface to ensure it is as clean as possible and ready to take on primer and paint. A topcoat doesn t eliminate the need for a good primer the topcoat seals your paint but the primer makes the paint adhere properly. You ll also need to purchase a primer designed for metal roofs. You can also use oil based alkyd paint but.

If you re not sure what kind of roof you have ask a professional roofer to inspect it before you paint it.