Painting the metal roof on my house?
#11
I have a home with a 24 year-old metal roof. There is no rust or other deterioration of the metal, but the paint is chalky and losing it's color. It just looks really bad. I've cleaned it to no avail. I've read about special paints just for metal roofs.Anyone have experience with this?

Thanks! Fred
Reply
#12
Watched three companies try to paint the metal overhead garage doors on the building where I used to work. Galvanized metal. All of the companies media blasted the old(first company blasted off 20 year old paint, subsequent removals were less than 2 years old) paint and sprayed on new. Procedure was blast, wash, dry, prime, paint.

As evidenced, none of the three jobs lasted more than two years.

Our company painters finally had time to do the job and did the same procedure. That was in 1997 or 98. Paint is still there as far as I know.

Point being, it is possible to repaint metal surfaces. Only way to insure a good job is to inspect a companies previous work for longevity.
Reply
#13
Not sure about DIY, but the farmers around me have their metal roofs (barns, machine sheds, etc.) repainted as routine maintenance. It seems to last a good long time, and look good (for a barn) as well. Like Mac said, it's possible...maybe try to find such a painter (the companies doing this are mostly painting contractors that have bucket trucks and suitable spray equipment) and gte an estimate, along with exactly what he plans on usiong for the coating.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
Reply
#14
usually, a good paint job on metal involves a primer.  I guess everyone tries to avoid that for metal roofs.  A lot of primers need to be top-coated soon after drying, that's also a problem for roofs.
Reply
#15
They painted the metal roof in a shopping center where I was renting space.  This was about twenty years ago.

The guys performing the work started one evening as the shops closed up.

They had a couple of bucket trucks and lights and worked into the evening, spraying the roof.

When it got dark, the metal cooled off and water started to condense.  But the paint hadn't set yet.

Giant globs of dripping blue (blue paint + water) mess ran down the roof, onto the walkway and the parking lot below.

What a mess.
Reply
#16
I've seen it done to the metal (old tin) roofs on some of the farm houses and barns here. The few times I watched it done they did it with rollers, not spraying.
Reply
#17
(08-11-2016, 12:09 PM)Phil Thien Wrote: They painted the metal roof in a shopping center where I was renting space.  This was about twenty years ago.

The guys performing the work started one evening as the shops closed up.

They had a couple of bucket trucks and lights and worked into the evening, spraying the roof.

When it got dark, the metal cooled off and water started to condense.  But the paint hadn't set yet.

Giant globs of dripping blue (blue paint + water) mess ran down the roof, onto the walkway and the parking lot below.

What a mess.
20 years later, what's it look like?  Did it stick?
Rocket Science is more fun when you actually have rockets. 

"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government." -- Patrick Henry
Reply
#18
GAF has an entire list of specialty coatings one of which was developed to apply over kynar finished metal roofs. I believe they have several others as we'll. Also check out acrymax and weather barrier. All these are not dig though
Reply
#19
Is it galvanized under the paint? If so, I would hate to have that coating damaged or removed, then you'll have to keep painting the rust spots that poke through the new paint no matter what you do.
Reply
#20
Most of you are missing the fact that factory made metal roofing is most likely powder coated. It has been for better than 30 years. I know. I looked into in for my 2nd house. And my 3rd house too.
And no, you can't simply paint over powder coat. Primer or not.
It is what it is. Live with it, or replace it for no good reason if it's not leaking.
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 2 Guest(s)

Product Recommendations

Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.