Find Aluminum Siding Painters Near Me
As a material, aluminum is great for siding because it provides excellent insulation, doesn’t rot, is fireproof, and comes in a variety of patterns and textures. But aluminum’s baked-on color finish does tend to fade over time, losing its vibrancy five to ten years down the road. The good news is that it is easily paintable, providing you with a wide array of options when it comes to upgrading your home’s exterior.
Painting aluminum siding is actually very easy. Today’s paints adhere well to metal, better even than to vinyl. Because aluminum siding doesn’t shrink and expand, like wood siding, you won’t have to worry about paint peeling or cracking. But there are subtleties to painting aluminum properly, so it’s advisable to hire an experienced painting company to handle the job for you. Visit Great Guys Painting today to get free quotes from licensed, insured painting contractors in your area.
Can You Paint Aluminum Siding?
While aluminum siding requires little maintenance, harsh weather and direct sunlight can take their toll on the color, causing it to fade and become splotchy. Rather than go to the trouble of replacing your aluminum siding, why not try painting it? If the panels are intact and functioning well, re-painting is a great option. As long as it’s cleaned well to remove any chalky residue and is painted with 100% acrylic latex paint, your siding should absorb the new color well and hold up for decades to come.
There are several conditions that prevent successful painting on aluminum siding. If the planks have lots of damage, you’ll most likely have to look at a replacement. In addition, if they have rust spots, those areas will have to be repaired or replaced. But if everything is in good condition, re-painting is a terrific way to breathe new life into your aluminum siding.
Aluminum Siding Painting Services
If you’ve made the decision to paint your aluminum siding, make sure to hire a quality painting company that understands the nuances of painting aluminum. While it is easy to do, there are some mistakes that inexperienced painters can make that could cause problems over time.
Paint Selection
Choosing the color is a very important task when it comes to re-painting aluminum siding. Most paint manufacturers recommend staying within the same tonal range as your current paint color or going lighter. As with vinyl siding, aluminum tends to expand and contract as the temperature changes. Darker colors attract more heat, potentially causing panels to warp and buckle. The pros that you hire can help either match a color for you or provide recommendations of ideal colors to choose from. They will also make sure to use acrylic latex paint that is specially formulated for aluminum and for the outdoors.
Clean & Prime
The key to the successful application of paint on aluminum siding is proper cleaning and preparation of all surfaces to be painted. Painters will need to remove all chalky oxidation and mildew so the paint will adhere properly. The best way to clean the siding is with a mixture of trisodium phosphate (TSP), bleach, and water sprayed onto the surface with a power washer. Tougher areas will need to be scrubbed with a brush, making sure not to dent the aluminum. Pre-painted boards may not need to be primed, but the pros recommend applying galvanized metal etching primer to achieve the best results. If the boards have been stripped down to the bare metal, then a surface coat of latex primer should be applied before painting.
Painting Aluminum Siding
Painting aluminum siding is much the same as painting any other surface. After repairs, cleaning and priming, painters will paint around the edges with a brush and then apply the rest of the paint with a roller. They’ll make sure to back brush over painted areas with a clean paintbrush to even out the thickness of the paint. And then, after letting the first coat dry, they’ll apply a second to finish.
How Professionals Prep and Paint Aluminum Siding
Aluminum siding has a lot going for it, but one of its drawbacks is its baked-on color finish. The material inevitably turns chalky and fades as it’s exposed to direct sun, rain, and snow. If your aluminum siding doesn’t look its best, consider having it painted. Following are the steps professionals take to paint aluminum siding.
1. Inspect & Repair
After clearing away surface dust and dirt, inspect your siding and see if there are areas that are damaged. Dents, holes, and corrosion are common aluminum siding problems and should be fixed before re-painting. Dents should be pulled out with a screw and pliers, patched with putty, sanded smooth, and then painted. Holes may require cutting the panel and fitting it with a replacement piece. And corrosion can be fixed by sanding the area, applying metal primer, and then applying the paint to the panel.
2. Scrape & Scrub
Next, your painting team will prep your aluminum siding for painting by cleaning it thoroughly. First, they’ll wash debris off with a strong garden hose or power washer. Then, they’ll look for chalking—a powdery substance that forms on paint made for aluminum—and mildew. They’ll remove that with a cleaner containing trisodium phosphate (TSP). They’ll either scrub the areas with a sponge or, if there’s a lot of square footage to cover, spray the cleaner on with a power washer.
3. Sand
If the siding has already been painted, they’ll remove peeling paint with a scraper and then sand the rest down to the bare metal with a random-orbit sander fitted with a 100-grit abrasive disk. If they’re painting over the manufacturers’ baked-in color, they will not need to do heavy-duty sanding. They can just give the boards a light once over with the sander or a wire brush to make them more absorbent to the paint. The final step would be a quick rinse with the hose to remove all dust and allowing the siding to dry.
4. Masking
Before painting, the contractors will protect any areas that are not to be painted or are at risk of catching overspray, by masking them off with painter’s tape, plastic sheeting, and/or paper. They will place drop cloths on the driveway, plants, cars…anywhere paint could fly and cause damage.
5. Prime
While manufacturers state that primer is not necessary for painting over the factory finish, some pros advise applying galvanized metal etching primer to achieve the best results. This needs to cure for a minimum of four hours before painting. Others recommend oil-based primers which are good at absorbing chalking pigments. Or, if you’re painting with acrylic paint, which is generally the most recommended method, you can prime with an acrylic primer. Latex primers are not advised as their ingredients may not react well with the aluminum and could cause the paint to peel off prematurely.
6. Paint
Most painters will advise going with an all-season acrylic exterior grade paint for aluminum siding. They tend to stay away from high-gloss finishes which catch the sun’s rays and reflect them. Instead, low-luster, or satin, finishes are more common and provide a better look than other types of paint. When it comes to shade, you should choose a color that’s similar to the original, or lighter. Choosing excessively dark paint colors for metal siding should be avoided as they will absorb excess heat from the sun, causing warping and paint failure.
As for technique, most pros start by painting around the edges with a paintbrush, i.e. windows, doors, roofline, etc. Then, they’ll load up the roller and start on the boards. Horizontal siding will be painted from left to right, and vertical, up and down. They’ll usually start at the top and work their way down. And, as with any paint application process, they’ll take a brush and go over the rollered areas as they go, making sure the paint application is smooth and even. The painters will give the first coat two hours to dry and then apply a second to ensure complete coverage.
7. Clean Up
Once the paint has dried, all of the masking materials and drop cloths will be removed and discarded. Your home will look like new and the siding will last for years to come.
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Yes, you can paint aluminum siding, and guess what…it looks great! Click now for free quotes from experienced, licensed painting contractors near you!
