Best Way To Paint Aluminum Siding On A House

Expect to pay the premium for good paint.

Best way to paint aluminum siding on a house.

Steps for painting aluminum siding. In a nutshell you need to start with a clean palette. 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. For indoor projects clean the aluminum by hand with a scrub brush and a spray bottle of degreaser.

Only use acrylic based paint designated for outdoor use. Choose a paint recommended for metal. Try tapping on the siding because aluminum sounds hollow and lightly metallic. Check the label to be sure it s recommended for metal siding.

Before you paint aluminum siding clean the surface thoroughly and prime the siding with one coat of acrylic primer. All of the chalkiness must be washed and scrubbed off and any flaking paint removed. Use a magnet to determine if your siding is steel versus aluminum because magnet will stick to an steel siding but not aluminum. The cost of paint per square foot is about 0 20.

Steel will also show red brown rust. A finish with gloss can draw more attention to dents or other blemishes in the siding. It is important to use 100 acrylic paint on top of an oil based primer for the most even and long lasting coverage. A flat or satin finish paint is ideal for your aluminum siding.

The average cost of paint for aluminum siding is 46 per gallon. You may want to tint the primer with a lighter hue of the finish color for easier color application. The key to painting aluminum siding is to get it really clean and to use 100 percent acrylic latex paint. Then paint with two coats of acrylic paint.

Since the oil paint does not cause a reaction with the siding this paint will act as a barrier between the aluminum and the acrylic finish paint. Wield your paint roller from left to right if the siding is horizontal or up and down if the siding is vertically oriented. The best way to get this siding clean is to power wash it. The key to painting aluminum siding is preparation and priming.

Once everything is clean and dry you re ready to apply your primer. Add one pint of paint thinner to the gallon of oil based metal primer paint. As you go smooth.