Painting Metal Sheets

When painting galvanised steel you have to be aware that some primers and metal paints are not suitable.

Painting metal sheets.

Galvanized steel is a great material to use for a variety of tools products and projects and it s environmentally friendly. Start by cleaning the. Metal surfaces require specialized primer and paint for good paint adhesion. When preparing metal for paint checking for rust is important to make sure that the paint will adhere properly to the surface.

Prepainted metallic surfaces can be treated almost like any other basic latex or oil painted surface. However if you want to paint over prepainted metal you re in luck. Because of its smooth slick zinc coated finish galvanized steel can be tricky to paint. Painting a galvanized steel panel roof is not all that different from painting other metal objects but you must ensure that the surface is perfectly clean before beginning the application process.

How to paint galvanized steel. The painting process is actually very straightforward because the surface of galvanized steel is relatively smooth and consistent. The acid in the vinegar will act to etch the metal and help the paint adhere. Before you jump right into it it s critical to prep the nonstick surface so it can hold paint.

The choices of paint for galvanized metal will depend upon both the application and service environment. In fact roughly 69 of steel is recycled in north america each year. Once the metal has dried dampen a cloth with white vinegar and wipe the surface down. Acrylic metal paints are available for paint on application or in spray cans which can shorten painting time significantly.

Before painting you ll still need to do a little. If you re not sure what kind of roof you have ask a professional roofer to inspect it before you paint it. On older galvanized metal surfaces where the zinc coating has begun breaking down known as white rust use a wire brush or fine sandpaper to remove the chalky film before cleaning it. To restore lightly rusted metal surfaces to their original state use a brush to clean off loose rust sand the area and apply a high quality rust inhibitive primer e g.

When painting galvanized steel all paint systems used should be specifically formulated for use on galvanized steel and applied in accordance with the paint manufacturer s recommendations. You ll also need to purchase a primer designed for metal roofs.