Painting Steel Siding

[10,000 Casts]

Anyone ever paint the steel siding on their house? Is it something that that I can do with my Wagner sprayer or should have it professionally done? Any tips are appreciated!

Thanks,

John

[PurpleFloyd]

How big is the house? I would imagine that there is a primer and paint designed to be applied over steel lap siding but remember that the factory siding is going to have a much higher quality coating that was probably baked on and whatever you do will not have the same look or the same lifespan.

The prep work of taping everything off will be the most time consuming part of the project and the better job you do, the better the finished project will look.

Personally I would not use a wagner sprayer. That was one of the first things I sprayed with and they do not atomize the paint well enough to get a quality finish. I would rent or borrow and airless sprayer and get the proper tip size for the viscosity of the paint. You will be able to finish 90% faster and the look will be much more professional. And I mean a good quality airless, not a 250 dollar unit.

You will have to powerwash the siding to get all the dirt off, make sure there are no spiderwebs or anything because that will show up in the final product. Also, you need to make sure it is a calm day so the wind doesn't blow dump back into the wet paint and of course you need to make sure the paint dries before it rains.

[cavalierowner]

I would recommend that you call tech support at a major company like Sherwin Williams. They can give you the info on the proper prep work and paint system to use. They will also be able to tell you about application recommendations for the system they recommend.

Having said that, I would not recommend painting over a factory finish unless it was absolutely necessary. As PurpleFloyd said here is no field-applied finish that will hold up like the original factory finish.

[2dog]

I painted the steel siding on my house the summer of 2012. The factory paint on my siding was flaking quite badly. I took the pressure washer and blasted all the paint I could get off. On the south side it took about 80 percent of the paint off. I then put a coat of Devoe mirrorlac-wb primer on. Then two coats of Devoe exterior semi gloss paint. I used a roller for the siding and a brush to get underneath the laps. It actually went pretty good. The paint looks great after a year and a half no peeling at all.

[JeremyCampbell]

Hire it out.Steel siding is something that can turn into a disaster if not prepped right .Your looking at commercial and industrial coatings which a little home owner wagner sprayer wont carry out a professional look and may not even spray well with a low profile(junk sprayer).If you care about your house, hire it out.I paint for a living.Steel siding is one of those products that needs the care of a pro.Look up a contractor that has experience with steel siding or industrial coating.A regular house painter wont cut it.If you do try to muscle this job yourself.Walk in your local Sherwin dealer and ask them there opinion on product,tip size,cleanup,Surface preparation.Have Fun!