How To Clean Aluminum Siding Before Painting

Updated on August 12th, 2022

Past: Steve Maxwell

Q: The aluminum siding on my firm has growths on it and the paint seems to exist rubbing off. Other than these problems, the siding is in good shape. What can I exercise to brand things expect ameliorate? Some people tell me new siding is the all-time option.

A: Painting is the easiest and virtually economical pick for renewing the expect of tired aluminum siding. At that place are three reasons I recommend against siding replacement in favour of repainting in your case:

Painting is much less expensive than replacing all that metal with vinyl.
The physical durability of aluminum is better than vinyl. Aluminum is simply a much better product in several ways.
Sprucing up the aluminum also saves lots of resources, so it's skillful for the environment.

Even siding as far gone as this tin look virtually new after surface prep and painting. The central is to choose the right primer and paint.

New pigment practical to aluminum siding can final a long time every bit long as y'all address a few unique details. Begin by washing the surface in the same manner you lot'd tackle the outside of your car, but with a picayune more than vigour. Scrub with warm, soapy h2o and a brush. Don't use a pressure washer. Rinse well to remove dirt, soap rest and oxidized paint. Yous might be tempted to employ a force per unit area washer hither, but that's not a not bad idea. It's all too easy for water to be forced upwardly underneath the siding and into window trim. And likewise, scrubbing with a brush removes dirt, chalky former paint and mold better than a force per unit area washer e'er can. Don't settle for anything remaining on the one-time siding. It needs to be perfectly clean with all loose stuff removed earlier proceeding. Let the siding dry for a couple of skilful days, so go ready to pigment.

The primal to successful painting of aluminum siding is oil-base primer. As good every bit latex primers are these days, don't use them in this state of affairs because chemicals in the mix volition react badly with the aluminum. That said, the paint itself should be the highest grade of 100% acrylic exterior latex yous can detect. Allow the oil-based primer dry for a week (don't rush on this timeline considering y'all need full and complete drying), then apply two coats of latex paint. A flat or low-sheen formulation looks best on siding because information technology doesn't show imperfections like high-gloss paints do. For best possible results, consider spray awarding. If that'south a problem, experiment with rollers. You lot'll get faster coverage than with a castor and a more even result. I excellent option involves brushing on the paint so you can get into all nooks and crannies, then immediately roll out the paint in that expanse with a paint roller to create an even texture that'south free of brush strokes. I know professionals who paint the entire exterior of multi-story buildings similar this and they do information technology faster than spraying considering no masking is required.

Got vinyl siding that needs some colour? The same approach applies to vinyl, except you should use a primer and paint made particularly for this task. Enquire at any specialty paint store for recommendations on primer and paint for vinyl siding.