Painting Over Metal Roof

This is why when you are considering painting your metal roofing it makes sense to go for specific paints for the metal roof.

Painting over metal roof.

To paint a metal roof you ll need to use an oil based paint if you have a terne metal roof or an acrylic based paint if you have a galvanized metal roof. Metal surfaces require specialized primer and paint for good paint adhesion. This information is aimed at the residential customer but can easily pertain to a commercial application as well. This article is meant to clarify the answers to some of the most common questions our customers have about painting a metal roof.

If properly painted the paint will not only improve the appearance but protect the roof from further rusting. Prepainted metallic surfaces can be treated almost like any other basic latex or oil painted surface. Water resistant metal roofing paint for example can be of great value if you live in a rainy area. You ll also need to purchase a primer designed for metal roofs.

Metal roofs are prone to rust because they are constantly exposed to the elements. However if you want to paint over prepainted metal you re in luck. If you are preparing to paint a rusted galvanized metal roof pay special attention to surface preparation or you will have a recurrence of rust and or flaking. Before painting you ll still need to do a little.

Galvanized metal roofs are coated with a layer of zinc that inhibits rust. Unfortunately over time this coating can fail leading to minor rust outbreaks. If you have a terne metal roof like this one then it has probably been repainted several times over the years. If you re not sure what kind of roof you have ask a professional roofer to inspect it before you paint it.

Sand the entire metal roof surface very lightly with your wire brush or sandpaper. Although it isn t recommended to use a metal implement to scrape the roof it was the only way to remove the loose rust and old paint. Another mistake is to forget or ignore using a sealant before the application of the metal paint. Not using a sealant.