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Discussion Forum

cleaning/painting aluminum siding

habilis | Posted in General Discussion on May 11, 2009 01:57am

Got a big old house(1910); 25′ X 25′ x 9′ times 3 levels above ground.
White aluminum siding looks pretty crappy, stains and dirt that didn’t come off with the strongest pressure washer I could rent in combo with brush and soaps(tried a few). Then somebody must have been drunk when they put muddy brown paint on back deck; splatter marks inrhes up to 4′. Finally rub marks from ladders leaning against house. Is there any kind of decent clean up possible. Paint it? Or go whole hog, tear off aluminum and resurface adding insulation with new siding. Underneath aluminum is wood lap siding which I am sure would need a fair amount of repair and continual maintenance. Which are best avenues to pursue. Of course, we want a good looking house but cost, difficulty(which I have a fair sense of), time and maintenance will factor in. Just starting to research options.

Thanks.


Edited 5/10/2009 6:58 pm ET by habilis

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  1. User avater
    kurt99 | May 11, 2009 05:34pm | #1

    Aluminum siding will take paint well. It needs to be cleaned well to remove any chalkiness. It sounds like you probably already have done that. I am not sure that a power washer alone will remove the chalk, it may take a brush and a good strong detergent like TSP. Make sure all residues are rinsed off well. When dry, rub with a dark cloth. If it shows white, clean again.

    When clean and dry, paint with a good grade of latex paint. Usually a primer is not needed, check the manufactures instructions. Usually, you want to use a satin paint to be the closest to the original finish. A highly glossy finish will show every ding and a flat will look old and dull.

    Don't cheap out on the paint, three stories is a lot of ladder work that you won't want to be doing again very soon just to save a few buck on the paint. If you are doing this yourself, don't forget to add in the value of your labor when choosing the paint. The cost of the job is not $200 for the paint, it is $200 for the paint and $5000 for your labor. If you look at it this way, doubling the cost of the paint for a significantly longer life looks like a bargain.

    1. habilis | May 12, 2009 07:00pm | #3

      Kurt99 and florida,
      Thanks for the replies. Painting was the direction I was tending towards. Gonna give it a try in an area around back deck that I could easily replace siding any way I want because it's visually distinct from the rest of the house. Now painting has never been my thing, though I've done a bit and often better than the specialists. Question is what is good quality paint? I agree my time is a far more expensive cost, so how do I know I'm getting a good, long lasting paint. Not looking to get real deep in the chemistry, I'll do a bit of homework here and around to make sure I'm not wasting my time. Any pointers would be appreciated. And I know good prep is most of the job.

      1. florida | May 12, 2009 08:07pm | #4

        A good prep and tinted primer will probably do you more good in the long run. Any good name brand exterior paint will work fine. I'd use a satin since it seems to stay clean longer and clean up easier. A good paint job on aluminum siding should last 10 years or more. I'd think about masking off doors and windows and spraying.

        1. habilis | May 12, 2009 08:19pm | #5

          Yeah, was just looking at articles here at FH. 100% acrylic latex primer and paint with high solid content seems the recommended route. Done a little bit of spray painting, probably have to get a better spray gun than the cheap one that came with compressor. Clean, tape, prime, two coats. If it's windy do something else.

          1. DonCanDo | May 13, 2009 12:12am | #6

            I do not have a lot of experience painting aluminum siding, but the conventional advice is to use an oil-based primer if the existing finish is at all chalky.  So far, I haven't seen aluminum siding that isn't chalky.  I used an oil primer and a latex top coat for the little bit I've done.  It has held up well.

            You may want to look into this a little more.

          2. WorkshopJon | May 13, 2009 01:40am | #7

            "So far, I haven't seen aluminum siding that isn't chalky"

            DCD,

            It's supposed to "chalk".  That's what makes it relatively self cleaning.

             

            WSJ

          3. DanH | May 13, 2009 01:55am | #9

            Yeah, I always heard 100% acrylic latex. No primer unless the original finish is down to bare metal.
            The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith

          4. muffy1 | May 13, 2009 02:08pm | #11

            Had trouble years ago with paint on aluminum pealing --then hot power washed and got good paint for metal as sherwin williams  acrylastic  paint {hope that is spelled right}  anyway  painted 1 coat dark color and lasted about 7  to 8 years  before any color fade could be seen . Only problem with that paint is the firsr year it is a bit glossy and will show dents   but still looks a lot better than VINYL

  2. florida | May 11, 2009 10:22pm | #2

    I'd prime and paint. Down here in south Florida aluminum siding's paint is usually shot in 10 or 12 years and has to be repainted. I wouldn't even consider doing it without priming first.

  3. DanH | May 13, 2009 01:53am | #8

    Insure it, then burn it.

    (Hey! Only kidding.)

    You can paint the aluminum with fair success. But if it's in poor condition you may want to tear it off and put up something else. Lots of variables.

    The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. -John Kenneth Galbraith
  4. try50772 | May 13, 2009 04:02am | #10

    My neighbor next door painted his aluminum siding three years ago. He is a painter by trade. Took him one short day to clean the house, and the second day to mask and spray it all.

    I would look to a pro painter with the right tools and supplies to give you what you want with a warranty in the shortest time possible. My wife and I enjoy painting, and I have picked up many of the necessary tools and supplies over the years, but 3 stories up on a ladder with a brush sounds like a long couple weeks for a couple of dollars.

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