Aluminum Siding Questions

jobondur

I have a small extension on my house that has aluminum siding. The paint on the siding is flaking off pretty badly, so much so that there is bare aluminum showing in some spots. I called a painter that has lots of great reviews and he quoted me what seems like a VERY fair price. I asked him what his process would be and here's what he said, tell me if you agree with his assessment...

1. Pressure wash the siding with a turbotip
2. Allow to dry
3. Topcoat with one coat of Duron DTM paint (satin finish). I assume this is their Dura Clad line?

He said that since the current coat is peeling, he couldn't really warranty the work. Is that normal?

He also said it shouldn't be an issue painting at this time, he'll just wait for a couple of days above 50 degrees.

He told me Duron was bought by Sherwin Williams and that the qualities of the paints are pretty comparable. I can request him to buy something different if needed but do you guys regard this as a high quality paint?

Thanks a ton...

joecaption

I would be in the Sherwin Williams store asking these questions on prep not getting them from the painter.
My thinking is this time of year painting jobs slow down and he needs the work, the paint store job is to help you find the best product and give you the best advice possible so you do not come back and complain it failed or never buy there brand paint again.
I personaly would be using Sherwin Williams Super paint or Duration.
They may suggest etching the paint before painting to get the oxatation off for better bonding on the bare metal.
I also would not suggest trying to do this during this time of year.
Reason being right now the siding has contracted, paint it now and as the tempature goes up it will expand a lot and may break the bond.

Will22

I don't know where you live in the country; at this time of the year, the window for painting is short, due to cold temperatures and moisture. Pressure washing should do a good job of removing the loose material, and it should be removed to assure that the new coating has an adequate bond. There are exterior acrylic primers and paints which will cure down to 35 degrees, but they will cure slower. A DTM coating is limited to a minimum of 50 degrees. I agree to visit a paint store in your area for a suitable recommendation, and perhaps a referral.

jobondur

I'm in Virginia Beach, VA

joecaption

I'm only a few miles away from you and I know I would not be doing any outside painting right now.

jobondur

Understood, I'll tell him I want to postpone until the spring. What about the paint choice and only applying one coat of paint with no primer? Is that what you guys would recommend?

Gymschu

Aluminum requires TWO coats of paint. No need for primer........even if it's down to bare (silver color) metal. One coat just isn't gonna cover properly. Good call on waiting til spring. Aluminum is always colder than the air temps if it's in the shade and warmer in the sun.

CaptRandy

Turbotip may be a little too aggressive. We usually wash with bleach, soap and water mix prior to coating. SW may already own Duron check it out.

housepaintingny

He does not sound very experienced In painting aluminum siding or prepping a house. You don't use a turbo tip on aluminum siding or any other siding. Aluminum siding does need to be cleaned proper prior to painting want to be sure to remove all oxidation, This can be achieved with tsp, bleach or similar chemicals. You do not use high pressure when washing siding. Use low pressure 500-1000psi and its good practice to use a nylon scrub brush when prepping aluminum siding to make sure all oxidation is removed. All bare aluminum needs to be primed first, Sherwin Williams DTM Bonding Primer works well for this. You can paint with a quality 100% acrylic paint. We prefer Sherwin williams Superpaint, 2 coats is standard practice and recommended when painting. When painting aluminum siding its best done when its warmer out, you want to be sure that the aluminum has expanded prior to painting, so that when it gets colder and the aluminum contracts you don't have missed spots at the joints. We do paint a lot of aluminum sided houses every year with great success, but prep, quality material and the right temps are key. We warranty all of our work and there is no reason for a contractor to say he would not warranty it, because the siding is bare aluminum, that's ridiculous, so isn't using a turbo nozzel.

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joecaption

A tubo nozzle can blow a hole right through the siding.

Matthewt1970

I would wait till spring. You need proper dry times before the dew hits every day or the paint can leech out and you need a few good weeks in the 50's for the paint to cure properly before winter hits.

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Latex Primer: Good for Drywall, that's about it.
Behr Paint: The plastic buckets are good, that's about it.