# Best paint / advice for aluminum siding?



## Jdub2083

Okay, I need some professional painting advice. My wife and I have decided to paint our house which is sided in aluminum. I've painted a lot of stuff in my life, but aluminum siding is not on that list. 

First off, it's never been painted before, and as far as i know was put on the house when it was built in 1960. It's in fairly decent shape, but there is the chalky residue on it. I plan on using a cleaner ( recommendations?) and a stiff brush and completely hand scrubbing it all. Then I was debating on a light power washing or just a good rinse. 

A local painter recommended using Weather-clad paint, but I wanted to get everyone's opinion. Also I've read conflicting reports on whether to prime or not. 

My in-laws have generously offered to pick up the tab for the paint, and I want to get a quality one, but I do not want to push the bill any higher than it needs to be. I can get 20% off HD paint, and I know it's not SW or BM, but is it worth the extra cost to go to one of those places or does Behr exterior work well enough? 

We have future intentions of doing wood siding, but that could be 4 or 5 years down the road. 

Thanks for all the help in advance, Joe.


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## Randy Bush

My dad has this on his house , about the same age. He just power washered it , went to a paint store and asked them the best paint for it. Did not prime it , but did use a airless sprayer to paint . Turn out looking good and paint is saying on. Not sure would use a brush unless there is loose stuff . Would clean up the caulk around the opening though, If like his no J channel just caulked ,It has held up very good for 40-50 old work. Think you are going to have a hard time with alot of the new siding holding up as good as that aluminum has.


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## Jdub2083

Randy Bush said:


> My dad has this on his house , about the same age. He just power washered it , went to a paint store and asked them the best paint for it. Did not prime it , but did use a airless sprayer to paint . Turn out looking good and paint is saying on. Not sure would use a brush unless there is loose stuff . Would clean up the caulk around the opening though, If like his no J channel just caulked ,It has held up very good for 40-50 old work. Think you are going to have a hard time with alot of the new siding holding up as good as that aluminum has.


We have had people say don't waste the money on paint and just put up vinyl, but personally I hate vinyl siding. You are right about no j channel, and the caulking does need redone. I've been putting it off, because it seems like there is a few miles of it to do. 

We want to do a combo of board and batton / lap / and shakes in the future, and my parents own a tree farm and saw mill, so it's just a matter of me doing some logging and milling for our new siding. Who knows when I'll have time for that. 

As far as only power washing, it doesn't seem like it will get the film off personally. Like washing a vehicle, it seems to only come clean with some good old elbow grease. I just assumed this siding would be the same way.

I do have a airless sprayer, I've yet to use it actually, but I've heard brush and roll is the way to go. Thanks for the input Randy.


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## aptpupil

if you're going with HD paint i'd sooner use glidden than behr. spray and back brush.
i'd power wash it first on a small area and then see if it still needs to be scrubbed.


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## griz

Go down to the Rail Yard & ask the graffiti guys whay they use...:laughing:

that chit don't come off of nothing...:whistling:laughing::laughing:


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## Sir Mixalot

Power wash it. Then you're going to need to lock down the chaulkyness with a sealer. Next spray and back brush two coats of your favorite exterior paint.:thumbsup:
If I was you, I would go to SW or BM and have them spec out your painting project. Then it will be covered by all of the warranties and be done properly.:thumbup:


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## griz

Sir Mixalot said:


> Power wash it. Then you're going to need to lock down the chaulkyness with a sealer. Next spray and back brush two coats of your favorite exterior paint.:thumbsup:
> If I was you, I would go to SW or BM and have them spec out your painting project. Then it will be covered by all of the warranties and be done properly.:thumbup:


What about a self etching primer?


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## CompleteW&D

griz said:


> What about a self etching primer?


When I was a kid, I used to help my Dad paint. Aluminum siding was one of his specialties. He would pressure wash it down and would use an additive in the wash solution. I don't know why I remember it being TSP maybe? Something or other with three syllables anyway. He was a Porter Paint guy and would then use Porter's Zinc Oxide primer and then a coat of Porter's best exterior enamel.

Now being an old fart myself, that was like 35 - 40 years ago give or take. So, I have no idea why or how I even remember that stuff, other than we did a TON of them and they always turned out looking beautiful.

Obviously the enamels are gone, but not sure about the primer. I remember him swearing by that ZO primer back then. He said it bonded to the metal much better than regular paint or primer which is why his paint jobs always lasted so darned long I guess.


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## Pete'sfeets

my approach is to wash with a rag a hose, wiping removes the chalky surface, pressure wash does nothing but perhaps the chemical is wrong, whatever I just wipe to get the bulk of it anyhow.. I then use a superstickprimer and you can tint that ,at least I do, I spray it on and then top coat in a soft gloss, sure you can use eggshell but that seems to defeat the purpose no?.. If you have a nice four foot wand you can do plenty off a ten foot stepladder. Spraying is best because you can't control the sun, of coarse you can't control the wind either... but spraying while fast it also does not create texture on the siding lke a roller, god forbid in the sun and some areas are in the sun all frikkin day. Priming ensures adhesion, adds to the thickness and reduces the amount of finish paint . It rarely fails to stick however because most exterior paint failures are with painted wood, but aluminum siding doesn't swell, look for where gravity would leave dirt and focus there. Avoid oil paint, it doesn't expand enough for siding metal. that's my five cents.


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## [email protected]

The way I have done them for almost 30 years
Power wash The first coat I add some EB Flood product to my first coats product
I have using glidden 350 Sherman Williams A 100 or SuperPaint plastic windows and spray away. Roof and anything else I Use a shield. Using a 415 or 515 tips
David


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## Tom Struble

i think Pete's got it right as far as getting dirt/chalk off the surface..you need some friction,long handle car wash brush work good too


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## sunkist

post #6 gets my vote, sw & bm have pepes that can spec out the gear needed for the job,


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## Ohio painter

I have painted a lot of aluminum siding. It will look great when finished.
Prep - scrub house with long handle brush, use detergent and some bleach to kill any mold, power wash it off. TSP ok too. 
I think primers are unnecessary on aluminum siding. 
I paint with two coats of satin latex paint and I also add Flood brand Emulsa Bond to the first coat only - no more than 5 - 10 %. 

Paint on second coat and you are done and it will look great for years.

Paint recommendations - SW Weatherclad is a decent middle of the road the paint. I think SW Superpaint would be better. 

I don't use Home Depot paint so I can only suggest to get the best they offer. 

If you can rent a sprayer and spraying is practical then you can't go wrong, if not then brush it on and get yourself a free shoulder workout also  Avoid trying to roll it as it will end up looking crappy. 
Good luck.


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## hanger1966

*hager1966*



Jdub2083 said:


> Okay, I need some professional painting advice. My wife and I have decided to paint our house which is sided in aluminum. I've painted a lot of stuff in my life, but aluminum siding is not on that list.
> 
> First off, it's never been painted before, and as far as i know was put on the house when it was built in 1960. It's in fairly decent shape, but there is the chalky residue on it. I plan on using a cleaner ( recommendations?) and a stiff brush and completely hand scrubbing it all. Then I was debating on a light power washing or just a good rinse.
> 
> A local painter recommended using Weather-clad paint, but I wanted to get everyone's opinion. Also I've read conflicting reports on whether to prime or not.
> 
> My in-laws have generously offered to pick up the tab for the paint, and I want to get a quality one, but I do not want to push the bill any higher than it needs to be. I can get 20% off HD paint, and I know it's not SW or BM, but is it worth the extra cost to go to one of those places or does Behr exterior work well enough?
> 
> We have future intentions of doing wood siding, but that could be 4 or 5 years down the road.
> 
> Thanks for all the help in advance, Joe.


Use Benjiman Moores Moorguard. It can be applied without priming.


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## hanger1966

*hanger1966*

Benjaman Moore Mooreguard is self priming Power wash first for best results.


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## Stewy

I just painted the trim on a house that had the alum. siding painted 12 years
ago and it still looked decent and adhesion was good. The painter used a solid
color stain.


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