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---------------EXTERIOR--------------- ALUMINUM SIDING ALUMINUM STORM WINDOWS APPLICATION TEMPERATURE BRUSH BRUSH OR SPRAY BUBBLES or FOAMING CEDAR SHAKES CEDAR SHINGLES CEMENT ASBESTOS SIDING CHIMNEY CINDERBLOCK CLAPBOARD COLOR COLOR CHANGE IN PAINT COLOR RETENTION CONCRETE BLOCK CONTRACTOR CRACKED AND CHIPPING DECKS EFFLORESCENCE ELASTOMERIC WALL COATINGS EPOXY EWC FADE RESISTANCE FIBERGLASS FILM THICKNESS FROZEN GLOVES HARDBOARD HIGH HUMIDITY HOW MANY GALLONS HVLP INORGANIC PIGMENT LATEX PAINTS OVER OIL-BASED MASONRY METAL DOORS MILDEW MINIMUM APPLICATION TEMPERATURE OCHRE OIL OR LATEX OIL OVER LATEX OPAQUE ORGANIC PAINT PAINT CONTENTS PAINT FROZE PAINT INGREDIENTS PAINT OVER STAIN? DIFFERECE BETWEEN PAINT & STAIN PAINT THINNER PAINTING OVER ELASTOMERICS PARAFFIN PEELING POLYURETHANE PORCH CEILING POWER WASHING PRESERVATIVE PRESSBOARD PRESSURE WASHING PRIMERS PRIMING PVC QUALITY PAINT: WHICH IS BEST? QUOTES RAILING RAW LINSEED OIL REDWOOD REJUVENATING PAINT REMOVING PAINT FROM CARS ROLLER ROLLER MARKS ROOFS SAGGING SANDING TO BARE SEMI-TRANSPARENT STAIN SEPARATED SERIOUS ALERGIC REACTIONS SHEEN SHUTTERS, VINYL SKINNING: AVOIDING SHINGLES: PAINTING ASPHALT SHINGLES SOLID COLOR STAIN SOLVENT SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION SPRAYING SPREAD RATE SQUARE FEET PER GALLON STAIN STAIN BLOCKING STEPS STORING PAINT STUCCO SYNTHETIC STUCCO TANNIN STAINING TEMPERATURE THAWED THE BEST METHOD TO APPLY THE PAINT TITANIUM TOP QUALITY BRUSH UMBER URETHANE VARNISH VICTORIAN VINYL VINYL SHUTTERS VINYL SIDING VINYL TRIM VINYL WINDOWS VOC WALKWAYS WAX BLEED WIND DRIVEN RAIN WINDOW GASKETS WOOD FENCING       

ALUMINUM SIDING

Question
How should I prep old aluminum siding before painting? What type of primer is the best for siding?

Answer
Remove as much "chalk", dirt and mildew as you can. This is done by power washing or by scrubbing and rinsing. The only times a primer would be needed are:

1) if any bare aluminum is exposed; then use a latex corrosion-inhibitive primer;

2) if there is still much "chalk" left on the surface, apply a quality exterior alkyd ("oil-based") primer recommended for aluminum siding by the manufacturer. ("Chalk" is powdery pigment on the surfaced of the weathered siding, that comes off when you rub the palm of your hand over the surface.)

Question
After removing the old chalky white from aluminum siding, I was told to wipe the siding with mineral spirits before priming it. Is this a necessary step before washing it? I had to use a sander to remove the road salt and the siding was badly pitted.

Answer
No, unless you have some oily contaminant such as road tar on the siding, do not use mineral spirits. The road salt that you removed was probably white aluminum corrosion (aluminum oxide). After you clean and rinse the surface, you will need to prime all areas of exposed aluminum (that is, where you can see the metal), or where any of the white salts were.

For the primer, use a latex corrosion-inhibitive primer. Ask for this at a paint store. You may find it just as easy to prime all of the siding, rather than just the areas mentioned. If you do prime everything, you will get a more uniform appearance from the paint, compared with if you only prime some parts. For the paint itself, use a top of the line 100% acrylic latex house paint in a flat finish.

Question
What type of paint should I use to paint aluminum siding?

Answer
In general, use a top of the line exterior 100% acrylic house and trim paint in a flat or satin finish. This assumes proper surface preparation, including removal of dirt, chalk and mildew. Unless metal is exposed, no primer is needed. If bare metal is visible, remove any white oxide with a non-metallic scouring pad such as ScotchBrite, then wash off and rinse, then apply a latex exterior corrosion inhibitive primer to the exposed metal area. As for the paint, use a flat if the siding is at all uneven and/or dented (while the satin finish will provide a rich, fresh appearance, it will accentuate the dents.