Painting The Aluminum Siding

Basic Guidelines On Painting The Aluminum Siding

While aluminum siding have been very popular in the market, and being advertised as a maintenance-free product, the reality hits homeowners when they see their house from the outside with the siding already having a faded finish and chalking.

The solution is not to take it out and install a new siding for your house; all the more it is not a solution to just let it be, and hoping it would look better the next time you look at your house siding. Have you considered painting the aluminum siding of your house?

Painting the aluminum siding, or repainting for that matter is the way to go. Not only will this be a less hassle on your part, it will also help you save more money than having to put new siding in place. In this way, you also get to choose from among the wide choices of colors, that appeals to your liking and that fits the style of your house.

The keys to a successful paint job lie in the proper surface preparation, the painting process, and the quality of paint used for the job.

First and foremost, as with any painting job, it is advised to have the surface clean and dry. Cleaning the aluminum siding would mean making use of a detergent solution or a high quality soap, whichever you have, as long as you get the residue out during rinsing. The use of a heavy sponge and scrub brush will also be necessary along with a hose or a pressure washer. Be careful with the use of the pressure washer though, and set it only at the appropriate setting to give you just enough force fit for your washing needs.

After washing, and after making sure that the aluminum siding of the house is thoroughly dry, then you can now apply the thinned metal primer, making sure it is tinted to half the strength of the original color of your finish. Though priming is not usually required for painting the aluminum siding with a high quality 100% acrylic latex paint, a good rule of thumb is to prime when in doubt. It is also a good idea to mix in a bonding agent for the priming process.

Application of the final coating should be done within 48 hours after the application of the primer, and the paint should be a top quality 100% acrylic latex paint. Using such in painting the aluminum siding will give the best performance needed for aluminum siding. This paint is durable and offers a fade-resistant finish that can last for years.

The paint may be applied by brush, but a better alternative would be the use of a spray. Painting the aluminum siding requires one to know what he is doing, thus you have to learn more about this by reading reference materials, or better yet - let a professional do it for you.