# Has anyone ever painted over metal shed?



## Sheripoms (May 17, 2008)

I have an older storage shed that I would like to paint. Everytime I go to wash off the oxidation some of the paint comes off to and leaves the metal showing through.. Just wondering if I could do it without the paint peeling off in the hot sunshine in a years time. :indif:


----------



## paintboy (Apr 25, 2010)

yes you can. spend some extra time removing any loose paint then prime the whole thing with a good metal primer. then you can apply your finish paint. the key to long term survival of a paint job is in the prep. take your time, go the extra mile and it will last a long time.


----------



## SirDude (May 30, 2010)

As a professional house and automotive painter, I would treat it like it was a car and prep and paint it with automotive paints and sprayer. 

If the paint is flaking that bad, then you should be able to scape it off with not too much effort, just takes time. If most of it is still on there pretty good, then you'll need to sand or "scuff" it before you can seal or prime it, and then paint it with the color. 

I have painted galvanized steel down here in FL with products that Porter paints has, but I was not happy with the finally outcome. Take that with a grain of salt, when I paint, I'm pickier then a teenage girl at the mall and also I was paid to paint it, on a mega-million dollar, beach-front home. Plus, I knew nothing was going to hold up to the salt-air we get from the Gulf of Mexico. 

So if you just want to have it be all the same color again and maybe have a Wagner power painter, then go see someone at Home Depot or Porter Paint, etc, etc. They should be able to get you set up with all the primers, and top-coat/color paint.


----------



## SirDude (May 30, 2010)

paintboy said:


> yes you can. spend some extra time removing any loose paint then prime the whole thing with a good metal primer. then you can apply your finish paint. the key to long term survival of a paint job is in the prep. take your time, go the extra mile and it will last a long time.



Can't agree more, PREP, PREP, PREP! Anyone can roll, or spray some color, but if it's not prep'ed right, it won't last or look good from day one.


----------



## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

When my maintenance man painted the steel roof on my garage and my metal outbuilding he pressure washed both and sprayed them with an aluminum suspension with anti oxident paint. He said that while it was considered a paint it was actully a layer of liquid aluminum he was applying and should last about 15 to 20 years which made me feel better about the $400 he charged to clean and spray the two structures.


----------



## Sheripoms (May 17, 2008)

It's not flaking or anything. The original galvanized metal paint it came with is just fading and does not look fresh. 
Also the roof has some rust spots on it.. It is grey. Could I just put some of that thick grey mobile home roof sealer stuff on it. or would that just make it look horrible? Also would that stop the rust?
Its a 20 x 12 storage shed with rounded roof on it.


----------



## SirDude (May 30, 2010)

There are products for stopping rust and turning them into paintable metal. You could just spot touch-up areas like that if they are small enough to not stand out. 

As for just fading, I'm sorry, I took the "some paint comes off when washing" as it was flaking. I'm trying to think what products are available for metal like that. If it was a car or boat you could apply a wax to shine it up. 

Maybe check with a supplier or builder of metal buildings and see what they have on the market. There might be something to hose-on or you could mop on the sides, or someone could come out. 

The only metal roofs I deal with are the silver / galvanized roofs you see on a beach style home. Darker colors are too hot by me.


----------



## SirDude (May 30, 2010)

OH, one more thing to ask the metal building supplier, if you don't know it already, ask what cleaner you should be using to wash the building from time to time. If you are just hosing it off with water it shouldn't be too big of a deal, but I would think there's something on the market to spray through a hose, like the bottles you would use to spray weed or bug killer.


----------



## paintboy (Apr 25, 2010)

Sheripoms said:


> It's not flaking or anything. The original galvanized metal paint it came with is just fading and does not look fresh.
> Also the roof has some rust spots on it.. It is grey. Could I just put some of that thick grey mobile home roof sealer stuff on it. or would that just make it look horrible? Also would that stop the rust?
> Its a 20 x 12 storage shed with rounded roof on it.


I'm gonna be mean here. this was a long version of the standard question of "how do I do this job without really doing it?"

wash the whole thing, remove any loose paint, sand any bare metal, metal prime the whole thing, then paint it any color you want. Then forget about it for a long time.


----------



## Jim Bunton (Mar 16, 2004)

I am a residential repaint contractor and average about 5 or 6 metal sheds a year. They paint up nice. As has been said pressure wash removing as much of the paint as possible, wire brush and spot prime all the rusty areas. Then spray with two coats 100% acrylic latex house paint adding a product call Emulsa Bond from Flood to the first coat. 

You will be very please with the look. 

Jim


----------



## DAVID In Wisconsin (Dec 3, 2002)

We sure have a lot of painting contractors here. Add me to the list. I love painting metal sheds and siding and things. With proper prep the paint sticks well and looks good for years!


----------



## Sheripoms (May 17, 2008)

Thank all you guys so much for the advice!


----------



## plowjockey (Aug 18, 2008)

Sheripoms said:


> It's not flaking or anything. The original galvanized metal paint it came with is just fading and does not look fresh.
> Also the roof has some rust spots on it.. It is grey. Could I just put some of that thick grey mobile home roof sealer stuff on it. or would that just make it look horrible? Also would that stop the rust?
> Its a 20 x 12 storage shed with rounded roof on it.


Rust is caused when unprotected metal is exposed to moisture. If it is re-coated by good paint, the rust will stop. 

Smooth off any loose rest particles, prior to painting. If it has rusted through from the underside, then go with a heavy sealer, as a semi-permanent fix.


----------



## Mel- (Mar 30, 2004)

I painted the galvanized roof of my shed about 5 years ago. washed and scrubbed good, sanded rusted spots and then used 2 or 3 coats of rustoleum on it. still looking good.


----------

