Painting Aluminum Siding

Many homeowners that own homes with aluminum siding think that they cannot paint the exterior or their home. Our construction division is frequently asked to provide an estimate for the replacement of the siding on many of these homes. To replace the siding on a typical circa 1940-1960 colonial style homes with aluminum siding would run in excess of $35,000.

Over the last 20 years we have had the privilege of working with homeowners who own these homes with the painting of the siding and trim. Up until about 1995, professional painting contractors who painted aluminum siding would simply wash the surfaces and apply an acrylic latex paint while crossing their fingers that the paint wouldn’t peel off the following year.

One of the major contributors to the failure of paint is the existence of moisture within the structure or the actual wood. All wood contains natural moisture content. It is when the level of moisture within the wood increases that the paint is susceptible to peeling. Aluminum siding contains No moisture therefore there are only a few factors that would cause the paint to peel. Chalking would be the most frequent cause of aluminum siding to peel. Also due to the fact that aluminum retains both heat and also cold; if the paint is applied in temperatures that are not within the parameters of their product then the chances of the paint peeling will substantially increase. Painting aluminum siding can be a difficult process but through the use of a step by step process it can be done.

Through oxidation of the aluminum the surfaces develop a condition known as “chalking”. If you were to run your hand over the aluminum siding, you would discover that your hand would indeed be covered in a chalky dust like substance. Before the introduction of innovative products such as Emulsabond, painting contractors would simply rinse down the surface and hope for the best.

In order to assure that the paint will not pop off the aluminum there are a few “simple” things that need to be done. First the entire structure will need to be hand scrubbed using a medium stiffness brush, TSP, and in some cases bleach. This will remove most of the chalking and oxidation on the aluminum siding. A 100% acrylic latex paint of the highest quality with the addition of Emulsabond; (a bonding agent that contractors add to their paint product to assist the paint in adhering to chalky or dusty surfaces), will need to be applied in two coats to all aluminum siding.

When deciding whether to paint your aluminum siding a good place to start would be researching whom you might like to hire to do the work. You will obviously want to hire someone experienced with these types of substrates.

Progressive Painting Services has completed hundreds of these homes in Central MA and is happy to say that our techniques have proven to be extremely affective in assuring our customers the longevity of their paint jobs.