# Cleaning & Priming aluminum siding



## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

Never been painted amd its chalky, faded real bad, the owners want it painted. What kind if primer. I was thinking DTM or maybe an oil based. Top off with regal select.


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## Wildbill7145 (Apr 30, 2014)

I've always just hit it with a medium/fine sanding sponge scrubbing it with a TSP/water mix. Gotta get that chaulky stuff off! Rinse it really well, prime any bare metal with Bull123 and paint away. Topcoat with 2 coats of whatever you normally use and bazinga you're done.

Never had a complaint, and the ones I've done around here still look great.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

I'd go with DTM if it actually need priming. If there's no bare metal, I'd finish with an acrylic. 

I thought Regal Select had been discontinued.


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## Boco (May 18, 2013)

Clean with tsp. Prime bare spots only then hit it with Superpaint.


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## kmp (Jan 30, 2011)

Pressure wash it and scrub brush it. Get a curved scrub brush that fits on a roller pole. HD sells them. There was a thread on here about emulsa bond and if it works or not on chalky surfaces but I have used it a lot and it really does work. It really helps with adhesion on metal even if it has no chalky residue. I wont warranty a house that was chalky with out it. For $40.00 a gallon that mixes with 4 gal. to make 5 it is pretty cheap insurance.


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## MIZZOU (Nov 18, 2012)

I like using a Great Lakes product called extra muscle on oxidization. We spray a ton of DTM so we get a hefty discount, I spray it on 90% of the metal buildings we do.


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## MikeCalifornia (Aug 26, 2012)

Clean it real good, then try SealKrete Original. Do a test and you will be amazed. It will remind you of Guardz inside. It is a great chalk binder that you can coat with an acrylic. Use something nice like SW ProIndustrial Acrylic.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

MikeCalifornia said:


> Clean it real good, then try SealKrete Original. Do a test and you will be amazed. It will remind you of Guardz inside. It is a great chalk binder that you can coat with an acrylic. Use something nice like SW ProIndustrial Acrylic.


I have never heard of this product I will look into it.


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## squid (Dec 25, 2012)

A company that charges $100/hr should know the answere to this question.


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## [email protected] (Mar 1, 2008)

Power wash hard and two coats 100% acrylic paint.first coat has some EB add. Ya I know old school but it works. But it has work for me for 30 years.


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## Delta Painting (Apr 27, 2010)

Priming Aluminum siding is a wast of material. I have sprayed aluminum jobs that are over 20 years old that still look good. Any good 100% acrylic exterior paint will do the job without primer..


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

squid said:


> A company that charges $100/hr should know the answere to this question.


It must be nice to have such a breadth of experience that you no longer encounter new situations.


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## lilpaintchic (Jul 9, 2014)

pressure wash, use EB or my personal favorite (though it may be overkill) is loxon (sw) paint conditioner. it's like an exterior version of gardz. personally, I'll take a little over kill and the confidence that comes with it over saving a couple of bucks and risking issues that would cost out the wazoo to repair if something failed. the customer is paying for it anyway... when in doubt, prime it out!

also, caulk those rusty screws in. works great, is tedious but goes pretty quick and will eliminate the rust marks that will continue to bleed as the rubber gaskets continue to deteriorate.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

squid said:


> A company that charges $100/hr should know the answere to this question.


I don't care how much you charge. There is a whole lot more to painting than painting. Plus I have never claimed to know every thing. There is still tons for me to learn after 25+ years.


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## Epoxy Pro (Oct 7, 2012)

lilpaintchic said:


> pressure wash, use EB or my personal favorite (though it may be overkill) is loxon (sw) paint conditioner. it's like an exterior version of gardz. personally, I'll take a little over kill and the confidence that comes with it over saving a couple of bucks and risking issues that would cost out the wazoo to repair if something failed. the customer is paying for it anyway... when in doubt, prime it out!
> 
> also, caulk those rusty screws in. works great, is tedious but goes pretty quick and will eliminate the rust marks that will continue to bleed as the rubber gaskets continue to deteriorate.


This house is pretty much right on the beach. Sun all day long faded the siding bad. The chalking is some of the worst I have seen. This place needs a good cleaning.

What is EB?


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## Boco (May 18, 2013)

Emulsifying bond product. Any how DTM will work but the main thing is to get it clean so its not chalky. Myself I always use 2 thin coats of superpaint satin. Not a big SWP fan but with expansion and contraction during different seasons Superpaint holds up.


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## Gough (Nov 24, 2010)

cdpainting said:


> This house is pretty much right on the beach. Sun all day long faded the siding bad. The chalking is some of the worst I have seen. This place needs a good cleaning.
> 
> What is EB?


Emulsa-Bond, a Flood product.


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## squid (Dec 25, 2012)

Is there any compatibilty issues between EB and Gennex paints?


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